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OK, we still have the Notre Dame/Stanford game to play. But three of the four have been determined.
Baylor is a beast. They were the odds-on favorite before the season, and given the way they've destroyed Iowa (up by 30 points near the end of the game), it's clear what they can do to any team they take on.
It's one thing to have Kalani Brown in the post. But to have Lauren Cox and Kalani Brown together- two tremendously talented bigs, one of whom can pop from three- that's just devastating. And add to that the strong guard play, and then there's Nylissa Smith coming off the bench- yes, off the bench. And this is a massive roadblock to any team's path to the trophy.
Oregon is amazing, and perhaps even more ominous is the fact that every one of their starters is coming back next year. So they might win it all this year, and then be even more impressive next year. And Satou Sabally's sister, a freshman who is also 6'4", has barely played this year, but is reputed to be very talented. Ionescu plays more like Sue Bird than anyone I've seen since she left for the pros.
Curious is the preponderance of transfers who have played big roles in the top teams. Oregon had ND's Erin Boley, while Mississippi State had Connecticut's AEH. And in the previous game, AEH was guarding fellow Connecticut transfer Courtney Ekmark. The landscape of the game has changed. It's no longer the case that kids transfer to get more playing time. Top players who were key parts of their teams are leaving for other top teams.
538 blog gives Baylor the overwhelming odds for winning it all. Then Notre Dame. Then Connecticut.
We're still the underdog. But there's magic in the air!!
Baylor is a beast. They were the odds-on favorite before the season, and given the way they've destroyed Iowa (up by 30 points near the end of the game), it's clear what they can do to any team they take on.
It's one thing to have Kalani Brown in the post. But to have Lauren Cox and Kalani Brown together- two tremendously talented bigs, one of whom can pop from three- that's just devastating. And add to that the strong guard play, and then there's Nylissa Smith coming off the bench- yes, off the bench. And this is a massive roadblock to any team's path to the trophy.
Oregon is amazing, and perhaps even more ominous is the fact that every one of their starters is coming back next year. So they might win it all this year, and then be even more impressive next year. And Satou Sabally's sister, a freshman who is also 6'4", has barely played this year, but is reputed to be very talented. Ionescu plays more like Sue Bird than anyone I've seen since she left for the pros.
Curious is the preponderance of transfers who have played big roles in the top teams. Oregon had ND's Erin Boley, while Mississippi State had Connecticut's AEH. And in the previous game, AEH was guarding fellow Connecticut transfer Courtney Ekmark. The landscape of the game has changed. It's no longer the case that kids transfer to get more playing time. Top players who were key parts of their teams are leaving for other top teams.
538 blog gives Baylor the overwhelming odds for winning it all. Then Notre Dame. Then Connecticut.
We're still the underdog. But there's magic in the air!!