A New Dawn?

[Monte]

I never saw Dawn so quiet and mild-mannered as she coached a game. I think she could see the defeat coming quite early.
Geno: I never saw him smile so much, while a game was in progress.

Nice crowd.

 

[JordyG]

I never saw Dawn so quiet and mild-mannered as she coached a game. I think she could see the defeat coming quite early.
Geno: I never saw him smile so much, while a game was in progress.

Nice crowd.

I bet you wouldn't say that if you were behind her bench. My meager lip reading skills could still pick out some choice and perhaps gymnastically original swear words and phrases.

 

[ProSkeptic]

What was with the all-white ensembles? White for "surrender?"

 

[cbraarj]

She didnt call one time out in first half! How can you not especially that 2nd quarter?

 

[HoopsFan21]

She didnt call one time out in first half! How can you not especially that 2nd quarter?

Maybe she saw a boulder rolling down hill picking up speed and thought there was nothing she could do to stop it?

 

[uconnfan68]

What was with the all-white ensembles? White for "surrender?"

The fans had a “white out”, so she joined in.

 

[eebmg]

She didnt call one time out in first half! How can you not especially that 2nd quarter?

Please. She was so impressed by the basketball being played, she just wanted to keep watching. Beat's the rugby style from the SEC.

 

[Florida Fan]

She didnt call one time out in first half! How can you not especially that 2nd quarter?

Dawn got on them at half time. I was impressed by their second-half efforts. I think they will use the loss to their advantage.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Dawn is Dawn and subdued or mild mannered will never last long. She's enough of a coach to know 4 minutes into that game it was essentially over. She suffered a beat down with her team, so she's pretty low, but there is no new Dawn.

 

[cbraarj]

Dawn got on them at half time. I was impressed by their second-half efforts. I think they will use the loss to their advantage.

After what happened against Missouri. I thought that hurt them also. Either way I picked Uconn by 23 or more.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

gymnastically original swear words and phrases.

The Kama Sutra of swearing as it were?! You pay extra for that ticket?

 

[2Husky]

She didnt call one time out in first half! How can you not especially that 2nd quarter?

I assume she knew Geno would draw up a better play than she would so the timeout wouldn't help her

 

[Gamecockfan77]

I never saw Dawn so quiet and mild-mannered as she coached a game. I think she could see the defeat coming quite early.
Geno: I never saw him smile so much, while a game was in progress.

Nice crowd.

Can't imagine what a coach could find to be upset about in the second quarter. The execution was perfect and UConn was draining everything.

 

[Rema64]

I was surprised how calm she was also and not calling a timeout several times in the first half was a mistake. I think she was just stunned by what was happening to her team. Also after the Missouri game she has to show some discipline because she is the future Olympic coach and needs to show she can represent us well.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

Dawn got on them at half time. I was impressed by their second-half efforts. I think they will use the loss to their advantage.

Got on whom? The Refs? That would explain the second half and the whistles.

 

[GoUconn7961]

I have never been overly impressed with her as a coach. I'll be interested to see how she handles the Olympic team.

 

[bags27]

Can't imagine what a coach could find to be upset about in the second quarter. The execution was perfect and UConn was draining everything.

no doubt, but I saw a lack of real focus and effort on USC's part as well. Sometimes they were just waving at UConn's 3 point shooters.

 

[UConnCat]

I just posted this in the game thread before seeing this thread:

Why did Dawn wait so long to call a timeout in the 2nd quarter? The game was put away in the 2nd quarter and Dawn used her first timeout when her team was down by 28 points.

The 2nd quarter began with UConn up 24-16. UConn then went on a 17-2 run while Dawn waited for the official timeout (deadball after 5:00) which didn't happen until there was only 4:09 left in the half and UConn up 41-18. She then called her first timeout with 1:51 left in the 2nd quarter with UConn up 51-23. I'm not sure the bleeding could have been stopped but something needed to be tried much earlier in the 2nd quarter.

