Congrats to Griner...

[easttexastrash]

I think the punch had the opposite effect. She took so much heat from it, the chance of a recurrence was non-existent. Opponents knew that.

I agree. Walz well knew that he could do whatever he wanted and that BG could not retaliate. Once BG saw that the refs were going to allow L'ville to beat her up like they did in the first half she was demoralized.

That's why Mulkey should have put in a bruiser that she didn't normally play and let that player return the physical play to make the refs clean it up.

 

[UcMiami]

Ton of ill will and bad mojo in this thread.

She is a great athlete. I do think she has not learned yet how to play without taking numerous plays off. She still has a lot more to learn but without a doubt she is a game changer.

That said if anyone thinks going to the pros is going to stop the verbal abuse and the physical play against her then they have another think coming. It is about to get worse.

Yeah - go to the ESPN Baylor threads for any game and see the kind of vitriolic hate speech being posted - turns my stomach. (Thanks mods for not allowing anything like that here!)
And I would say that Kim not finding a way to get either Griner or Sims a few minutes on the bench during the game is one reason you may see Griner take a few plays off. Same has frequently been said about EDD not hustling getting down the court. It is hard for any players to go 20 minutes flat out, and especially for the big ones. That should improve at the next level as the teams have so much more consistent talent in support.
And EDD may be better offensively than EDD, but ... Griner is far superior right now defensively. And they will both face fewer double teams, but that may affect EDD less as the individual player guarding her will be closer to her own size and skill set. Griner on the other hand has consistently played against a number of players her size and with good skills, and has still been double teamed. She will still have the same high, length, speed advantage she is used to against most of the WNBA.

 

[UcMiami]

I agree. Walz well knew that he could do whatever he wanted and that BG could not retaliate. Once BG saw that the refs were going to allow L'ville to beat her up like they did in the first half she was demoralized.

That's why Mulkey should have put in a bruiser that she didn't normally play and let that player return the physical play to make the refs clean it up.

I think Kim and the rest of the team all failed to back up Griner. Kim should have adjusted the offense by moving Griner and her two defenders farther from the basket and played 4 on three with cutters and mismatches. And a few of the other players should have been getting more physical on the defensive end to either force the refs hands or take the legs away (exhaust, like a prize fighter going to the body, not undercut) from the Louisville three point shooters. You have to play the hand you are dealt as far as how a game is called, and teammates need to have each other's backs - not like they were in early foul trouble - no one had 4 fouls at the end of the game.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Did you ever see anyone cheap-shot her again? Me neither. Not talking physical play, during her freshmen year she was the target of multiple cheap-shots. That all stopped with that punch.

 

[DaddyChoc]

DT will make BG a awesome player

 

[Icebear]

Did you ever see anyone cheap-shot her again? Me neither. Not talking physical play, during her freshmen year she was the target of multiple cheap-shots. That all stopped with that punch.

It didn't really stop. Nor did her responses. See the UConn-Baylor game this year.

 

[OneTrickPony]

DT will make BG a awesome player

I agree wholeheartedly DC...Diana will be the best thing that ever happened to Brittany...

 

[easttexastrash]

I think Kim and the rest of the team all failed to back up Griner. Kim should have adjusted the offense by moving Griner and her two defenders farther from the basket and played 4 on three with cutters and mismatches. And a few of the other players should have been getting more physical on the defensive end to either force the refs hands or take the legs away (exhaust, like a prize fighter going to the body, not undercut) from the Louisville three point shooters. You have to play the hand you are dealt as far as how a game is called, and teammates need to have each other's backs - not like they were in early foul trouble - no one had 4 fouls at the end of the game.

I agree. I posted mid-game that Mulkey needed to move BG to the high post and upen up the paint for BG's teammates.

 

[easttexastrash]

I agree wholeheartedly DC...Diana will be the best thing that ever happened to Brittany...

I agree. And I guarantee you that DT will HAVE HER BACK like BG's teammates and coach should have last night. And might I add, like Geno would have last night. I am very disappointed in Mulkey for not throwing her coat in the first half.

She needs to go to the school of WWGD.

 

[OneTrickPony]

I agree. And I guarantee you that DT will HAVE HER BACK like BG's teammates and coach should have last night.

I agree with you...in addition, I think Dee will keep her from loafing through big segments of the game...that wasn't the issue last night because she was smothered, but she has been doing that a lot this year...especially in the UConn game...

Last night, the failure of the rest of the team to respond to the game really surprised me...I think they had all grown way too reliant on supergirl...

 

[easttexastrash]

I agree wholeheartedly DC...Diana will be the best thing that ever happened to Brittany...

I'm very excited about what will happen with those two. DT will mold BG and I think that BG will help extend DT's career. It is possibly the best thing that could have happened to either.

 

[easttexastrash]

I'm very excited about what will happen with those two. DT will mold BG and I think that BG will help extend DT's career. It is possibly the best thing that could have happened to either.

Sims and Madden both stepped up in terms of play. Hayden was an absolute ghost, as was Williams. Pope should have played 40 minutes.

 

[OneTrickPony]

I'm very excited about what will happen with those two. DT will mold BG and I think that BG will help extend DT's career. It is possibly the best thing that could have happened to either.

Yes...this could be a dominant battery for some time...

 

[UcMiami]

ETT - I do think Sims and Madden stepped up, but on the defensive end I think they Madden Williams Pope and Hayden could have gotten a few more fouls with physical play to send a message. Sims and Griner are too important to throw fouls away, but a few Louisville players getting hard body shots on screens/cuts might have upped the ante for the refs, or at least given the Louisville players more to think about. A shoulder to the gut or breastbone of a screener or an forearm to the ribs of a cutter can be worth the cost of the foul. They seem to have sleepwalked a bit through the first 30 minutes and only turned up their physicality in the last 10.
And agree about DT and BG being good for each other.
One other thing on BG and rebounding - shot blockers and BG is one of the best often take themselves out of position for defensive rebounds and have to rely on teammates to do that work - its is a good trade-off for the defense as BG covers for everyone else with her shot blocking/intimidation.