Griffin = MVP

[Hayven]

Nika just said in the postgame press conference that Aubrey is the player of the game

 

[UcMiami]

She was tremendous and played hurt. What an effort!

I don't think she is actually 'playing hurt', I think the heat/massage thingy is there for prevention sort of like the days when Diana Taurasi would lie on her back off to the side when she wasn't in the game.

 

[darrell]

 

[Ardenque]

I think Aaliyah Edwards getting her fourth foul was a blessing in disguise.
It brought Griffin onto the court. She immediately went into overdrive and changed the whole feel of the game.
It was fun to watch.

 

[CTinLA]

Aubrey’s effort, especially coming in for Aaliyah in the third quarter, was tremendous. She was everywhere on a few possessions, and sparked the run that put the game away. It was an impressive effort.

 

[UConnCat]

 

[DennieEddy]

Her defense, rebounding, and energy were lights out. I know Azzi scored 16 in the third, but I thought AP was the real difference in that quarter. Everyone was feeding off her electricity.

Who is AP? I'm confused.

 

[Littlemin]

Great thread, Griffin was clearly the catalyst tonight. She changed the whole tempo of the game when she came in both early and in the 3rd quarter.

 

[Littlemin]

Nika just said in the postgame press conference that Aubrey is the player of the game

And she was right!!

 

[Jokerman619]

What a amazing player. Audrey fears no one, or any situation. Miss Motor. Geno, she needs to stay next year. Love this group of young women. Nothing rattles them. Great job all.
Go Huskies.

 

[faithfulfan]

She is that rare pure athlete who's physical ability makes her a complete mismatch against every team UCONN plays!
Hopefully she's totally healthy next year, cause it'll be awsome to watch!

 

[faithfulfan]

What a amazing player. Audrey fears no one, or any situation. Miss Motor. Geno, she needs to stay next year. Love this group of young women. Nothing rattles them. Great job all.
Go Huskies.

If she's healthy she'll stay, and she'll play!
Geno knows how important she is!

 

[SVCBeercats]

She made the difference at a very important time!!!!

KID SHAZAM

 

[diggerfoot]

To those who think she should start, I sort of agree from the perspective that “she has earned it.”

But she and Ducharme are our two most versatile players, they can be used to “plug and play” for wherever they are needed as the game develops.

Having five starters that execute their specialized roles well along with two ”Havliceks” off the bench serves this team quite well for the tournament.

 

[PvP]

Aubrey was plus 19 in 19 minutes! I think that says it all....what a treasure

 

[PhillyCoach]

To those who think she should start, I sort of agree from the perspective that “she has earned it.”

But she and Ducharme are our two most versatile players, they can be used to “plug and play” for wherever they are needed as the game develops.

Having five starters that execute their specialized roles well along with two ”Havliceks” off the bench serves this team quite well for the tournament.

Diggerfoot you nailed it. UConn has 7 players who have earned a starting position. Aubrey and Caroline are the most versatile. They both bring new energy to the game--Aubrey in shut down D and awesome rebounding and Caroline has a nose for the ball and is fearless when looking to drive or shoot. Only South Carolina has 7 players with starter skills. It was mentioned that Baylor got tired in the 4th. They had to keep their 5 starters in longer because there was a big drop off in talent off the bench. Also, only 3 Baylor players were dangerous. Baylor had quickness and athleticism early and won the 50-50 balls. A fresh Aubrey took on all of the 6 footers of Baylor and dominated them. Final note - the Baylor coach is awesome. Those players were well coached. They just got outplayed by the magnificent 7.

 

[JoePgh]

I remember a lot of Boneyard criticism of Aubrey as a freshman and sophomore about how she was a great athlete but was having undue difficulty learning to fit into the UConn offense and defense. Obviously, you don't hear that anymore. What she did against Baylor was totally within the team's game plan -- she was not out of position and was not missing chances to cut and pull a defender away from Azzi and the other shooters.

And let's not overlook the non-scoring contributions of her partner at the wing position -- Caroline. She had 6 crucial defensive rebounds, most of which were heavily contested, in addition to her 10 points, all in 19 minutes.

 

[Geew1992]

 

[01Neaggrad02]

Team players do not care about who starts... they care about how the team finishes. I think that Aubrey is okay with coming off the bench. Her back issues were a concern, and this could be part of the reason, but also getting Azzi started is going to be a huge help to this team. I agree with what people are saying about Aubrey and Caroline being the type of player that can go in and play pretty much any position. I am curious what next year will bring, since we will be losing Lou and Dorka.... I would feel comfortable with Aubrey getting one of those positions and the other obviously being Paige....

What a great team effort, and what an amazing performance from Aubrey!!!