Maya, DT, Sue, Tina, et al and regret!

[Phillyconn]

I agree, but they were from three separate classes and so we only saw them together for two years and only one championship.

Phillyconn - Love Morgan, and she is a little more versatile than Tina, but Tina is one of the best centers of all time with range to the top of the key by her senior year, power and speed from the free-throw line in. She certainly had fewer assist, but a lot of that was because when she got the ball she scored - with a career shooting percentage of .610!
Renee was a more prolific scorer and a very good floor general, but yeah Moriah is one of the best all time PGs
Maya/Stewart - debate rages but whichever side you come down on the margin is paper thin.
It really comes down to the greatest ever PG and a very good forward vs. the greatest ever center and a very good PG/Combo guard - pick 'em

I agree On Tina, she is the greatest ever center, by the time she was a Jr. and Sr.
Morgan was tough from the time she stepped on the campus, it seems like. Although, it's tough to argue against a career Fg % of 61%, yikes! As far as Stewie vs Maya, it is very close, however, BS, has more ways to beat you offensively. I think BS defense is slightly better than MM because of her shot blocking abilities. For those who think MM is better, make your case, I'm listening. What does she do better than BS?

 

[billnaples]

Said before will say again, we, UConn fans, are blessed beyond reasonability. Who else in WCBB can have a debate raging on over the merits of one group of NC players vs, a second group vs a third group and in many instances it comes down to opinion and not clear and undeniable facts. We have POY, DPOY, NC's and on and on. What a terriblee burden to carry.

 

[NewCorn]

I only watched the first half, so far. Mo played 7 minutes. She guarded SD. Kelis Fisher guarded KM. In those 7 minutes, SD did not score or have an assist. I remember one play, after MJ went out, where Kelis Fisher was guarding SD. SD shook Kelis Fisher, made an easy pass under the basket for an assist. SD was totally off her game that first half.
I will watch the second half.

I am a crazy MJ fan, she is the greatest. But I must say that in that 2013 FF game, SD totally outplayed the brash freshman, going by her on several occasions, stealing the ball from her, and making her foul. MJ did get some revenge by poking SD in the eye. Of course MJ had not yet become the great MO.

 

[UcMiami]

I agree On Tina, she is the greatest ever center, by the time she was a Jr. and Sr.
Morgan was tough from the time she stepped on the campus, it seems like. Although, it's tough to argue against a career Fg % of 61%, yikes! As far as Stewie vs Maya, it is very close, however, BS, has more ways to beat you offensively. I think BS defense is slightly better than MM because of her shot blocking abilities. For those who think MM is better, make your case, I'm listening. What does she do better than BS?

Shoot the three, scoring, assists, steals, shooting percentage, rebounding. You asked!
I tend to agree with you, but I really can see the arguments from both sides, as I can for DT being the best.
It really is an impossible debate between those three - each can be argued with conviction, and it just comes down to personal preference.

I liked Geno's answer - there has never been someone who has performed as well as Stewart in the NCAA tournament - 23 games of brilliance 4 NCs, 4 MOPs. Collegiate player...?, Tournament Player - Breanna.

 

[Phillyconn]

I am a crazy MJ fan, she is the greatest. But I must say that in that 2013 FF game, SD totally outplayed the brash freshman, going by her on several occasions, stealing the ball from her, and making her foul. MJ did get some revenge by poking SD in the eye. Of course MJ had not yet become the great MO.

She did not score, while MJ, as a freshman was guarding her. I think she had an assist. When MJ was in the game, Geno put her on SD. Yes, SD stole the ball from MJ, she also had 3 blocks. But on the offensive side out the ball, you can see the total frustration and despair in her face. It started in the first half and grew as the game went on. As a senior, SD went out with a whimper and MJ had a lot to do with that. I almost felt sorry for SD, I had never seen her look like that before. Same with KM and JL. JL said "I'm outa here, no Mo, no Mo, I'm going pro, I can't take no Mo".

 

[Phillyconn]

Shoot the three, scoring, assists, steals, shooting percentage, rebounding. You asked!
I tend to agree with you, but I really can see the arguments from both sides, as I can for DT being the best.
It really is an impossible debate between those three - each can be argued with conviction, and it just comes down to personal preference.

I liked Geno's answer - there has never been someone who has performed as well as Stewart in the NCAA tournament - 23 games of brilliance 4 NCs, 4 MOPs. Collegiate player...?, Tournament Player - Breanna.

