Can South Carolina be the next UCONN in Women's college basketball? Dawn Staley weighs in

[visitingcock]

LOLOLOLLLL!!

Whata coulda shoulda!

I'm sorry, but if anyone thinks that SC would've beaten Oregon in 2020, I've got a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.

Well, you can sell the bridge to:
The majority of sports journalists who voted in the AP poll.
The majority of wbb coaches who voted in the coaches poll
The Majority of the selection committee

But hey, Massey had Oregon number one.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Yes, because the team ranked #1 in the final regular season poll ALWAYS wins the Championship, right?

 

[shiverz45]

Yes, because the team ranked #1 in the final regular season poll ALWAYS wins the Championship, right?

SC does.

 

[Talon]

LOLOLOLLLL!!

Whata coulda shoulda!

I'm sorry, but if anyone thinks that SC would've beaten Oregon in 2020, I've got a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.

Oregon was a great team...until they came up against a really tough defense. All their losses that year were when they played a tough, defensive team. S Carolina's defense would have throttled them.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Oregon was a great team...until they came up against a really tough defense. All their losses that year were when they played a tough, defensive team. S Carolina's defense would have throttled them.

All 2 of their losses? That's a pretty big conclusion to draw from a very small sample size. Most of the teams in the Pac played stingy defense. They avenged their loss to Arizona St. w/ a 31 point beat down the next time they met them. They beat a bunch of teams that were much, much better than ASU--Stanford and Arizona 3 times each and UCLA once, and most of the games weren't close at all. So there's that. Oh yeah, they beat the US National Team that year as well. And they beat UConn by the same margin South Carolina did, only they did it on the road instead of at home.

 

[socal613ws]

lol at thinking Kelly Graves would win a ntl title

 

[GoChips20]

All 2 of their losses? That's a pretty big conclusion to draw from a very small sample size. Most of the teams in the Pac played stingy defense. They avenged their loss to Arizona St. w/ a 31 point beat down the next time they met them. They beat a bunch of teams that were much, much better than ASU--Stanford and Arizona 3 times each and UCLA once, and most of the games weren't close at all. So there's that. Oh yeah, they beat the US National Team that year as well. And they beat UConn by the same margin South Carolina did, only they did it on the road instead of at home.

I’m all in on SC as a diehard fan but I do think Oregon might have had the edge had that matchup come to be. Sabrina had come back for her senior year on a mission and the Ducks had the edge in experience at most positions on the court.

What I find funny about the unsolvable debate of the 2020 tournament is the clear assumption that Oregon would have beaten Baylor in a likely Final Four rematch. They were on track to be the second and third 1-seeds, respectively, and I think Baylor would have given Oregon quite a game.

 

[jchusky]

in 2020 when covid got ncaa cancelled the faves were SC in the women and Kansas in the men.
In 2022 Kansas and Sc won, divine intervention.

 

[SCspur]

All 2 of their losses? That's a pretty big conclusion to draw from a very small sample size. Most of the teams in the Pac played stingy defense. They avenged their loss to Arizona St. w/ a 31 point beat down the next time they met them. They beat a bunch of teams that were much, much better than ASU--Stanford and Arizona 3 times each and UCLA once, and most of the games weren't close at all. So there's that. Oh yeah, they beat the US National Team that year as well. And they beat UConn by the same margin South Carolina did, only they did it on the road instead of at home.

They didn’t have the depth SC had though. That to me would’ve been the difference maker IMO. SC’s bench always came in and changed the game.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Yes, truly a debate that can never be settled, and Baylor fans are probably equally convinced they would've won it (weren't they missing Cox when they lost to South Carolina early in the year?).

 

[cancontent]

I'm with @nwhoopfan . All three teams have fair reasons to have been considered the champions that season. Baylor gets overlooked in the conversation for the 2020 season. Not exactly sure why considering what they did the previous season.

Frankly, I'm sore about the fact we will never know. Talking about it reminds me of a lot of juicy match ups and coaching battles. we missed out on. Staley vs Mulkey, Mulkey vs Graves, Graves vs Staley. We lost out on great competition is how I see it.

 

[jonson]

I'm with @nwhoopfan . All three teams have fair reasons to have been considered the champions that season. Baylor gets overlooked in the conversation for the 2020 season. Not exactly sure why considering what they did the previous season.

Frankly, I'm sore about the fact we will never know. Talking about it reminds me of a lot of juicy match ups and coaching battles. we missed out on. Staley vs Mulkey, Mulkey vs Graves, Graves vs Staley. We lost out on great competition is how I see it.

I, of course, am as well. But who knows what would have happened if there had been a tournament?

That said, I'll add this to an argument that can never be resolved: 1) one of the two losses was in November; 2) the Oregon victory over UCONN was UCONN's worst loss ever at Gampel (and on a Monday and after an Oregon flight--on Sunday-- from Boulder to Storrs following away games at Utah and Colorado the previous Thursday and Saturday: in short, 3 away games over 6 days); and 3) the 3 Stanford wins were by 32, 8, and 33 points, probably the worst, or close to it, set of beatdowns of Tara's career. For what it's worth, there also is a 538 article somewhere which rates that team's offensive efficiency among, if I remember correctly, the top 7 all time. And I think it says something that two members of that team (Ionescu and Satou Sabally) are doing quite well, despite injuries, in the WNBA, with the jury still out on a third (Ruthie Hebard) currently buried on the Chicago bench.

 

[LoTrader]

We were the better team. Hence the #1 ranking.

