Kara's Best Ever Huskies

[huskyd]

Kara Wolters, who does the UConn pre/post game shows for SNY, was asked to pick and order the 4 best Husky players of all-time. Don't know why this came up just now, but Kara's picks are: 4. Bre; 3. Sue; 2. Maya; 1. Dee. Criteria? Really none given except generalities like "most athletic," "great competitor," etc.
I think the wrong question was asked. If you really want to know how people feel about the quality of an athlete, ask: If you were starting a team from scratch, and you could select any ONE Husky, past or present, who would that player be? IMO, the hands down choice would be Stewart, the most versatile player ever to don the blue and white (and gray). I'll stop here and run for cover.

 

[Suebird10fan]

I'm with you. Before this year it was debatable. But with Bre's unique set of skills in all phases of the game along with a desire to win that at least matches others on the list, I think it's a pretty easy call.

 

[rbny1]

I think she was asked to pick the 5 best, and she chose Lobo at #5, in addition to the selections at 1 through 4 as you stated. At least that's the way I remember her list.

 

[reno tony]

I just can't get passed picking the GOAT. She just has some kind of IT power for me. We haven't seen Breanna have to carry a team for two years and see what she has without the best team around her. Breanna may end up being unstoppable in the WNBA, but D already is. Throw Tina Charles in with those four and I have my starting team.

 

[Wally East]

Throw Tina Charles in with those four and I have my starting team.

But why not go with UConn's best center?

 

[vtcwbuff]

One player - Taurasi no contest. As good as Stewart is, she will never accomplish what Taurasi did - especially against Tennessee.

 

[j66kicker]

I think she was asked to pick the 5 best, and she chose Lobo at #5, in addition to the selections at 1 through 4 as you stated. At least that's the way I remember her list.

Correct, she did. I agree with her top 5 picks.

 

[Kaizen]

I think Taurasi, Moore, Bird and Stewie are locked. The fifth one may vary, Lobo or Charles or ???

 

[NoelAustin]

One player - Taurasi no contest. As good as Stewart is, she will never accomplish what Taurasi did - especially against Tennessee.

No contest? Brianna has already accomplished at least what Diana did, with no opportunity to play Tennessee. If UConn had played Tennessee in the Stewart years, how would the one-sided UConn wins have made a difference?

 

[rugbymate]

If Stewie wins four NCs and another Final Four MVP I'm not sure how you could argue against her....despite the unbelievable talent she is being compared to.

 

[Goodgood]

I would take DT. She was the ONLY AA for the last 2 years from UConn while Brianna was surrounded with at least 2 each year. Breanna has more talented teammates to help her.

 

[carpe diem]

While it is fun to speculate (that's why we are here, right?) the bottom line is they are all incredible players and people who made UCONN basketball what it is today.

 

[Huskie78]

And I believe that Kara mentioned that Stewie's ranking could change. Her story is still being written.

 

[johnnyc]

One player - Taurasi no contest. As good as Stewart is, she will never accomplish what Taurasi did - especially against Tennessee.

Stewart didn't have the opportunity to play Tenn but..... Stewart has beaten ND in a final four.

 

[CL82]

If you were starting a team from scratch, and you could select any ONE Husky, past or present, who would that player be? IMO, the hands down choice would be Stewart, the most versatile player ever to don the blue and white (and gray). I'll stop here and run for cover.

I agree with you; think that is the question.

Bre has the best overall skill set, but if you are picking a team and Di is one of the choices you go with her. It doesn't matter what the sport is. Basketball, skeet, Croquet, whatever. If Di is on your team, you are probably winning.

 

[Lynx23]

Diana, Maya, and Breanna are all great players. I was initially attracted to UConn because of Diana and then along came Maya. There's no question that Diana's reputation is based at least in part on the way she dominated Tennessee during a time when Summit's team was very competitive, her skill set not withstanding. That can't be argued. What can be argued is that Maya never had the same opportunity and Breanna likely won't as well, unless she happens to face a comparatively weak Tennessee team in the playoffs. Diana was (is) great but I still think Maya is the best player to put on a UConn uniform. Breanna can still change my mind. Sure, it can be argued that Diana won three WCBB championships to Maya's two, and that she was surrounded by less talented players her Junior and Senior years than Maya, but she also didn't have to content with the powerhouses Notre Dame, Baylor, and Stanford, etc. would become. Considering all of her championships at every level and in every country for which she has played, Maya may go down in history as the best women's basketball player the planet has ever seen, and her story is still being written. Anyway, I'm not taking anything away from any of these great players. I do believe, though, that if Breanna should win four WCBB championships and another MVP in the Finals, she would deserve to be called the "best ever" at UCONN and perhaps the best WCBB ever.

