Did the Stewie years ruin the fun | The Boneyard

Did the Stewie years ruin the fun

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SCyankee

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Apparently winning 4 consecutive championships during the Stewie years developed an expectation that we would never lose, win by double digits and play pretty bb. Since that expectation is impossible we are never satisfied. Someone said " Satisfaction equals experience minus expectation. "

This year's team is talented but young, inexperienced and neither long nor big. We have no returning senior All American, like we frequently do. We miss MW.
There is no one to blame for being imperfect. Let's be fanatics and enjoy the experience.
 
Apologies if this was mentioned in post game thread, but I don't feel like going there to look. Out of 200 minutes of playing time, we had 84 minutes of freshmen on the floor. Seems to me like some growing pains are to be expected and the future is pretty bright.
 
SCyankee said:
Apparently winning 4 consecutive championships during the Stewie years developed an expectation that we would never lose, win by double digits and play pretty bb. Since that expectation is impossible we are never satisfied. Someone said " Satisfaction equals experience minus expectation. "

This year's team is talented but young, inexperienced and neither long nor big. We have no returning senior All American, like we frequently do. We miss MW.
There is no one to blame for being imperfect. Let's be fanatics and enjoy the experience.
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If I recall correctly, in the 2 seasons after Stewie et al left, we lost 1 game in each of those seasons. So I can understand the lingering expectations, even after last season's "terrible" team. :rolleyes:
 
Way too much talent on one-team! In a perfect world, we could spread out the talent over more years.
 
.-.
With all players, Anna and Paige especially, healthy, a shorter line up would be interesting. Anna, Paige, Evina, Nika, and Aubrey. I would pay to see that.
 
Centerstream said:
If I recall correctly, in the 2 seasons after Stewie et al left, we lost 1 game in each of those seasons. So I can understand the lingering expectations, even after last season's "terrible" team. :rolleyes:
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It's becoming more obvious to people who are open minded, that Stewie was a special player we might never see again. 4 national championships, and in the WNBA, 2 Championships in 4 years. This after joining the worst team in the league.
She makes all the players around her better.
 
UConn’s history in general is really to blame for the expectations. UConn has had 6 (I think) undefeated seasons, 11 NCs, transcendent & outrageously great players, and UConn rarely has a “down” year. What other team has been able to sustain that kind of dominance for as long as UConn has? Who else has more than 1 or 2 undefeated seasons? Honestly though, there were some years where UConn lost 1 or more games and still managed to win a NC so maybe this is the season changer that sparks a fire on the team.
 
Jeff H said:
Apologies if this was mentioned in post game thread, but I don't feel like going there to look. Out of 200 minutes of playing time, we had 84 minutes of freshmen on the floor. Seems to me like some growing pains are to be expected and the future is pretty bright.
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The freshmen were the best players on the floor except for E. What about the upperclassmen. As far as I'm concerned, I'm thrilled with the freshmen.
 
SCyankee said:
Apparently winning 4 consecutive championships during the Stewie years developed an expectation that we would never lose, win by double digits and play pretty bb. Since that expectation is impossible we are never satisfied. Someone said " Satisfaction equals experience minus expectation. "

This year's team is talented but young, inexperienced and neither long nor big. We have no returning senior All American, like we frequently do. We miss MW.
There is no one to blame for being imperfect. Let's be fanatics and enjoy the experience.
Expand ...
It took literally decades for this old Husky to buy what‘s been peddled about Geno and our staff...it’s always about March. Boneyard slang often gets it shortened : in Geno we trust. We get it either way. This is the most fascinating group he’s had in forever. Be patient. And as for us lifelong Huskies, the journey ahead can be as rich as the past 36 Years. The best is yet to come.
 
.-.
southofnorth said:
UConn’s history in general is really to blame for the expectations. UConn has had 6 (I think) undefeated seasons, 11 NCs, transcendent & outrageously great players, and UConn rarely has a “down” year. What other team has been able to sustain that kind of dominance for as long as UConn has? Who else has more than 1 or 2 undefeated seasons? Honestly though, there were some years where UConn lost 1 or more games and still managed to win a NC so maybe this is the season changer that sparks a fire on the team.
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I think it is this more than anything. As long as I've been posting here (since 2004ish) the board is usually depressed after a loss. Makes sense when you almost never lose. I dont think it's the Stewart years as much as it is having a championship or bust type of season each year. Tennessee's board used to be the same way but expectations dropped and losses stung less as fans became more accustom to them.
 
