It starts at 6PM Pacific time., which is prime time for ESPN. That is why.
Beyond the late start is the scheduling issue and Super-Regional setup that Geno, Coach Mulkey & Coach Schaefer have all complained about. Whichever team wins tonight needs to travel all day tomorrow, 2800 miles from Spokane to Tampa across 4 time zones. That team then has basically Wednesday & Thursday to prepare for a national semifinal on Friday.
Sarah had a tough assignment, a learning experience, never mind being a freshman. Beers is big, experienced and a true post. Kiki is not a true post, smaller, and plays somewhat like Ice, only better. Sarah is roughly same size (albeit an inch shorter) and should be much more comfortable if she has to play one up.
I'd add she's also in better physical condition with the regimen she has in place now. Paige has made significant strides in taking care of her body as noted by the announcers which is key as well.
And if Dee Kantner, Angelica Suffren and Maggie Tieman had called the same type of fouls on Beers she would have fouled out by mid 3rd quarter. Heck they missed the most obvious foul of the game when Beers fouled Paige on her first 3 pointer of the game.
They could at least make the two-region format work better. Like, oh, say have the final BETWEEN the two semi locations? It's not like there are that many good locations (although I can come up with 10 without looking at a map) between Birmingham and Spokane, and all of them would be closer to one than the other, but not 2000 miles closer.
Paige’s level of conditioning is extraordinary. During the OK game, Rebecca commented that at times Paige has Kaitlyn, KK and others bring the ball up and initiate the offensive set while she catches her breath. In Paige’s case, that’s a couple deep breaths and then it’s back to Game On!
Yesterday? Have them play the two most important games of the year without a day to rest because you can’t take a pregame nap? Seriously?
My favorite part Bone Dog.
Geno and Lindsay Gottlieb are good friends. He has mentored her since she was in high school. After JuJu's injury, Coach Auriemma called her to offer advice on how to get her team through the emotional turmoil that follows such a loss. He specifically brought up the loss of Shea in 1997, saying that the players went into a depression. He learned from that, and offered his experience to help her. I fully expect UConn to win, but I don't think that it will be because the USC players ran out of "emotional addrenaline." These are well-coached blue-chip ballers. I just think the Huskies are better, and we have Paige and they don't.
Not an advantage if UConn starts fast, as Iriafen will try to win it on her own. KK & Ash will then up the speed and peskiness on the guard "line change." The U$C wheels will "fall off" in the 4th qtr, which is where Paige elevates her game to the NPOY^2 ZONE.
Plus the BEST Freshman who was overlooked by the FPOY committee. I expect great things from her tonight.
Studying and affecting Paige's focus and efficiency are two very different things. Slamming into Jana, Ice, or Sarah takes a little (or a lot) out of the speed of the defense over the course of a game.
You would need to change the S16 schedule obviously so there's at least one off day between the eight S16 and four E8 games.
Some of us work full time jobs you know. And naps after 6 pm could wreck havoc on sleeping schedules.
Like the first player to add the "E" to HORS?
USC has always been more of a finesse team and now they are relying on 3 freshman who probably don't even know what grab and hold means.
Not a complaint, but judging the validity of putting UConn as #2 in U$C's Spokane #4 is on the NCAA bracketing committee, and I thought it was an excellent path to the FF in the making. Not an easy path, but Paige & the women have made it look so. They [the UConn women] will not be "taking their foot off of the accelerator" tonight on this journey!
