Ann Strother

[UConnCat]

Carl has a nice story on Ann who was in Storrs for the weekend. The article talks about the ups and downs of Ann's career (part of 2 Nat'l Championships, etc. and the struggle that was the last game of her career against Duke). Geno doesn't want "what might have been" to diminish from what Ann accomplished while at UConn.

Ann was one of those players who genuinely loved her time at UConn. This was evident from the emotion she showed on Senior Night which I'll never forget. I loved this Ann quote from yesterday when talking about the Huskies of Honor: “I’m up there with who I want to be, with our team,” she said. “That’s what matters.”

Ann is now a pediatric oncology nurse in Denver. It's no accident that someone who needed to heal herself (Lopez stuff) is now helping others do so. She's also staying connected to the state of Connecticut as she's engaged to marry Jason Abromaitis, a Connecticut native who played at Yale, whose father Jim played at UConn and whose brother Tim played at ND.

http://snyuconn.com/uconn/strother-honored-to-be-part-of-huskies-of-honor/#more-10230

 

[RadyLady]

always thought very highly of Ann...her choice of career speaks volumes as well. God bless her.

Thanks for posting

 

[FASTEDDY]

She's a great lady and an outstanding representative of UCONN!

For some reason, I think I read on the Boneyard that she was in med school. I must have read or remembered it wrong.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

She's a great lady and an outstanding representative of UCONN!

For some reason, I think I read on the Boneyard that she was in med school. I must have read or remembered it wrong.

False info can be The Breakfast of Champions at the BoneYard, so you may well have harvested that misconception from one of our purposeful pettifoggers. Maybe it was Ozzie Nelson.

 

[DaddyChoc]

only game I saw in person at Gampel... Ann's senior night!

 

[Zorro]

Great news. Thanks for posting it.

 

[Sonny44]

Lover her then; still do.

 

[hoopingcrane]

She was Pippen to Diana's Jordan, and that's saying a lot. Still remember her taking a Tennessee defender behind her back for a key basket as a freshman.

 

[Icebear]

She was Pippen to Diana's Jordan, and that's saying a lot. Still remember her taking a Tennessee defender behind her back for a key basket as a freshman.

Yes, a double crossover behind the back to go baseline from the corner. A move I never saw Diana try.

 

[alexrgct]

Yes, a double crossover behind the back to go baseline from the corner. A move I never saw Diana try.

That's a video of the play in question.

Annie was a great contributor to UConn basketball, especially alongside Diana. And she's forever a cutie.

 

[Sonny44]

Nice job!

 

[dbmill]

Ann Strother was a terrific player who did a bit of everything in a Husky uniform, as is evidenced by her statistical line. She’s probably as good a player can be without being recognized as a big star. To me Strother is easily the most underrated player that Geno has had at UConn over the last 20 years.

 

[JS]

One of the very best Huskies.

Yes, she was most effective alongside a superstar. Couldn't quite be that superstar herself, I think, because of her lanky physique. She could be pushed around and find shots hard to come by when she was keyed on.

Diana/Maya more strongly built. Tina, very big and strong. Not to jump the gun on currently emerging superstars, but KML is a load for any guard to handle, and Stewie is both getting stronger and is physically unique, such that you can't stop her by pushing her around. She'll go around or over you, your choice.

As for Annie, she was a highly skilled, smart player and super teammate and competitor. Fitting, perhaps, that she's on the Huskies of Honor wall as part of her team. To top it off, she's one of the nicest individuals you'll ever meet.

That's a lot. A helluva lot. That I wish her all the best is an understatement.

 

[dbmill]

One of the very best Huskies.

Yes, she was most effective alongside a superstar. Couldn't quite be that superstar herself, I think, because of her lanky physique. She could be pushed around and find shots hard to come by when she was keyed on.

Diana/Maya more strongly built. Tina, very big and strong. Not to jump the gun on currently emerging superstars, but KML is a load for any guard to handle, and Stewie is both getting stronger and is physically unique, such that you can't stop her by pushing her around. She'll go around or over you, your choice.

