I Really Want To Know The Unknowable About Losing

[RockyMTblue2]

As a fan I can accept that this team lost. But, at the same time, I did want them to achieve a championship and cement their identity in the history of women's college sports. They overachieved until we all decided that it was pretty much a given that they'd win a Nattie; then poof!

Truth, this team was good enough to win it all. So, while we fans reconcile ourselves to the loss, I'm wondering how each of them is dealing with it. How do I want them to feel? Not too bad, because I have a special fondness for this group of young women who gave us such a great ride as fans. But, at the same time, I want them to wake up every day and have that jarring reality hit once again: we lost. And I want the next thought to be: never again. But, then, I am an insatiable Huskies fan and may contemplate too big a burden for our players.

What do you think? Should our players have a fire in their bellies until they quench it with the WCBB Holy Grail? Or would such a feeling actually be counterproductive? After all, what is the group cheer that they give before coming out of the locker room? It ends with have fun. Well, now our group of elite athletes know that losing is not fun, not fun at all. I know what I want them to feel. Do you? Can you express it?

 

[geneticrex]

One word: Fire.

 

[Sonny44]

As a fan I can accept that this team lost. But, at the same time, I did want them to achieve a championship and cement their identity in the history of women's college sports. They overachieved until we all decided that it was pretty much a given that they'd win a Nattie; then poof!

Truth, this team was good enough to win it all. So, while we fans reconcile ourselves to the loss, I'm wondering how each of them is dealing with it. How do I want them to feel? Not too bad, because I have a special fondness for this group of young women who gave us such a great ride as fans. But, at the same time, I want them to wake up every day and have that jarring reality hit once again: we lost. And I want the next thought to be: never again. But, then, I am an insatiable Huskies fan and may contemplate too big a burden for our players.

What do you think? Should our players have a fire in their bellies until they quench it with the WCBB Holy Grail? Or would such a feeling actually be counterproductive? After all, what is the group cheer that they give before coming out of the locker room? It ends with have fun. Well, now our group of elite athletes know that losing is not fun, not fun at all. I know what I want them to feel. Do you? Can you express it?

It's just a game Rocky. No regrets mate; a new start now.

 

[HoopsFan21]

They overachieved until we all decided that it was pretty much a given that they'd win a Nattie; then poof!

This was the biggest punch in the gut. I wouldn't have cared as much if they lost a couple of games in the regular season, but the way they were handling top teams throughout the season with a workmanlike demeanor as if it was no big deal is what made me really believe this team was going undefeated and winning it all again. When some of the top threats went home early in March, I was 99% sure it was a done deal. All they had to do was get by a team they beat by 60 the previous year, and then face South Carolina who they had already comfortably beaten just six weeks earlier. Miss St. played the game of their life and it was their time as evidenced by winning the game on a buzzer beater in OT. Sometimes that's just the way it is in sports whether it's pouring in 10 3s without missing or knocking in the game winner at the buzzer. I'm hoping next year the team plays like a hornets nest accidentally run over by a lawn mower. I don't care what fans of other teams think, but I hope they have the fire to want to win every single game by 60. As far as the players themselves life goes on. They will enjoy a month of home cooking before returning for the first summer session where they will be joined by a quartet of reinforcements.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I'm hoping next year the team plays like a hornets nest accidentally run over by a lawn mower.

Very good. Wouldn't that be swell. Take nothing for granted. Take no prisoners. Sympathy for the vanquished: forget about it.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Very good. Wouldn't that be swell. Take nothing for granted. Take no prisoners. Sympathy for the vanquished: forget about it.

Or as Geno calls it a Roman campaign.

 

[bags27]

there are us fans, and then there are the players who are living their own lives.

 

[Kaizen]

It does hurt me but not as bad as when we lost to Stanford in 2014.

Our girls had given us too many surprises and joys since last November. They also had carried such high pressure that I once thought it is not fair and healthy to them.

You cannot keep winning forever and a good correction is good for our girls and us. Then, we can start from fresh to next level. ....................jmho

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

This was the biggest punch in the gut. I wouldn't have cared as much if they lost a couple of games in the regular season, but the way they were handling top teams throughout the season with a workmanlike demeanor as if it was no big deal is what made me really believe this team was going undefeated and winning it all again. When some of the top threats went home early in March, I was 99% sure it was a done deal. All they had to do was get by a team they beat by 60 the previous year, and then face South Carolina who they had already comfortably beaten just six weeks earlier. Miss St. played the game of their life and it was their time as evidenced by winning the game on a buzzer beater in OT. Sometimes that's just the way it is in sports whether it's pouring in 10 3s without missing or knocking in the game winner at the buzzer. I'm hoping next year the team plays like a hornets nest accidentally run over by a lawn mower. I don't care what fans of other teams think, but I hope they have the fire to want to win every single game by 60. As far as the players themselves life goes on. They will enjoy a month of home cooking before returning for the first summer session where they will be joined by a quartet of reinforcements.

