Badass Award for the Notre Dame Victory. . .

[vtcwbuff]

It's going to be tough for Gabby to exceed this level of badass this season... but we know how tough she is!

I don't think so. IMO there is more to come. One of the top individual performances that I have watched in 23 years of UConn fandom.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I don't think so. IMO there is more to come. One of the top individual performances that I have watched in 23 years of UConn fandom.

It reminded me a bit of THE Kelly Faris game.

 

[Waquoit]

Nobody else can make some of the plays she made tonight. That knock-away, grab the ball in traffic play was sick.

 

[Kaizen]

I would give to three
1. Gabby
2. Napheesa and Katie Lou

 

[eebmg]

While Gabby won the BadAss award, Napheesa Collier was the player of the game. Team was completely different when she was on the bench in the 1st half in Foul Trouble.

True. Naphessa was critical but if Gabby was not on the court, we would have lost in my opinion. She and Kia are the true hearts of this club in persona and leadership while Naphessa and KLS are the thoroughbreds with nearly unlimited talent and will ultimately take over. Some of Lou's drives to the basket were incredible. No one can say she is just a shooter. I just love the balance and toughness of the team.

Geno is also a special type of badass by going nuts on Gabby missing a rebound with 20 seconds and up by 13 and then hugging her a minute later. Tough focused love at it's best. Everyone is accountable. Even he admitted this team is special. Cant hide it any longer.

Gabby hitting free throws while taking a ninja chop to the throat and basicially half blinded by tears. I think that alone gives her the badass award. Also, we hit almost all our free throws which to me is a strong sign of toughness, confidence and focus

It is also fun how incredulous all the announcers are from Rebecca Lobo to Doris Burke. I get it because I never thought we would still be unbeaten. I hope everyone appreciates this team. I feel sad for some of the BY who did not watch in the entirety and want the score first before looking at the replay. Nothing better than screaming at the TV.

Seeing our big 4 play for 40 minutes if needed (think Naphessa would have sat out 1 minute if not in foul trouble) shows elite fitness and this also shows up at end of games. We are fitter than other top teams using a 9 man rotation. How??

Sorry I am all over the place but I am on cloud 9.

 

[eebmg]

Watching Collier at this point eases the loss of Tuck who at this point in her career was done for the season with a knee injury. Collier is something special, that's for sure, and the scary part is how much better she can get. I hate to look ahead, but man, two years from now we have a senior Collier, KLS, and AZ to go along with a junior Crystal Dangerfield, plus Walker. That's going to be some team.

Funny. I love to look ahead. Good reason to keep living

 

[chrissaran]

Hate to disagree, Wbbfan1, but Gabby was it. Without her Notre Dame would have run away with the game. She held the team together while Napheesa was out. Gabby is the baddest BAD ASS of all.

 

[iamcbs]

Why does the play of Lou always get overlooked, Gabby played a great game but in the first half when Phessa was on the bench in foul trouble and Gabby wasn't scoring, Lou hit several big shots to keep Connecticut in the game when ND was making their run.

 

[cohenzone]

KLS was tough too, although Williams and Collier deserve the recognition. Tough team.

Obviously we don't know how the whole season will go as far as Ws and championships go, but the rest of the women's hoop world, or any aware of what next year's team will look like, must be nauseous when they know this is supposed to be a bit of a drop off year. But the formula stays what it's always been for GA. Defense wins and the offense determines by how much. So winning margins, at least against the better OOC teams don't figure to be as great as the last few years. But a double digit win against ND at South Bend is darn impressive.

 

[iri10]

I like the way this thread is going. "Player A clearly saved this team." "Nonsense! Player B's presence on the floor was critical!" "You are all forgetting the tremendous impact of Player C!"

This is the best kind of dilemma.

 

[huskyd]

UConn doesn't wear their names on their jerseys. Badass goes to THE WHOLE TEAM and THE COACHING STAFF. this was an epic win.

I agree, bags. Note should particularly be made of the change in Lou's game: no more just hoisting up 3's, but heading to the basket and one. And so good to watch with the sound OFF. Great team effort + Geno.

 

[Waquoit]

KLS was tough too, although Williams and Collier deserve the recognition. Tough team.

I love the way she made adjustments when her outside shots weren't falling. Tough team is right.

 

[Mdoggie]

Watching Collier at this point eases the loss of Tuck who at this point in her career was done for the season with a knee injury. Collier is something special, that's for sure, and the scary part is how much better she can get. I hate to look ahead, but man, two years from now we have a senior Collier, KLS, and AZ to go along with a junior Crystal Dangerfield, plus Walker. That's going to be some team.

I said early on that Collier would make us "forget" about Tuck and create her own legacy.

