Freshman stars at UConn

[UConn82]

All,

I am a relative newbie to women's basketball, having started to watch when Maya was a junior. (I am not a newbie to UConn, having finished graduate work there in 1982. )

I have never seen a freshman look as good as CW. (By the Final Four in 2013, Stewie was the best player in the country, but that is a different matter. She struggled early, e.g., Penn State and Duke games.)

I heard tell that Maya was terrific as a freshman.

Has a UConn frosh looked anything like what CW looks like right now? (I know Bria Hartley beat Baylor, but that was one game.)

Thank you.

 

[JonathanXIV]

My two cents, Maya was the best freshman UConn has ever had. But Svet was pretty awesome too.

 

[HuskyNan]

The Usual Suspects - Diana, Maya, and Stewie - were tremendous as freshmen. Stewie started out like a house on fire, then had a bit of a lull, but then picked it up later in the season to claim Final Four MVP. So, yes, I'd say she had a tremendous freshman year.

Kelly Faris was her excellent self right out of the box, too. I'd give Bria Hartley the nod as well.

 

[JoePgh]

The Usual Suspects - Diana, Maya, and Stewie - were tremendous as freshmen. Stewie started out like a house on fire, then had a bit of a lull, but then picked it up later in the season to claim Final Four MVP. So, yes, I'd say she had a tremendous freshman year.

Kelly Faris was her excellent self right out of the box, too. I'd give Bria Hartley the nod as well.

Not to mention Kia Nurse, Renee Montgomery, Caroline Doty, and Katie Lou Samuelson, all of whom had large roles as freshmen and played major minutes. Stef Dolson also, although she had to grow into her role as the season progressed.

 

[stick]

All,

I am a relative newbie to women's basketball, having started to watch when Maya was a junior. (I am not a newbie to UConn, having finished graduate work there in 1982. )

I have never seen a freshman look as good as CW. (By the Final Four in 2013, Stewie was the best player in the country, but that is a different matter. She struggled early, e.g., Penn State and Duke games.)

I heard tell that Maya was terrific as a freshman.

Has a UConn frosh looked anything like what CW looks like right now? (I know Bria Hartley beat Baylor, but that was one game.)

Thank you.

Maya was an All-American her freshman year. Stewie was pretty good her 1st 10 games and then went into witness protection until conference tournament time. As others have stated Sveta was really, really good right away. But yeah, CW does play with confidence and poise which is pretty rare for a freshman. Nurse & Faris both played like seasoned veterans and if CW plays to that level, this team should make the FF.

 

[HoopsHoppy]

How quickly we forget - Nykesha Sales in 94-95 was rookie of the year on the first crown team.

 

[jimazee]

Then in 1996-97 there was a gal from NC called Shea Ralph. UConn won the Big East Tournament, finishing the regular season 30–0. Shea was the Big East Rookie of the Year, national freshman of the year for the United States Basketball Writers Association and The Sporting News.

In the first round of the NCAA tournament, against Lehigh, she tore the ACL in her right knee. Ultimately UConn lost to Tennessee in the regional final.

 

[Bama fan]

Then in 1996-97 there was a gal from NC called Shea Ralph. UConn won the Big East Tournament, finishing the regular season 30–0. Shea was the Big East Rookie of the Year, national freshman of the year for the United States Basketball Writers Association and The Sporting News.

In the first round of the NCAA tournament, against Lehigh, she tore the ACL in her right knee. Ultimately UConn lost to Tennessee in the regional final.

I hesitated to hit the like button. I did not like it at all. I hated it. But I did appreciate your reminder to us forgetful fans!

 

[Sonny44]

The Usual Suspects - Diana, Maya, and Stewie - were tremendous as freshmen. Stewie started out like a house on fire, then had a bit of a lull, but then picked it up later in the season to claim Final Four MVP. So, yes, I'd say she had a tremendous freshman year.

Kelly Faris was her excellent self right out of the box, too. I'd give Bria Hartley the nod as well.

No one will ever match what Stewie did in her first final four.

 

[oldude]

There were a number of great UConn freshmen through the years, but Stewie emerging from a phone booth with her Supergirl cape on to lead the 4 loss Huskies to a national championship in 2013 puts her on top, imo. Now if Christyn pulls off a similar achievement this season, I may have to reconsider my choice.

 

[paisan]

Not to be biased but I think Stewie was the top freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior.

 

[JustinesGuy]

Not to be biased but I think Stewie was the top freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior.

The only thing that’s wrong with UCONN the past few years is we don’t have Stewie anymore.

 

[VAUConnFan]

I would add the entire class of incoming freshman in 2002 as an entire unit.
Tina Charles had a very good freshman season.
Stefanie Dolson bore a huge burden of responsibility and quick development; Came through adequately.
Tiffany Hayes deserves mention here.

As far as great freshmen who could take over a team/game, they have already been mentioned.

 

[stick]

Not to be biased but I think Stewie was the top freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior.

