Biggest winner (player) in uconn basketball history? (Men or women)

[RuffRuff]

This has quickly turned into a women's hoops thread with an easy answer.

On the Men's side, hard to argue Nappier. He played a key role in one and was a star in another. AK was a 5th man role player on 2. You can argue that on one of those teams, they would have still won with a replacement they were so good.

 

[SportsFan88]

Stewie easily, men’s side it has to be bazz, integral part of 2 chips and the star and best guard in the country for the 2nd one

 

[Deepster]

Please move this to the Lady Husky's board.

 

[Mr. French]

Stewie vs DT is a real debate. Taurasi was earlier in the run of dominance and probably had more competition and more on her shoulders.

I choose Shabazz for the men. He was arguably the most impactful player in the country as a senior, has 2 chips with different teams/roles and was still very good in his 2 in between years, holding the program together.

 

[Waquoit]

Waquoit said Professional and nothing about College, which should tell you something.

Because the discussion was about the entire career. Taurasi won two NCAA titles practically by herself, the remaining being part of the best team of all-time. Stewie had great teammates. I think Taurasi is the only Husky of Honor on those last two winning teams. DT does get gigged slightly, her play in the semis of her freshman year probably cost the team the title that year. Stewart may be Top 10, Taurasi's the GOAT.

 

[superjohn]

Love Stewie but I’m with @Waquoit . She and Diana were different generations, with different teams, and responsibilities. Dee has 3 NCAA championships and would have 4 but in her freshman year the team lost Svet Abrosimova mid-year to injury then Shea Ralph in the Elite 8. In her last 2 seasons she carried the team while Stewie played with a bunch of future WNBA stars. Stewie didn’t have to go through any Pat Summitt teams, either. To me, Dee is the best UConn player.

For the men, gotta go with Ray Allen

View attachment 114449

Sarah Strong is better than both of them.

 

[OceanDoggie]

Because the discussion was about the entire career. Taurasi won two NCAA titles practically by herself, the remaining being part of the best team of all-time. Stewie had great teammates. I think Taurasi is the only Husky of Honor on those last two winning teams. DT does get gigged slightly, her play in the semis of her freshman year probably cost the team the title that year. Stewart may be Top 10, Taurasi's the GOAT.

Listen, I agree with @HuskyNan on the Svetlana and Ralph injuries, mostly Svetlana as I think she's probably most underrated player in UCONN WNB history. That said, Taurasi still had Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tamika Williams and Asjha Jones on the team. She was hardly by herself. These are all All-American players.

Stewart was the most dominant and important player on all 4 of her Championship teams, as is seen by her 4 FF Most Outstanding Player awards.

 

[ec33]

Surprised Kemba isn't getting more discussion here. He single-handedly led the team to a title.

And DT on the women's side, she was money with the game on the line.

No one I would rather have their hands on the ball in a last second situation than those two.

 

[thekollieman]

Sarah Strong is better than both of them.

Of course this remains to be seen, but is possible. Especially when you factor in, as others have pointed out, the more recent the more competitive the field as a pretty strong rule in WBB.

 

[Deepster]

Okay. If we want to keep this on here and actually debate it.....

There's no question that 1 men's title equals 3, maybe 4 women's titles. Are we really debating whether someone like Breanna Stewart is a bigger winner than Donovan Clingan? Or Paige Bueckers over Shabazz or Kemba? Let's be serious here. It's not even close.

 

[RuffRuff]

Sarah Strong is better than both of them.

Blasphemous

 

[OceanDoggie]

Okay. If we want to keep this on here and actually debate it.....

There's no question that 1 men's title equals 3, maybe 4 women's titles. Are we really debating whether someone like Breanna Stewart is a bigger winner than Donovan Clingan? Or Paige Bueckers over Shabazz or Kemba? Let's be serious here. It's not even close.

...but then how do you explain the success of DT, BS and Sue Bird in the WNBA and around the world? I'm curious on what your response will be. Do you hold individual success and achievement at the same 3/1 or 4/1 ratio?

 

[Jaydumo20]

Sarah Strong is better than both of them.

Strong is the best player I've ever seen with my own two eyes. All with what seems to be minimal effort. It's like that.
There hasn't been a player on the men's side with that skill set. Do we have someone who comes close?


Jokic has eligibility

 

[superjohn]

Strong is the best player I've ever seen with my own two eyes. All with what seems to be minimal effort. It's like that.
There hasn't been a player on the men's side with that skill set. Do we have someone who comes close?


Jokic has eligibility

Same. After watching her a few times as a freshmen I determined if she stays healthy she'll be the best UConn women's basketball player ever and the best women's basketball player ever.

I always considered Taurasi the best women's player ever and that seems to have always been the consensus but A'ja Wilson has surpassed her.

Jokic would be the comparison for Strong but he's way more skilled and it's unfair to men and women to ever compare them in sports. My buddy who played D3 basketball at Conn College played against Taurasi and when I asked him if he thinks he could beat her he shot me a look. There's high school boys teams all over the place who would destroy the UConn women.

