What happened: Pauline Astier knocked down a 23-foot three-point jumper with 9:19 left in the first quarter, set up by a Betnijah Laney-Hamilton assist. The bucket nudged the score to 2-3 in the early going. It marked one of the first half-court possessions to find clean separation.

Why it matters: Early three-point conversion from a perimeter rotation player matters for pace and spacing projections that. Laney-Hamilton operating as a facilitator rather than a primary scorer is a tell about how the offense is being run tonight. Quick scoring starts often correlate with over-leaning live totals in the opening frame.

What to watch: Watch whether Astier stays on the floor in the closing minutes of Q1 and whether Laney-Hamilton's assist usage continues. A second made three from the same action would suggest a designed look rather than a one-off.