As for Annie, she was a highly skilled, smart player and super teammate and competitor. Fitting, perhaps, that she's on the Huskies of Honor wall as part of her team. To top is off, she's one of the nicest individuals you'll ever meet.

That's a lot. A helluva lot. That I wish her all the best is an understatement.

Good analysis of Strother as a Husky. Strother was indeed a big help to Taurasi and those championship teams. Too bad Strother didn't have a similar supporting cast her final two seasons. The UConn teams in Strother's last two seasons lacked a big inside scoring threat, and also did not have a top flight point guard (Renee Montgomery was decent as a freshman when Strother was a Senior, Montgomery improved tremendously over her final three years after Strother was gone). Looking back I think it is a tribute to Strother that her final two teams went as far as they did in the NCAA tournament.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Ann was a solid supporting player, but not quite the dominant player that UConn fans have seen several times. Perhaps the fact that some rated her above Seimone Augustus as the #1 player in high school created unfair expectations. In any case, Ann had a very nice career and was a key contributor to 2 national championships. She also ranks very high in a number of career stats. She represented UConn very well.

 

[uconnfan68]

Carl has a nice story on Ann who was in Storrs for the weekend. The article talks about the ups and downs of Ann's career (part of 2 Nat'l Championships, etc. and the struggle that was the last game of her career against Duke). Geno doesn't want "what might have been" to diminish from what Ann accomplished while at UConn.

Ann was one of those players who genuinely loved her time at UConn. This was evident from the emotion she showed on Senior Night which I'll never forget. I loved this Ann quote from yesterday when talking about the Huskies of Honor: “I’m up there with who I want to be, with our team,” she said. “That’s what matters.”

Ann is now a pediatric oncology nurse in Denver. It's no accident that someone who needed to heal herself (Lopez stuff) is now helping others do so. She's also staying connected to the state of Connecticut as she's engaged to marry Jason Abromaitis, a Connecticut native who played at Yale, whose father Jim played at UConn and whose brother Tim played at ND.

http://snyuconn.com/uconn/strother-honored-to-be-part-of-huskies-of-honor/#more-10230

More legacy offspring for Geno and his successors (or KO).

 

[hussybulldog]

That's a video of the play in question.

Annie was a great contributor to UConn basketball, especially alongside Diana. And she's forever a cutie.

Great Video! After viewing the clip, the first clip recommended by youtube is a 1999 game against UCLA when Swin Cash shot the basketball into the wrong basket! Precious. I wonder how that wil show up in the stats box.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

Anyone else think of Maggie Grace the actress when you see Ann?

 

[Dawson]

Just wanted to go google that crossover and watched this. Really beautiful video of Ann!

 

[UConnCat]

That's a video of the play in question.

Annie was a great contributor to UConn basketball, especially alongside Diana. And she's forever a cutie.

Great play by Ann. I think my favorite Ann moment was against Minnesota in the 2004 Final Four. Minnesota had cut the lead to 2 or 3 points late in the second half and then the teams went up and down the court without scoring and without a stoppage of play. Finally, Ann broke the drought by hitting a huge 3 from the left wing. Minnesota called timeout and it was pretty much game over. Geno talked later about how Ann had been struggling with her shot yet had the courage to take that shot at that moment.

 

[intlzncster]

That's a video of the play in question.

Annie was a great contributor to UConn basketball, especially alongside Diana. And she's forever a cutie.

Huge bucket. The fact it was against TN, made it that much sweeter.

 

[alexrgct]

Huge bucket. The fact it was against TN, made it that much sweeter.

'Twas. Got UConn within one. The LVs were able to take a three point lead about 30 seconds later in the game, which set up this great shot to send to OT (sorry to derail a thread dedicated to you, Annie!):

 

[pinotbear]

that DT clip still gives ya chills.... nobody like her, not no how, not no way, not no where.

 

[ThisJustIn]

I was fortunate enough to be at that game.... End line, watching her half time half court shot sail towards me and into the basket... Next to the Texas/UConn game, I don't remember being so hyped/emotional about a game. Chills.

 

[Husky1964]

Still number 1 in the world, approaching 32 years old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!