Maybe I'm naive, but I think in sports and in most things in life, it's really about doing the best you can or "reaching your fullest potential". When you do that, few things feel better and when you don't it's frustrating.
Think of something you do yourself. Post being an athlete, I golf. I know what that feeling of satisfaction is like. I remember those rounds.
I was thrilled for the team after those last couple of minutes against Tennessee. Gritty, made a couple key plays down the stretch. Most of this year has been spotty though.
I think we can play so much better. Looking forward to Sunday. Maybe we'll start marching toward "the best we can be".
 
No...Stewie set the bar. It is what every incoming recruit can aspire to. Winning 4 consecutive National Championships.
 
baggerbob said:
It's becoming more obvious to people who are open minded, that Stewie was a special player we might never see again. 4 national championships, and in the WNBA, 2 Championships in 4 years. This after joining the worst team in the league.
She makes all the players around her better.
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OK, I give up. I have no idea how this relates to the OP, which I was replying too.
 
Let's not forget after DT won her third ring Uconn lost 8,4,5,4 and 2 games the next 5 yrs untill they won another title.So the way they lost with no defense is hard to swallow but hopefully they'll grow
 
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UConn losses are infrequent so of course people freak out over a loss. ND lost as many games last season as UConn has in the last decade. Stanford lost back to back games not too long ago which is something that hasn't happened at UConn in a quarter of a century.
 
baggerbob said:
It's becoming more obvious to people who are open minded, that Stewie was a special player we might never see again. 4 national championships, and in the WNBA, 2 Championships in 4 years. This after joining the worst team in the league.
She makes all the players around her better.
Expand ...

Pretty sure Stewie came to a team that had senior leadership and all Americans.
 
Geew1992 said:
Pretty sure Stewie came to a team that had senior leadership and all Americans.
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Who couldn't win championships until she got there. Some of them played with Maya in her senior year, and didn't win.
Those players didn' t win 2011 or 2012, With Stewie they won, and so far after Stewie they haven't won.
 
Connecticut's dominance started long before Breanna Stewart. I started following them in 2000 when they won their 2nd national championship; in half of those 20 years they lost one game at most, and also won the national championship in half of those years. They've also been one of the most statistically dominant teams in the history of sports over the last 25 years or so.
 
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not even Stewie years, Maya Moore and Taurasi. Were blessed with alpha type players who were not afraid of the big moment. Since that miss st loss I feel there hasn't been someone like that. Samuelson one of my fave players and so is Nurse but I never felt either was the lead alpha and shyed away from the moment. Similar now to the new faces on the team, Geno has definitely said this team is soft and lacks toughness
 
One thing that seems to get lost with many of the fans here is that equating stats with great players is very flawed if winning is the ultimate, indeed, the only goal. As wolfe613 points out, Uconn has lacked that big moment “toughness” for some time now. That is not something that can be taught, it is an intangible that cannot be measured or even identified until the moment is there. It has been at the center of the Russell vs. Chamberlain debate forever and absolutely one of the more fascinating aspects of sports in general.
Robert Horry averaged 7 points a game in a 16 year NBA career, 8 in the playoffs, but his place in basketball history is forever set as “Big Shot Bob“ for his ability to hit shots at important times in big games.
UConn’s own Diana Taurasi is also a good example of “stats lie”. To the naked eye her stats are ”good player” average; 15 ppg, 4.5 assists, 2.5 TO’s, 4.5 rebounds. But to anyone who remotely knows the game is there any doubt she is among the very best of the best? Why, because she was at her very best, indeed maybe the very best “in the moment”.
The biggest take to me from the Arkansas loss was the willingness of the freshman, McLean, Muhl, Edwards and Bueckers to compete HARD when they went down double figures. Amassing stats in blowout wins is one thing, having the mental toughness to compete when down on the road to a more experienced team on their game is quite another. It bodes very well for the future.
 
DaConn said:
Maybe for those who don't remember we lost 4 games Stewie's freshman year. Let's let the girls grow into "perfection", not expect it to spontaneously appear. Go Huskies!
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It's like making a good Sunday sauce...it needs to simmer for hours on end. :rolleyes:

sauce GIF
 
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