Alexa comes back from the Dark Side

[RedStickHusky]

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

I agree with you. And as you clearly stated in paragraph one above, both SC and UConn were pre-season #1 and #2, so I believe it's only fitting that they're both in the championship game. SC's Boston has had a stallion-like kind of year, mainly because she did all the off-season things to improve her growth and maturity, but I like our chances. And since that November game, both teams have improved, but while SC sailed along smoothly (for the most part), UConn endured a stretch of long-suffering events mid season. So the experience, resilience and perseverance learnt from those difficulties is why they're in this game today. I'm hoping for a great game, with a UConn W. Go Huskies!

It may be a little more.....ESPN first preseason rankings put UConn #1. Then the bottom fell out....

Now that UConn is all healthy and the key players ESPN thought would fuel UConn are playing well....and Geno's true statements - not spins - are taken as _______ [you fill the blanks]

Let's see, if I recall correctly, Alexa wasn't with them the beginning of the season.

I don't care and don't want to know what they say or think.....I have long said that UConn is going to win NC12 this time. Of course, I can be wrong but it is so much fun to say this amidst all the elevation to invincibility of both Stanford and South Carolina who, to them, were destined to meet for the championship. We know what happened to that.....and I am staying the course. Let us all stay the course.....

Go UConn!

 

[Geew1992]

Doris Burke picked SC

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

Doris Burke picked SC

She famously said that the addition of Azura Stevens to the team that set the record of 111 consecutive wins would make that UConn team of Gabby-Kia-KLS-Napheesa unbeatable....we know what happened.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

The Alexa Perspective [she was an in-season transfer to ESPN], so she appreciates UConn better, yes?

'This team needed a lot of growing up': UConn on verge of most improbable title run

In December, Geno Auriemma wasn't sure UConn could fix its problems or overcome its injuries. After beating two 1-seeds, the Huskies are on the verge of a 12th national title.

www.espn.com

 

[01Neaggrad02]

One out of five... so what you are saying is that there is hope

 

[VillageHusky]

She seems a bit turned off by the degree to which Geno has portrayed UConn's run to the title game as "miraculous." And I tend to agree with her insofar as he has three of the four #1 recruits, Paige is back and healthy, Fudd is coming into her own, etc. Looking back to early November, nothing about this outcome feels miraculous when SCAR was pre-season #1 and UConn pre-season #2.

What I think Voepel under-appreciates is the struggle to get here, and it's been a struggle Geno hasn't experienced in well over decade, so it probably, legitimately, feels miraculous to him given some reasonably expected outcomes in mid-Jan. when UConn was losing to teams it should clearly beat (Georgia Tech, Oregon) even without Bueckers. Even many BYers seemed to have lost faith just two months ago.

As with most things, the truth is somewhere in the middle.

The truth of UConn’s run to the final of this year’s NCAA WBB Tournament is that, while UConn did overcome tremendous “adversity” in the form of serious injuries to key players to reach this game, this achievement by UConn is not “miraculous” in the way the USA’s 1980 Miracle on Ice was “miraculous” because UConn’s players when healthy clearly possess the requisite talent to compete with any other team in the country.

That said, Mechelle Voepel really does seem to have a problem with giving any credit to UConn generally and Geno specifically. For example, Voepel essentially dismisses Genco’s contention that UConn has experienced and overcome more adversity this year than in any other on the ground that “dealing with injuries to key performers, uncharacteristic missed shots, poor execution [is] stuff almost every coach faces at some point every season.” Yet, I (and likely many others) suspect Voepel would be lauding Dawn Staley and South Carolina’s strength of character had South Carolina reached the final after Aliyah Boston suffering an injury as severe (and missing as many games) as Paige Bueckers, let alone after Destanni Henderson or Zia Cooke being hindered or out for as long as Azzi Fudd.

Voepel also gives little credit to UConn and Auriemma for reaching the championship game because, in her words, “let's remember Christyn Williams, Paige Bueckers and Fudd were all No. 1 recruits in their class. The Huskies have a great deal of talent that got healthy -- or healthy enough -- at the right time, and have one of the most successful coaching staffs in any collegiate sport ever.” This contention is particularly rich given that Voepel picked Indiana to beat UConn in the Sweet Sixteen, then NC State to triumph over UConn in the Elite Eight, and next Stanford to knock out UConn in the Final Four. If UConn I had so much raw talent and its coaching staff is so “successful,” why has Voepel picked against UConn so consistently in this tournament.

