Congrats to Nneka and the Cardinal

[MilfordHusky]

Nneka was a multiple-time AA, won lots of games, got to the Final Four every year, and simply had a great career. Well done! She's a great player and classy person.

 

[UConnChapette]

Here, here! Or is it Hear! Hear!? Does it matter?

It is late, I am going to bed so I can be at least minimally productive at work tomorrow.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I agree...

 

[Scotter]

Congrats to Nneka on a great career! She improved an incredible amount over four years and could now be considered the best player in Stanford history. Much like Maya last year she battled in the second half trying to carry her team, but didn't get enough help and her team battled foul trouble.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I wonder what her career numbers are?

 

[UConnCat]

Congrats to Nneka on a great career! She improved an incredible amount over four years and could now be considered the best player in Stanford history. Much like Maya last year she battled in the second half trying to carry her team, but didn't get enough help and her team battled foul trouble.

Tara seemed puzzled by the number of fouls called on Stanford. She sounded like Geno last year: "we don't foul." Twice she said it was "different." BTW, she also mentioned areas where her team needed to play better too.

 

[Scotter]

I wonder what her career numbers are?

Hasn't been updated yet with today's game, but they were tracking Nneka's number here. She'll finish a little shy of 2500 points with over 1200 rebounds, averaging 17 and 8 per game over the course of her career.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Wonder no more DaddyChoc.

Nnemkadi Ogwumike - 146 games, 2492 points, 17.1 ppg, 1226 rebounds, 8.4rpg, on 58% shooting.

 

[alexrgct]

Wonder no more DaddyChoc.

Nnemkadi Ogwumike - 146 games, 2492 points, 17.1 ppg, 1226 rebounds, 8.4rpg, on 58% shooting.

Great numbers. She and Jennifer Azzi are on Stanford's all-time starting five for sure.

Like Maya, she made the women's game better simply because the sport had her. Obviously, she'll be in the WNBA, but I'll miss her as a collegiate.

 

[willtalk]

Tara seemed puzzled by the number of fouls called on Stanford. She sounded like Geno last year: "we don't foul." Twice she said it was "different." BTW, she also mentioned areas where her team needed to play better too.

Don't know about the number of fouls called on Stanford but two fouls on Cheny (sp) were bogus. The first one that gave Griner a and one ( she was standing still with hands up) plus the moving screen which was her third. Although if you were not really watching her feet I could understand that one might think that it was Chiny who initiated the movement instead of Griner who was pushing and running her over. The announcer said she might have sold it if she was establishing position, well she was and actually did have position. That foul should have been on Griner, who fouled both Chiny and Kolcinis on the same play. Those were key fouls that put Chiny on the bench and pretty much killed any chance they had. Not even considering how the extra foul might have influenced Griners play.

 

[easttexastrash]

The O sisters picked up a lot of fouls because they had never played a team as physical as Baylor. You can talk about it in practice, but until you see it you don't really know what it looks like.

Nneka had a spectacular game. Chiney was outplayed by Destiny Williams. There was a lot of talk about Chiney being better than Williams and that proved not to be the case. Chiney had a very disappointing game.

Stanford did a great job on Griner. They definitely had the size to surround her and make it difficult for her to move. But other than Nneka Stanford had nobody that could get into the lane on BG. There were many times that players were in the lane and passed out due to BG's presence.

But the difference in the game was the perimeter pressure that Baylor put on Stanford. I said in a previous thread that the game would be determined by guard play, and IMO it was. Condrey came up huge. She is a great shooter and she stepped up and shot with confidence after a slightly shaky start. Orrange was held in check by Sims. Sims is simply a defensive stopper that changes the complexion of the game.

Stanford, as every other team, had to go outside of its comfort zone and change too much on offense and defense due to BG's presence. And Baylor had its usual second half push that has broken down every other opponent in the second half. Many teams come out with the best effort in the first half but cannot sustain the effort or withstand the defensive pressure in the second half.

 

[wallman]

You have to be kidding me - did you not watch the ND Uconn game, now that was physical, Baylor not physical at all, in fact least physical team I have watched all tournament.

 

[easttexastrash]

You have to be kidding me - did you not watch the ND Uconn game, now that was physical, Baylor not physical at all, in fact least physical team I have watched all tournament.

By physical, I mean long and fast. I don't mean that they run into and bang on the opposing players and foul them a lot like the other teams that played last night did. Baylor's speed and length is they type of physical I am talking about.

 

[Bestiarius]

I thought Nneka on offense played the smartest game against Griner that I've seen. She was able to get good shots with her quickness and smarts, particularly using the rim to set a screen.

 

[AboutWeston]

Thank you Cardfan for your contributions to the UCONN Board!

 

[DaddyChoc]

I'll take Chiney over Williams any day of the week and...

 

[easttexastrash]

I thought Nneka on offense played the smartest game against Griner that I've seen. She was able to get good shots with her quickness and smarts, particularly using the rim to set a screen.

I agree. She was exceptional.

I am really disappointed in Mulkey for allowing Griner to drift so far from the basket over and over and over. I do not understand the strategy of following her opponent out that far until they prove that they can beat you from the outside. It just makes no sense to me and I though it could have cost Baylor the game.

It would have been nice to see Nneka play Griner with single coverage to see how well she could defend Griner. I would like to have seen a true head to head competition.

 

[Sakibomb25]

Williams outplayed Chiney because Chiney was saddled with foul trouble. If you take away those two bogus calls against Ogwumike, it would have been a whole different ball game. Not to mention that out of bounds play on Bonnie Samuelson's three.

No disrespect to Baylor because they are a good team. I just would have liked to see them play without help from the refs. You see how the game was called against UConn and Notre Dame and they let them play. Stanford and Baylor, not so much.

Granted, Stanford didn't hit the shots they needed to hit, end of story. But I think the officiating played a part in it as well. But again, as a Stanford fan, that's just my opinion

 

[HuskyNan]

I agree. She was exceptional.

I am really disappointed in Mulkey for allowing Griner to drift so far from the basket over and over and over. I do not understand the strategy of following her opponent out that far until they prove that they can beat you from the outside. It just makes no sense to me and I though it could have cost Baylor the game.

It would have been nice to see Nneka play Griner with single coverage to see how well she could defend Griner. I would like to have seen a true head to head competition.

A gentle reminder - we have other threads on the Stanford-Baylor game; this one is intended purely to give Nneka the props she so richly deserves. A great player and person. Congrats to her.

 

[cardfan]

Thanks Milford for starting the thread and kind words for Nneka and Stanford.

She is a great, great bball player and amazing person. I will miss her a lot. There is no doubt she will do great things and have a positive impact on the world and peoples' lives.

I'll write more on the game later.

Off to airport, heading home.

 

[Sakibomb25]

I think you can tell the type of person Nneka is by watching the post-game press conference. It's on the Stanford website. She had so much composure and was wise beyond her years. You could tell she was dying inside, but talked with such class and dignity. It's a shame she didn't capture that elusive national championship, but it doesn't take away with the type of player - or person - that she became at Stanford.

*Standing Ovation*