 

[UConnCat]

She didnt call one time out in first half! How can you not especially that 2nd quarter?

She did, with 1:51 left in the 2nd quarter but it was too late.

 

[CL82]

I have never been overly impressed with her as a coach. I'll be interested to see how she handles the Olympic team.

<Cough>... Coach of the national champions...<cough.>

 

[UConnCat]

I have never been overly impressed with her as a coach. I'll be interested to see how she handles the Olympic team.

Dawn is a very good coach who will continue to learn and get better. Geno is a much better coach today than he was 10 or 15 years ago.

A few observations. As I mentioned above, I thought Dawn coached passively last night, letting that 2nd quarter get away from her and her team. She needed to try to stop the bleeding much sooner.

The Missouri game and its aftermath was very unfortunate but overall I thought Dawn handled it as well as one could. I'm sure it affected her emotionally; perhaps she was a bit drained last night.

Finally, and I'm going to harken back to my favorite topic -- Cooper's waiver petition -- I do think Dawn's public comments did not serve her team well. At some point you need to circle the wagons and send a message to your team that this is who we are and it's going to be good enough. Her ongoing public comments about Cooper sent an entirely different message to her team. Now, Cooper isn't eligible and she has to tell her team this is who we are and it's good enough. Teams and players hear those mixed messages.

 

[DefenseBB]

I think her “mellowness” last night was the result of a convolution of many forces occurring:
1. The Mizzou game and its aftermath were very draining
2. The Cooper situation and the high yet false hope she initiated has a reality of a short bench and the energy she expended in “fight mode” is taxing
3. She and Geno have a friendship and she respects the game and him too much to “go off” on any perceived slights by Refs, players or other coaches, which in this case Geno would not have done anyway.
4. She “gets” the mid season OOC challenge and stated as much in her press conference. Her focus is the SEC and MSU Monday. This game will make her better for that.

I understand a rivalry but to disparage her by saying she can’t coach is idiotic. Look at what she did at Temple and the unbelievable environment she created at SC all with only 2 top 10 recruits. She is well deserving of her status. I only wish she would comfort herself a tad better when highly frustrated.
I respect her as much as Tara and Muffet and she should be a beacon for all minority women for what can be achieved. I would gladly shake her hand and tip my cap to her.

Now go beat MSU on Monday!

 

[Gamecockfan77]

no doubt, but I saw a lack of real focus and effort on USC's part as well. Sometimes they were just waving at UConn's 3 point shooters.

There was some snowballing going on, for sure.

 

[LesMis89]

Can't imagine what a coach could find to be upset about in the second quarter. The execution was perfect and UConn was draining everything.

Yep.

Yesterday I happened upon a clip of Geno interviewing Sue Bird in which they discussed the 2000 Championship game in Philly against Tennessee. Bird said something to the effect that sometimes you, as a team, are simply in a place where everything's clicking and you can do no wrong.

Her description describes that second quarter pretty well.

 

[Ron and Vida]

I think her “mellowness” last night was the result of a convolution of many forces occurring:
1. The Mizzou game and its aftermath were very draining
2. The Cooper situation and the high yet false hope she initiated has a reality of a short bench and the energy she expended in “fight mode” is taxing
3. She and Geno have a friendship and she respects the game and him too much to “go off” on any perceived slights by Refs, players or other coaches, which in this case Geno would not have done anyway.
4. She “gets” the mid season OOC challenge and stated as much in her press conference. Her focus is the SEC and MSU Monday. This game will make her better for that.

I understand a rivalry but to disparage her by saying she can’t coach is idiotic. Look at what she did at Temple and the unbelievable environment she created at SC all with only 2 top 10 recruits. She is well deserving of her status. I only wish she would comfort herself a tad better when highly frustrated.
I respect her as much as Tara and Muffet and she should be a beacon for all minority women for what can be achieved. I would gladly shake her hand and tip my cap to her.

Now go beat MSU on Monday!

5. The SC AD suggested she tone down until the Mizzou controversy is settled one way or another?