Reading Voepel, I can’t escape the sense she dislikes Geno and recoils against UConn’s unprecedented and unequaled record of consistent and constant excellence over the last quarter century. I find it impossible to escape this sense because of Voepel’s own words in seeking to explain to explain why UConn beat Stanford:

“If Stanford's starting guards had just a slightly better performance in the semifinals, the Cardinal would be in the final. Haley Jones had 20 points and 11 rebounds, but Lexie Hull, Lacie Hull and Anna Williams were a combined 3-of-17 from the field for eight points. The Cardinal had so many frustrating possessions in that loss.”

I find it striking and clear that, in lamenting the Stanford guards’ performance, Voepel does not, cannot and is unwilling to give UConn any credit for its victory. In my view, given Voepel’s unwillingness and inability to credit UConn, it is impossible (at least for me) to credit Voepel as balanced, unbiased, even-handed and fair when it comes to UConn.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

In my view, given Voepel’s unwillingness and inability to credit UConn, it is impossible (at least for me) to credit Voepel as balanced, unbiased, even-handed and fair when it comes to UConn.

Historically, Voepel has credited UConn regularly but not this time and maybe sometime earlier this year before now.....I haven't really kept track of what she has been saying because she always struck as someone who tries to please all sides and not offend anyone, hence her writing is rather vanilla-like which, of course, is favored by some readers. Maybe something happened, like MM saying ESPN is biased towards UConn, etc., etc.....whatever.

I can understand H. Jones giving herself and Stanford an excuse by saying they did not "play Stanford ball" for much of the game and only generally credited UConn as a great team without specifically saying UConn's defense disrupted them....it is her heat-of-the-moment frustration at losing that is understandable, so I don't take it as sour-graping.

But I cannot understand an allegedly unbiased journalist NOT submit a balanced report, unless they are bending over backwards to avoid future criticism from the likes of MM, etc.

 

[TheFarmFan]

The truth of UConn’s run to the final of this year’s NCAA WBB Tournament is that, while UConn did overcome tremendous “adversity” in the form of serious injuries to key players to reach this game, this achievement by UConn is not “miraculous” in the way the USA’s 1980 Miracle on Ice was “miraculous” because UConn’s players when healthy clearly possess the requisite talent to compete with any other team in the country.

That said, Mechelle Voepel really does seem to have a problem with giving any credit to UConn generally and Geno specifically. For example, Voepel essentially dismisses Genco’s contention that UConn has experienced and overcome more adversity this year than in any other on the ground that “dealing with injuries to key performers, uncharacteristic missed shots, poor execution [is] stuff almost every coach faces at some point every season.” Yet, I (and likely many others) suspect Voepel would be lauding Dawn Staley and South Carolina’s strength of character had South Carolina reached the final after Aliyah Boston suffering an injury as severe (and missing as many games) as Paige Bueckers, let alone after Destanni Henderson or Zia Cooke being hindered or out for as long as Azzi Fudd.

Voepel also gives little credit to UConn and Auriemma for reaching the championship game because, in her words, “let's remember Christyn Williams, Paige Bueckers and Fudd were all No. 1 recruits in their class. The Huskies have a great deal of talent that got healthy -- or healthy enough -- at the right time, and have one of the most successful coaching staffs in any collegiate sport ever.” This contention is particularly rich given that Voepel picked Indiana to beat UConn in the Sweet Sixteen, then NC State to triumph over UConn in the Elite Eight, and next Stanford to knock out UConn in the Final Four. If UConn I had so much raw talent and its coaching staff is so “successful,” why has Voepel picked against UConn so consistently in this tournament.

Reading Voepel, I can’t escape the sense she dislikes Geno and recoils against UConn’s unprecedented and unequaled record of consistent and constant excellence over the last quarter century. I find it impossible to escape this sense because of Voepel’s own words in seeking to explain to explain why UConn beat Stanford:

“If Stanford's starting guards had just a slightly better performance in the semifinals, the Cardinal would be in the final. Haley Jones had 20 points and 11 rebounds, but Lexie Hull, Lacie Hull and Anna Williams were a combined 3-of-17 from the field for eight points. The Cardinal had so many frustrating possessions in that loss.”

