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Message: [QUOTE="JoePgh, post: 3293613, member: 1131"] I'm glad that UConn has ONO and will have Piath Gabriel after this season. I hope that the Huskies sign one or two more "bigs" in the 2021 class. But I do think that team size can be overrated, and I think some observations from WNBA play support that view. Look at the two teams who are now competing for the WNBA championship. The Washington Mystics have exactly one player in their starting lineup taller than 6-2 (that would be EDD; note that Emma Meesseman doesn't start). In the semifinals, they just beat a team (Las Vegas) that had 6-8 and 6-5 in their starting lineup (Cambage and A'ja Wilson) who weren't exactly athletic slouches. The Mystics' opponent in the WNBA finals is the Connecticut Sun, who have 6-6, 6-4, and 6-2 in their starting lineup, but are not really a big team by WNBA standards. Jonquel Jones, their 6-6 center, is backed up by a 6-2 player with the same last name. When she plays, the Sun are really small. And JJ herself, while tall, is something of a stringbean compared to the burly centers that she usually faces (though not against the Mystics), not unlike ONO. But she certainly gets her share of rebounds at both ends of the court. Both the Mystics and the Sun have been able to win a ton of games this season, including against big teams like Las Vegas, the LA Sparks, and the Chicago Sky. What's the point for UConn? Assuming (just hypothetically) that Evelyn turns out to be the 5th starter, UConn's front court this year will be 6-5, 6-2 and 6-1 -- none of whom are unathletic. That is essentially comparable to the size of the front court of the two best teams in the WNBA, and they have to play against stiffer (and bigger) competition than UConn will face in the coming season. The fact that teams such as Oregon will be somewhat taller does not (by itself) mean that they should be favored in games against UConn. Ah, you say, but what about Brown and Cox last year helping Baylor to win the NC? I honestly think that if Azura had stayed and played for UConn last season, and had remained healthy, they would have been undefeated heading into the tournament and favored to win the NC, and probably would have won. Certainly in a 5-game series against Baylor, there would have been a 60-70% chance of UConn winning such a (very hypothetical) series. Height is relevant, but a reasonably sized team with athletes and good coaching can prevail over a team which is comparably talented and somewhat taller. [/QUOTE]

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