No way. You have to count the whole season. Stewie was not good her freshman year until it mattered the most. Maya was far away the best freshman and I would venture to say she was better her senior year than Stewie. Stewie had 2 other All-Americans in the starting lineup with her from her sophomore year on.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Stewie had the freshman scoring record for the first 10-games as a freshman, edging out Maya's old record. Then teams learned to get physical with Stewie, and she struggled. The nadir was a scoreless outing in a loss to Baylor. In late February, Stewie turned things around and has been great since.

Maya was the second best player in the nation as a freshman--behind only Candace Parker. Her ranking in the AP POY voting for her four seasons: 2, 1, 2, and 1. No one has come close to that.

 

[ucbart]

Maya was an All-American her freshman year. Stewie was pretty good her 1st 10 games and then went into witness protection until conference tournament time. As others have stated Sveta was really, really good right away. But yeah, CW does play with confidence and poise which is pretty rare for a freshman. Nurse & Faris both played like seasoned veterans and if CW plays to that level, this team should make the FF.

Wasn't Maya the second leading vote getter for POY behind a once in a generation type talent in Candace Parker? If it wasn't for CP3 being a senior that year, Maya would've been National POY.....as a freshman. She is the best WCBB freshman I've ever seen.

 

[JoePgh]

Tina Charles had a very good freshman season.

I don't think either Tina or Geno would agree with you about that. Her freshman year ended with her being embarrassed by Sylvia Fowles in the Elite Eight, where UConn lost by about 20 points to an LSU team that they had beaten by one point in Baton Rouge about six weeks earlier.

It wasn't until Tina's junior year that she got a grasp of how hard she had to work not to cheat her talent. I remember (even after Tina's freshman year) when Geno made unfavorable public comparisons between her and Maya and Renee, saying that he had a wing and a point guard he could count on, but not a post player.

I think Tina is actually the prototype example of SLOW development of a post player. Stef had less talent, but got to a 90% usage level in her freshman year. I don't think Tina got to that level during her entire time at UConn.

I remember another Geno line where he talked about Carl Sagan (astronomer) discussing how light from events in distant galaxies takes millions of years to reach the earth so that we know about them. He predicted that when Tina was married with children, she would finally get the message that Geno was trying to impart to her.

Fortunately, it didn't take quite that long.

I do agree with you about Tiffany Hayes having an excellent freshman year.

 

[VAUConnFan]

I don't think either Tina or Geno would agree with you about that. Her freshman year ended with her being embarrassed by Sylvia Fowles in the Elite Eight, where UConn lost by about 20 points to an LSU team that they had beaten by one point in Baton Rouge about six weeks earlier.

Yes, it was Sylvia Fowles and LSU after all. Embarrassing for sure, but it was not against a mediocre player or a team of slouches. And, yes, Tina was a freshman and that is the context through which her season has to be judged. One bad game against a very, very talented player on a very talented team that was on a run of Final Four appearances. No one holds the 2001 Notre Dame Final Four game against Ms Taurasi's greatness overall or through the context of her freshman year. Compete enough and you are going to have those challenging moments/games when you do not come through. Ms Charles was singled out mercilessly by Coach Auriemma
in the aftermath of that loss. However, when the #1 seed loses by 23 while only scoring 50 points as a team, there is a whole lot of blame to be shared.
After all that has been said, Tina Charles was the Big East Freshman of the Year and USBWA National Freshman of the Year.

 

[jimazee]

Yes, it was Sylvia Fowles and LSU after all. Embarrassing for sure, but it was not against a mediocre player or a team of slouches. And, yes, Tina was a freshman and that is the context through which her season has to be judged. One bad game against a very, very talented player on a very talented team that was on a run of Final Four appearances. No one holds the 2001 Notre Dame Final Four game against Ms Taurasi's greatness overall or through the context of her freshman year. Compete enough and you are going to have those challenging moments/games when you do not come through. Ms Charles was singled out mercilessly by Coach Auriemma
in the aftermath of that loss. However, when the #1 seed loses by 23 while only scoring 50 points as a team, there is a whole lot of blame to be shared.
After all that has been said, Tina Charles was the Big East Freshman of the Year and USBWA National Freshman of the Year.

I think Geno and DT made amends.

 

[shizam]

Yes CW is very bad news for non UConn fans like me. Anyone who comes in and starts as a freshman at UConn is not a good omen for opponents. What a shame if CW was a year earlier and had to sit behind Stevens, Collier and Gabby. Very cool she is playing tons of minutes.

 

[shizam]

Hard to imagine Tiffany Hayes playing for UConn. That one was a real surprise since I only knew her as pretty good Atlanta Dream player.

 

[HopJim]

No way. You have to count the whole season. Stewie was not good her freshman year until it mattered the most. Maya was far away the best freshman and I would venture to say she was better her senior year than Stewie. Stewie had 2 other All-Americans in the starting lineup with her from her sophomore year on.

You may have a different definition of "good" than many as it relates to Stewie her frosh year. If memory serves correct, she started and ended hot, one of the best in UConn history. You rate based on "total year" but since the goal of the year is to win the NCAA's, I have to give points to Stewie for her MVP and win. While I have a hard time saying Maya was not the best ever, Stewie added so much more in terms of rebounding, shot blocking and overall defense. Wonderful to have this conversation comparing two UConn greats (and we haven't even put DT in equation).