 

[Gurleyman]

Listen, I agree with @HuskyNan on the Svetlana and Ralph injuries, mostly Svetlana as I think she's probably most underrated player in UCONN WNB history. That said, Taurasi still had Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tamika Williams and Asjha Jones on the team. She was hardly by herself. These are all All-American players.

Stewart was the most dominant and important player on all 4 of her Championship teams, as is seen by her 4 FF Most Outstanding Player awards.

That was her team her sophomore season. Her junior year and senior year she won with Maria Conlon, Morgan Valley, Jessica Moore, Barbara Turner and Ann Strother.

They were all good supporting players and champions. Some had a cup of coffee in the wnba. She couldn’t have won without them. But the next year those same players went 21-8 and got blown out in the Sweet 16 by Stanford.

 

[John]

Same. After watching her a few times as a freshmen I determined if she stays healthy she'll be the best UConn women's basketball player ever and the best women's basketball player ever.

I always considered Taurasi the best women's player ever and that seems to have always been the consensus but A'ja Wilson has surpassed her.

Jokic would be the comparison for Strong but he's way more skilled and it's unfair to men and women to ever compare them in sports. My buddy who played D3 basketball at Conn College played against Taurasi and when I asked him if he thinks he could beat her he shot me a look. There's high school boys teams all over the place who would destroy the UConn women.

This look shot to you means your D3 playing friend thinks he's better than Taurasi?

 

[OceanDoggie]

That was her team her sophomore season. Her junior year and senior year she won with Maria Conlon, Morgan Valley, Jessica Moore, Barbara Turner and Ann Strother.

They were all good supporting players and champions. Some had a cup of coffee in the wnba. She couldn’t have won without them. But the next year those same players went 21-8 and got blown out in the Sweet 16 by Stanford.

I'm talking about her freshman year, when they lost in a domineering fashion to Notre Dame in the Championship game. Those were her teammates and those were the injuries that team suffered. In Stewies freshman year she was the best player on the court, in an evolving sport that was more crowded with talent. She also won every possible award she was eligible to win.

 

[superjohn]

This look shot to you means your D3 playing friend thinks he's better than Taurasi?

Yes

 

[Horsebrnhil]

Is it me, or has everyone forgotten DT?
Stewie is a star in the pantheon of UC women's players, but DT is my pick. Forget about her professional career, her 4 years at Storrs showed she was the best. Forget her performance in semifinals as a freshman, without her, would have they even had made it that far? Nope ,DT is my pick for women's. As for the men.....Okafor, Kling Kong, Alex, Baz, Kemba.

 

[Gurleyman]

Yes

Head to head I’m sure he is. Taurasi would have been a slow, unathletic small guard if she tried to play DIII men’s hoops - an adequate spot up shooter (and passer in open space) at best, but she couldn’t have guarded anyone consistently.

Always found these arguments a little silly. You can look at track and field records - or your own eyes - and see that men are bigger, stronger, faster. Along the same lines, UConn would have gotten their butts kicked if they played the Celtics or Nuggets after winning their titles - but it doesn’t matter. UConn dominated its level of competition

 

[HuskyNan]

That said, Taurasi still had Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tamika Williams and Asjha Jones on the team. She was hardly by herself. These are all All-American players.

For two years, yes. In 2000-01, Dee’s freshman year, was the injury year. The 2001-02 team rolled over everyone then Bird,Cash, Williams, and Jones graduated. There were no WNBA players on the roster the next two championship years.

 

[Mr. French]

This look shot to you means your D3 playing friend thinks he's better than Taurasi?

Of course he does. No college player wants to admit that they can’t take a female 1 on 1.

I told my college coach during DT’s run that they’d smoke our team and he got REAL annoyed.

 

[OceanDoggie]

Formatting

 

[gtcam]

Strong is the best player I've ever seen with my own two eyes. All with what seems to be minimal effort. It's like that.
There hasn't been a player on the men's side with that skill set. Do we have someone who comes close?


Jokic has eligibility

The topic is biggest winner - not best player - thats what I am looking at.
Stewart on the womens side is not even close - 4 FF MVPs with 4 rings and dominating everyone in those four seasons.
Are you old enough to have watched her play at UConn? Not being a snark, just wondering

As far as the men - AK may be the player who had played in most winning games in a UConn mens uniform, if that is the criteria

 

[OceanDoggie]

For two years, yes. In 2000-01, Dee’s freshman year, was the injury year. The 2001-02 team rolled over everyone then Bird,Cash, Williams, and Jones graduated. There were no WNBA players on the roster the next two championship years.

Barbara Turner was drafted 11th overall by the Seatle Storm.
Ann Strother drafted as the 1st pick in the 2nd round (15th overall)
Ashley Moore was drafted, as was Ashley Battle. I'm sure there were more.
Good teams she played on, and was the obvious engine in the train.