 

[msf22b]

What I loved about the gang tonight was their inner calm.
They came out like it's just another day at the office.

When Napheesa went out with fouls, the subs came in and held down the fort...not brilliantly
but well enough to give the team breathing room until the half.

If ND had a chance, it was in their bench: much, much more quality 2depth...but MM didn't utilize it very well.
Not so, so, well-coached....I mean ok...but....

The new inside game of ours is really quite different in style from anything I can recall here.

But I don't go back all the way.

 

[alexrgct]

A modest proposal: the entire team should get a collective badass award. Every last one of 'em. I couldn't be happier for and prouder of these kids.

 

[Checkmate]

Rebounding and playing great defense

Gabby had 12 rebounds, 5 steals, and a few deflections

 

[pvdoggy]

Geno named his 3 badass tonight in his interview with Holly at the end, Gabby, Napheesa and Lou.

 

[Huskie78]

Gabby continues to amaze!
To be there and watch it in person made it even
more special. It's been said: Big time players step up in big time games.
She sure did tonight! I continue to call her my favorite player ever. And she always will be... #Gabulous

 

[UcMiami]

No argument from me. To truly honor tonights performance by Gabby, you have to let her stand alone.

Napheesa and the rest of the team played great and Lou and Kia get ironman awards along with Gabby, but Gabby was magnificent.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Do they have an award for post game recruiting comments???
Gabby says "this is why I came to UCONN!"

And specifically in answer to Holly's question about maybe coming out after the elbow to the throat. She looked at Holly like: Are you daft, woman! "this is why I came to UConn. It was priceless.

 

[Zorro]

And Gabby LOOKS so sweet and innocent! (But, then again, so did my ex-wife.)

 

[GG]

Just watched the game (was attending a holiday party). Collier and Samuelson were great, but Gabby was AMAZING!!!!

 

[StephStorrs]

A modest proposal: the entire team should get a collective badass award. Every last one of 'em. I couldn't be happier for and prouder of these kids.

I like the way you think! All of these kids are putting in work this year and they are more than getting the job done.

Just tonight:
- Gabby being an absolute beast on all aspects of the court and in all aspects of the game. I don't even know what else to say about her other than... wow. And getting whacked in the throat and still hitting those 2 FTs. BADASS.
- Napheesa for being... Naapheesa. Seriously, the basketball finds her and she makes it happen. Incredible. Things change when she's on the court - the team chemistry changes and it can be said with certainty now that she's the glue of the team this season. Her consistency and willingness to do what it takes is incredible. BADASS.
- KLS changing up her shot and driving to the basket, getting it done when the team needed it most. She's proving with every game that she's not the one trick pony that stands at the arc and drains 3s all day, though I'm not sure if anyone believed she was in the first place. She came through for us big tonight, and she's a major reason why the game didn't get miles away from us when Napheesa was on the bench. BADASS.
- Kia being ironwoman and playing some really stellar D for a solid 40 minutes. I'll give credit to her for not getting frustrated / outwardly upset when her shots weren't falling and she wasn't getting any good looks. She matured and stepped up to the plate in a major way in terms of encouragement and leadership. Floor general, indeed! BADASS.
- Saniya Chong taking that elbow / forearm to the face and not crying. That was admirable because I would have cried like a baby. She might not be the best on the court, but she is steady and she's a calm that this team has needed. She's a seasoned senior, and it shows. Though she's not an outward leader, the younger players can learn from her calmness. BADASS.
- Butler & Crystal Dangerfield. Both didn't play their best game tonight, but you know what? They tried really hard in the biggest game - probably unlike any game they've ever experienced in their careers thus far. They each played vital minutes for us and this will only serve to make them better. That, my fellow BYers, is: BADASS.
- The bench being the loudest and most supportive teammates. Kyla gets so into it sometimes I think she might hurt herself. Their passion for the game doesn't go unnoticed. BADASS.
- Geno & Co.? The original badasses. BADASS.

This post got longer than I intended and I got a little carried away, but all of these guys are proving to be integral parts of the team so far. Tonight was a well fought game that I genuinely didn't think would go in our favor despite my optimistic prediction otherwise. The fact that they walked into South Bend and owned it... well, that's badass.

 

[JordyG]

As good (great) as Gabby was, as soon as Pheese left the floor this game was in doubt. The minute she returned all doubt was gone. My vote goes for co-badasses. SMH. Why do these young ladies still surprise me? During the thread I said the difference will be whether the UConn frontcourt asserts its will, or whether the ND backcourt does so. I guess we know the answer to my halftime questions. This team is a bunch of counter punchers that do whatever is necessary to win.

 

[trb123]

Gabby Williams had a night that would make Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore proud of her if not jealous.
She is the Badass.