Nope.
And I am not a Duck fan (quite the opposite). But I did see the Ducks (Sabrina/Satou/Ruthy) up close in Corvallis and Eugene that year. That Duck Team would have sent the Gamecocks packing back to Columbia

 

[visitingcock]

Nope.
And I am not a Duck fan (quite the opposite). But I did see the Ducks (Sabrina/Satou/Ruthy) up close in Corvallis and Eugene that year. That Duck Team would have sent the Gamecocks packing back to Columbia

Okay, you saw the Ducks play twice in Oregon. Did you see the Gamecocks play at Kim’s Baylor or Brenda’s Maryland or three times against Vic’s Ms Sate teams. You counted your game in Eugene so I’ll count Dawn’s game against Geno too.

Okay, Kelly did beat Tara and Geno. But could he do it under the big spotlight? Don’t know cause he’s never been there. Shame.

Really not saying we would have won but the teams were on the same level and anybody who says they know who would have “sent (the other) packing” is full of . . . It.

 

[shiverz45]

Nope.
And I am not a Duck fan (quite the opposite). But I did see the Ducks (Sabrina/Satou/Ruthy) up close in Corvallis and Eugene that year. That Duck Team would have sent the Gamecocks packing back to Columbia

I did not see the Ducks getting to the finals. I had Baylor playing SC in the championship game.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

I’m all in on SC as a diehard fan but I do think Oregon might have had the edge had that matchup come to be. Sabrina had come back for her senior year on a mission and the Ducks had the edge in experience at most positions on the court.

What I find funny about the unsolvable debate of the 2020 tournament is the clear assumption that Oregon would have beaten Baylor in a likely Final Four rematch. They were on track to be the second and third 1-seeds, respectively, and I think Baylor would have given Oregon quite a game.

Oh well if Sabrina had come back on a mission I guess that's that then

Baylor was certainly the third elite team with a shot.

That was Dawn's best team. I think South Carolina would have won. Pretty confidently so, but we will never know.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

I, of course, am as well. But who knows what would have happened if there had been a tournament?

That said, I'll add this to an argument that can never be resolved: 1) one of the two losses was in November; 2) the Oregon victory over UCONN was UCONN's worst loss ever at Gampel (and on a Monday and after an Oregon flight--on Sunday-- from Boulder to Storrs following away games at Utah and Colorado the previous Thursday and Saturday: in short, 3 away games over 6 days); and 3) the 3 Stanford wins were by 32, 8, and 33 points, probably the worst, or close to it, set of beatdowns of Tara's career. For what it's worth, there also is a 538 article somewhere which rates that team's offensive efficiency among, if I remember correctly, the top 7 all time. And I think it says something that two members of that team (Ionescu and Satou Sabally) are doing quite well, despite injuries, in the WNBA, with the jury still out on a third (Ruthie Hebard) currently buried on the Chicago bench.

UConn wasn't particularly good. Just saying.

 

[visitingcock]

UConn wasn't particularly good. Just saying.

Wouldda been a 2 seed so they weren’t weak

 

[LoTrader]

Oh well if Sabrina had come back on a mission I guess that's that then

Baylor was certainly the third elite team with a shot.

That was Dawn's best team. I think South Carolina would have won. Pretty confidently so, but we will never know.

Definitely not South Carolina's best team. Especially when stacked against the other "best" teams that year.

 

[visitingcock]

Definitely not South Carolina's best team. Especially when stacked against the other "best" teams that year.

Bald faced assertion with no facts to back it up. Not even any good rhetoric.???? What "best teams" were better? Four (4) Top Ten teams weren't in 5 games.

One loss to # 20 ranked Indiana. That's it.

Beat #3 Baylor
Beat #4 Maryland
Beat #5 UConn
Beat #9 Mississippi State x 2
Beat everybody else they played including other ranked teams.

#1 RPI, #1 AP, #1 Coaches Poll, #1 Selection Committee last reveal (before beating two ranked teams in final games).

Again, only Massey had Oregon ranked #1. (But, yes. They were an excellent team)

 

[JDuro]

#1 Selection Committee last reveal (before beating two ranked teams in final games).

*Overall #1 in all 3 preliminary NCAA selection committee reveals.

 

[GCKSFN4L]

Definitely not South Carolina's best team. Especially when stacked against the other "best" teams that year.

That was definitely South Carolina's best team. The offense was evenly balanced and functional, the defense was top tier and they were only held to one loss. As good as the other two championship teams were, the balanced attack of this team on both sides of the ball put this team in a different class. Such a shame they weren't able to prove it in the big tournament.

 

[Performance]

Video: The People's Champion!!! And it will be good for basketball ... of course!

Can South Carolina be the next UCONN in Women's college basketball? Dawn Staley weighs in

Dawn Staley is on top of the Women's college basketball world and connected with Mackenzie Salmon on Sports Seriously.

www.usatoday.com

It is all over for UCONN!!!

Staley only has 9 to tie Uconn and 10 to pass them. Not going to happen for any school way to much parity now.

 

[visitingcock]

Staley only has 9 to tie Uconn and 10 to pass them. Not going to happen for any school way to much parity now.

I would tend to agree. Not impossible but VERY improbable - especially with the NIL that schools like Texas and A&M are going to put together.

 

[Alydar]

But for Covid and a missed put back layup in the final four this might be a more full blown conversation.

As it is, win this year and maybe it's a discussion.

As a UConn fan let me be the first to say "wait till Dawn retires"! It'll be the end of SCWB.