 

[UcMiami]

I just can't get passed picking the GOAT. She just has some kind of IT power for me. We haven't seen Breanna have to carry a team for two years and see what she has without the best team around her. Breanna may end up being unstoppable in the WNBA, but D already is. Throw Tina Charles in with those four and I have my starting team.

That is sort of like saying you can't pick Wayne Gretzky as the greatest hockey player ever, because look at the teammates he got to play with, or excluding all Yankees from you ballot because their teams were always loaded, or Jordan and Russell weren't that good, look at the teams around them.

I always felt Crockett and Strother and Conlon didn't get enough credit for carrying DT to her final too NCs!

 

[vtcwbuff]

I'll be rooting for Stewart to get a 4th ring and to break all sorts of records along the way, but you can't just look at stats alone. Taurasi brought so much more to the game and don't discount the entertainment value. Whether she was punching something orange, popping her jersey, telling some Duke(?) fans to ring her up, or mussing up Auriemma's hair, she was always something to watch.

 

[johnnyc]

Breanna has more talented teammates to help her.

Of course you could also say.....her teammates had a very talented Breanna Stewart to help them.

 

[Goodgood]

Of course you could also say.....her teammates had a very talented Breanna Stewart to help them.

But her teammates are not selected for best ever...

 

[reno tony]

That is sort of like saying you can't pick Wayne Gretzky as the greatest hockey player ever, because look at the teammates he got to play with, or excluding all Yankees from you ballot because their teams were always loaded, or Jordan and Russell weren't that good, look at the teams around them.

I always felt Crockett and Strother and Conlon didn't get enough credit for carrying DT to her final too NCs!

I think it is more like implying that Breanna hasn't had to struggle as the one who has to carry the team... unless you think she has. I didn't say she couldn't... just that she hasn't had to be the go to player. No disrespect to Stewie,, but you aren't going to imply that DT's last two championship teams are equivalent in skill levels to Stewart's. Stewie might be end up being the GOAT, but I don't think she is there yet. By the way, was your choice Breanna or did you just have a problem with my logic?

 

[Sonny44]

I just can't get passed picking the GOAT. She just has some kind of IT power for me. We haven't seen Breanna have to carry a team for two years and see what she has without the best team around her. Breanna may end up being unstoppable in the WNBA, but D already is. Throw Tina Charles in with those four and I have my starting team.

Are you kidding? As a freshman Breanna carried her team to the NC.

 

[reno tony]

Are you kidding? As a freshman Breanna carried her team to the NC.

Dolson, Hartley, KML, Moriah, Tuck, Stokes? I think they were there as well. She didn't carry anyone, led, maybe, but carry, no.

 

[Wally East]

Breanna in '13 and DT in '03 from the Sweet 16 on.

16
BS: 17 pts, 8 reb, 4 blk
DT: 26 pts, 12 reb, 1 assist

8
BS: 21 pts, 4 reb, 3 blk
DT: 21 pts, 6 reb, 3 assists

4
BS: 29 pts, 5 reb, 4 blk
DT: 26 pts, (I couldn't find a boxscore for this game)

2
BS: 23 pts, 9, reb, 3 blk
DT: 28 pts, 4 reb, 1 assist

Both were the team's leading scorer each game. The semi, ND and Texas, were the toughest games.

 

[NoelAustin]

I would take DT. She was the ONLY AA for the last 2 years from UConn while Brianna was surrounded with at least 2 each year. Breanna has more talented teammates to help her.

Your point is only part of an argument. Diana was the only AA on the UConn teams of her last two years. But the teams that they beat in the championship games each had only one AA on them. And counting the number of AAs is not a precise metric for measuring team quality. Ann Strother and Barbara Turner, for example, were outstanding players without whose contributions UConn would have fewer championship banners.