I find it striking and clear that, in lamenting the Stanford guards’ performance, Voepel does not, cannot and is unwilling to give UConn any credit for its victory. In my view, given Voepel’s unwillingness and inability to credit UConn, it is impossible (at least for me) to credit Voepel as balanced, unbiased, even-handed and fair when it comes to UConn.

That all sounds right to me. The only thing I'll say is that Geno himself said "we need help" from Stanford in order to win:

I don't think we can win even if we play our A game. We need help - we need Stanford to not play their best game. We need them to miss shots they normally make.

I realize coaches like to do some expectation-setting before games, but I don't think it's unfair for the media to run with the seeds coaches plant for talking point. And 4/23 from outside was pretty pitiful for our team even in light of UConn's top perimeter defense.

All that said, I agree with you that I've long sensed Voepel dislikes Geno. FWIW, I picked UConn against Indiana, and NC State, and Stanford. Tonight's match vs. SCAR, I think, is a genuine toss-up.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Historically, Voepel has credited UConn regularly but not this time and maybe sometime earlier this year before now.....I haven't really kept track of what she has been saying because she always struck as someone who tries to please all sides and not offend anyone, hence her writing is rather vanilla-like which, of course, is favored by some readers. Maybe something happened, like MM saying ESPN is biased towards UConn, etc., etc.....whatever.

I can understand H. Jones giving herself and Stanford an excuse by saying they did not "play Stanford ball" for much of the game and only generally credited UConn as a great team without specifically saying UConn's defense disrupted them....it is her heat-of-the-moment frustration at losing that is understandable, so I don't take it as sour-graping.

But I cannot understand an allegedly unbiased journalist NOT submit a balanced report, unless they are bending over backwards to avoid future criticism from the likes of MM, etc.

In her defense, she's simply analyzing and opining on the same events others witnessed. She just came to a different conclusion. Don't mistake these writers as pure journalists because...they aren't no matter what title they give themselves. There's no real consequence if they predict incorrectly or they misinterpret the facts. In fact, the current trend seems that it just makes them more noticeable. Kind of like the weatherman. lol I bet the average poster on one of these forums are just as "good" as these experts. The good part is...ultimately they don't decide the outcomes. Whether these folks are talking about UCONN specifically or some other school or sport I wished they would be mindful that their success has been built on the backs of these kids and coaches. If there is bias these days, then I'm certain of one thing...its master is the "bottom line".

 

[Forego]

Voepel has had a very smug tone about her for UCONN for a while now. She clearly doesn't like us.

You think? She makes a generalization that the injury plagued season is something that every other coach has had to face. How do you know that Mechelle? You never coached. Don’t forget she was the genius who said we were going to lose to Baylor last year. Wrong again.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

In her defense, she's simply analyzing and opining on the same events others witnessed. She just came to a different conclusion. Don't mistake these writers as pure journalists because...they aren't no matter what title they give themselves. There's no real consequence if they predict incorrectly or they misinterpret the facts. In fact, the current trend seems that it just makes them more noticeable. Kind of like the weatherman. lol I bet the average poster on one of these forums are just as "good" as these experts. The good part is...ultimately they don't decide the outcomes. Whether these folks are talking about UCONN specifically or some other school or sport I wished they would be mindful that their success has been built on the backs of these kids and coaches. If there is bias these days, then I'm certain of one thing...its master is the "bottom line".

A cool emoji doesn't show......so, you can just picture it!

Accepting the point that it isn't worth any ounce oof consternation.....

 

[RedStickHusky]

You think? She makes a generalization that the injury plagued season is something that every other coach has had to face. How do you know that Mechelle? You never coached. Don’t forget she was the genius who said we were going to lose to Baylor last year. Wrong again.

Yeah, who hasn't lost a NPOY for 19 games.

 

[TheFarmFan]

Yeah, who hasn't lost a NPOY for 19 games.

Most teams don't produce a NPOY until the end of their senior season (or junior, at most), so the opportunity is itself pretty unusual.