It seems to me the chase to overtake Pat has gotten lost somewhat in the Covid news. We have been aware and following it for a couple of years now, but as Tara and Geno approach that milestone it gets less attention, because the year end leader could well be determined by Covid cases and state and local regulations.
The slogan "so close and yet so far" could apply here. Like most I think Geno ultimately overtakes Tara, but it could take longer than most assume. Geno started the year only three behind Tara and that seems like a low hurdle, but outside of maybe South Carolina, Stanford might be Uconn's biggest challenge in the ratings over the next few years.
They got Haley Jones, Brink and have a couple of very good young bigs, and there graduation losses will not be that big, so while I think Uconn will be better next year and the year after, this year they might be very close, and it would not be surprising to see Stanford in the Final Four for several years.
It's not like Geno can expect to pick up 5-6 games a year against Tara if she only loses 2 or 3 per season. In addition there is a significant chance in this unusual season that one team might play several more games than the other during the regular season. If for example Uconn cancels say four more games than Stanford, Tara could end the season 7 games ahead of Geno give or take a game or two. If that happened Geno might not have a realistic chance to catch Tara even in the next two years.
Of course it could go the other way too, if Stanford suffers major cancellations Geno could wind up on top by year end even if Stanford lost fewer games than Uconn. For an accomplishment earned over a long and remarkable career for both coaches, it would be a shame if it was tainted by exterior factors beyond the control of either coach.
