Breanna Stewart

[bballnut90]

Let me just start out by saying congratulations on wining #8, UCONN looked flat out dominant in the tournament which was something I didn't anticipate after the regular season. With the way UCONN has looked the last several games, I don't doubt that they would've been able to upset Baylor with a performance like the one they had tonight. What was the difference? Breanna Stewart. Every few years there is a new player who is "the next great one." In the late 90s it was Holdsclaw, then it was Taurasi, then Parker, then Moore, then Griner....it may be premature, but I believe now it's Stewart. I don't think women's basketball has ever had a player who has the combination of talent that Stewart has. Shooting range, length (only Griner comes to mind for a longer player), shot blocking ability, ball handling ability, quickness, etc. She averaged 22.5 points per game on a loaded roster in the last 2 weekends. Simply unreal for a freshman. If she carries over this high level of play into next season, she'll be a heavy favorite for NPOY. Congrats again, truly an incredible performance by UCONN the last couple of weekends.

 

[chrissaran]

Let's not forget Stef. She gutted it out with two extremely painful injuries. She was not at her best, but she gave her best. An inspired performance. Congrats, Stef.

 

[DaddyChoc]

btw Holdsclaw had Louisville

 

[VAMike23]

btw Holdsclaw had Louisville

Her judgment hasn't been the best of late -

 

[DaddyChoc]

Her judgment hasn't been the best of late -

hahahahahaha good point

 

[Aluminny69]

Let me just start out by saying congratulations on wining #8, UCONN looked flat out dominant in the tournament which was something I didn't anticipate after the regular season. With the way UCONN has looked the last several games, I don't doubt that they would've been able to upset Baylor with a performance like the one they had tonight. What was the difference? Breanna Stewart. Every few years there is a new player who is "the next great one." In the late 90s it was Holdsclaw, then it was Taurasi, then Parker, then Moore, then Griner....it may be premature, but I believe now it's Stewart. I don't think women's basketball has ever had a player who has the combination of talent that Stewart has. Shooting range, length (only Griner comes to mind for a longer player), shot blocking ability, ball handling ability, quickness, etc. She averaged 22.5 points per game on a loaded roster in the last 2 weekends. Simply unreal for a freshman. If she carries over this high level of play into next season, she'll be a heavy favorite for NPOY. Congrats again, truly an incredible performance by UCONN the last couple of weekends.

EDD would have been on that list, had she stayed at UConn. However, UConn would have been so dominant, it might have somehow ruined WCBB.

 

[Fiftyish]

Let's also not forget KML. She sure as heck did her thing big time in the tournament. Next year looks like it is going to be awesome.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

Given the level of competition in our new "conference", it looks like
there's going to be an awful lot of ugly games next year. That will
please some UConn fans, but it may bore some others.

We'll draw good crowds when the Stanfords of the world come in,
but will the abundance of 40-50 point blowouts cause the overall
attendance to fall off? I wonder.

 

[Kait14]

I'm really hoping and praying I get into UConn for grad school so I can experience two years of Stewie in person

 

[johnnyc]

I'm really hoping and praying I get into UConn for grad school so I can experience two years of Stewie in person

I'm hoping Charleston stays on the schedule so I can go see her and UConn down here in SC.

 

[Bigpetunia]

I got to sit WAAAY up front last night (just luck) and I was sitting around a mix of people pulling for either side. I have to report that my favorite moment involving Breanna, and the moment that made all the people around me audibly gasp, had nothing to do with her remarkable accuracy from behind the arc. When she leapt up for that huge left-handed rebound to set up an easy putback, her full wingspan and her surprising leaping ability on display, everyone around me just looked at one another in astonishment and collectively shook their heads!

 

[CL82]

Anyone else love that Stewie isn't all that polished as a speaker? She will be ultimately, but I enjoy watching her work to say the right thing. It reminds me that she's an 18 year old kid. A phenom, but still an 18 year old kid. To me at least, that makes her emergence all the more fun.

 

[DobbsRover2]

I got to sit WAAAY up front last night (just luck) and I was sitting around a mix of people pulling for either side. I have to report that my favorite moment involving Breanna, and the moment that made all the people around me audibly gasp, had nothing to do with her remarkable accuracy from behind the arc. When she leapt up for that huge left-handed rebound to set up an easy putback, her full wingspan and her surprising leaping ability on display, everyone around me just looked at one another in astonishment and collectively shook their heads!

Good point. It's highlights like her skying over the crowd that is going to be the key to ramping up the WCBB popularity and getting it off that much discussed plateau of last night. Gotta come up with a name for it though, "She's stewing again" sounds like she's in a bad mood, but when she has that big grin on her face while doing it there's no doubt she's really enjoying putting other teams in the stew.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Just think how miserable this board will be when ESPN identifies her as one of the "Three who have next!"

 

[Biff]

Just think how miserable this board will be when ESPN identifies her as one of the "Three who have next!"

Actually it seems inevitable and I will be unhappy with it and any other singular-focused-pre-planned-overhyping campaign that ESPN decides to pursue.

I also disliked the hyping of the artificial first 10 games as a Husky scoring record someone decided to script....but I know what you are saying.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Mz Oz lip reads, and claims that Stewie said to her cohorts "I don't know what to say" during a post game interivew.

 

[housekeys]

I got to sit WAAAY up front last night (just luck) and I was sitting around a mix of people pulling for either side. I have to report that my favorite moment involving Breanna, and the moment that made all the people around me audibly gasp, had nothing to do with her remarkable accuracy from behind the arc. When she leapt up for that huge left-handed rebound to set up an easy putback, her full wingspan and her surprising leaping ability on display, everyone around me just looked at one another in astonishment and collectively shook their heads!

That was my favorite moment also and I could hear the "audible gasp" on TV. Incredible play because you just do not see this in WCBB. Even when Griner goes up for a dunk, it is her height that is showcased. Not so, with Breanna's play last night. The ability to leap is what defines "basketball skill" to many purists and that play convinces even the staunchest "anti-WCBB" fan that she is special. It was a truly WOW moment, thanks for relaying the reaction in the stands.

 

[Suebird10fan]

Anyone else love that Stewie isn't all that polished as a speaker? She will be ultimately, but I enjoy watching her work to say the right thing. It reminds me that she's an 18 year old kid. A phenom, but still an 18 year old kid. To me at least, that makes her emergence all the more fun.

Yes. And it gives one a bit more insight into her mid-season swoon.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Yes. And it gives one a bit more insight into her mid-season swoon.

Nice to recall what I was like at 18...

 

[Kait14]

I loved her father's reactions to things she was doing.. Just so many "WOW"s, it was awesome