I don't think anyone has a problem with the team wanting to win every game by 60. Or for almost any other team, wanting to win every game (regardless of whether or not it is likely).

That said, I see 2 clear differences between some programs (team and fans) and others. Some programs have that constant fire on the "front burner" and some fans burn for their team to have success - as can be seen by this thread.

Others, and it is "my" category, are much more laid back. We strongly want our team(s) to win, get upset when they lose when they shouldn't (more common for non-UConn fans), and while we want our team to have the fire to win, we prefer it "under control".

And as I say, you can watch teams across sports and pretty much categorize them.

 

[Wally East]

I just want them all to be happy and have fun playing basketball. Now, "fun" doesn't necessarily equal "easy" and in this case, I'm sure it almost never equals easy. But, still, fun.

I want them to wake up every day feeling like they gave it their best this past season and feeling like they'll work hard to give it their best this coming season because that's what they'll enjoy doing.

That's it. That's all I want for them. They're actual, real people. Why would I want anything else for them?

 

[meyers7]

Very good. Wouldn't that be swell. Take nothing for granted. Take no prisoners. Sympathy for the vanquished: forget about it.

Conan knows what is best in life.

 

[Hongster]

I'm still leaking my wound

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I'm still leaking my wound

Remember "The Fan" Hongster. Bind up that wound.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Every year in Sept. the only thing I want from UCONN WBB is stay healthy, no injuries or major sickness all season!
Then if that happens let the chips fall where they may. They don't have to win it all for me to be proud of my Huskies!
I hated that they lost but not as much as I thought I would as this team over achieved from day #1 and gave us so many awesome memories! What does hurt, yes Miss St played the game of their lives and that being said the Huskies lost the game the Bulldogs didn't defeat UCONN, our team had more than enough chances to pull the game out in the 4th period and didn't perform, missed layups, foul shots, etc! They hadn't done that all season! And if they did perform as normal and defeated Miss St, they would have beaten SoCar by 30+ points in the Championship game as match-ups were in UCONN's favor!
UCONN WBB is a different animal from other schools/programs in the sense that they pride themselves on playing 100% at all times and out-working their opponents in both practice and games and vs MSU they didn't live up to their standards! So I want it to hurt deep inside everyone, everyday, and make them want to run, weight lift & practice their skills, every single day either individually or as a group/team!
Geno has always said to win the Championship the team first has to lose and suffer a set-back and become determined that that is never going to happen again! To Geno the loss to ND in 2001 directly led to the fantastic season in 2002 as a perfect example!
There's a great story of either of the 2003 or 2004 season where UCONN's only loss all season was to Villanova in the Big East Final at Rutgers, then DT led the team to the FF and the Championship! At the post season fan get together to honor the team CD was talking to a big time donor before the ceremony and he said, "The girls had a pretty good season, and CD answered what do you mean pretty good, we won the NCAA Title! And the fan replied, yes but you did lose to Villanova!"

 

[Tenspro2002]

Very good. Wouldn't that be swell. Take nothing for granted. Take no prisoners. Sympathy for the vanquished: forget about it.

I hope they come back pissed off and itching for the season to start. That's how I feel, anyway.

 

[terif831]

How do I want them to feel? I don't think that's important at all. What's important is how do THEY want to feel - I mean, each one, individually. Because they are individuals, after all, even if they work tremendously as a basketball unit. And they are, each one, going to take this experience differently, assimilate it differently, use it differently. My hope, and my wish, is that however each one assimilates it and uses it, that she does so in a way that helps herself to grow, and mature, each in her own individual way, basketball-wise and not basketball-wise.
In the last HBO show, after the loss, Geno said that the team found out what real life was like that day. I think that's exactly right. In real life, no matter how talented you are and no matter how hard you work, you will not be the "winner" EVERY TIME. "Losing," whether you're talking about a game or any other aspect of life in which you're used to being the constant winner, changes your perspective. You have to come to terms with it and deal with it, and you have to decide how to use it going forward. Can one ever say losing is a "good" experience? Maybe that's the wrong word...but it can certainly be a "growth" experience. It's on each one of them what to make of it.