Who can score in the post like Breana? Who, of the big three plays the best defense?
I think if your going to make a case for anyone of the three, tell me what they do that's better than the others. I think what BS does better is score in the post. She has more ways to beat you than the others. A lot of that has to do with length but it is what it is. She takes bigs out to the three, she posts up smaller players, close out on her and she can drive right by you and finish at the rim. You can't stop her.

 

[malevocalist#]

She did not score, while MJ, as a freshman was guarding her. I think she had an assist. When MJ was in the game, Geno put her on SD. Yes, SD stole the ball from MJ, she also had 3 blocks. But on the offensive side out the ball, you can see the total frustration and despair in her face. It started in the first half and grew as the game went on. As a senior, SD went out with a whimper and MJ had a lot to do with that. I almost felt sorry for SD, I had never seen her look like that before. Same with KM and JL. JL said "I'm outa here, no Mo, no Mo, I'm going pro, I can't take no Mo".

Ha ha ha haaaa (No Mo?) lol, ah man I am losing it over here in laughter. Ahhhhhh!!!

 

[UcMiami]

Who can score in the post like Breana? Who, of the big three plays the best defense?
I think if your going to make a case for anyone of the three, tell me what they do that's better than the others. I think what BS does better is score in the post. She has more ways to beat you than the others. A lot of that has to do with length but it is what it is. She takes bigs out to the three, she posts up smaller players, close out on her and she can drive right by you and finish at the rim. You can't stop her.

Not arguing with you, because I do believe Stewart to be the best ever, but statistically, even discounting freshman year Moore was a better scorer from three and more proficient with greater accuracy, she was better driving to the basket and shooting off screens, and she was very good posting up. She was stronger and finished better through contact. Defensively, she was a better fundamental defender and definitely a better defender on the perimeter, though she didn't have Stewarts height nor length, and she was more disruptive in passing lanes. She was a better passer with a higher assist/TO ratio.
DT was the best passer and was the best floor leader of the three - we debate between Moriah and Sue for the best PG in Uconn history, but DT really belongs in that debate as well, although she was really a combo guard. The fact that she had basically the same number of assists as Moriah while scoring 600 more points is pretty amazing and for a guard her rebounding and her blocking of shots jumps out. She is #11 in blocked shots for her career with 147.
[Stewart was a supreme help defender, as a 1 on 1 defender she was not as great - very good but not great.]
Again - they are all three great, and we have had a number of threads with people making solid arguments for each of the three - and they are solid arguments. Emphasize one aspect of the game and you can proclaim any one of them GOAT, they were all three magnificent. The comparisons are endless and the conclusions inconclusive because it is a team game against different competition and with different teammates. Too much of the game is not open to statistical analysis and the statistics available are too dependent on factors beyond the control of any individual player. Play with a teammate shooting 60% and your assists go up, play against poor defensive teams and your own shooting percent rises, play against poor offensive teams with less talented players and your defensive statistics rise.

 

[NewCorn]

She did not score, while MJ, as a freshman was guarding her. I think she had an assist. When MJ was in the game, Geno put her on SD. Yes, SD stole the ball from MJ, she also had 3 blocks. But on the offensive side out the ball, you can see the total frustration and despair in her face. It started in the first half and grew as the game went on. As a senior, SD went out with a whimper and MJ had a lot to do with that. I almost felt sorry for SD, I had never seen her look like that before. Same with KM and JL. JL said "I'm outa here, no Mo, no Mo, I'm going pro, I can't take no Mo".

SD's despair had to do with what the UConn team was doing to her team. All of the ND players were in despair. Mo's contribution in that game was minimal. If she had been as great as you say, she would have played 20 or 30 minutes rather than about ten. But I consider Mo, pound for pound and inch for inch, the best basketball player wcbb has ever seen. Kelly was a great defender, but no one has the lateral quickness of Mo, and the anticipation, judgment, and speed to go with it. Add her pull-up jumper, 3pt ability, and her skill finishing at the hoop to that and we have a player the likes of which will not be seen for quite a while.

 

[Phillyconn]

Not arguing with you, because I do believe Stewart to be the best ever, but statistically, even discounting freshman year Moore was a better scorer from three and more proficient with greater accuracy, she was better driving to the basket and shooting off screens, and she was very good posting up. She was stronger and finished better through contact. Defensively, she was a better fundamental defender and definitely a better defender on the perimeter, though she didn't have Stewarts height nor length, and she was more disruptive in passing lanes. She was a better passer with a higher assist/TO ratio.
DT was the best passer and was the best floor leader of the three - we debate between Moriah and Sue for the best PG in Uconn history, but DT really belongs in that debate as well, although she was really a combo guard. The fact that she had basically the same number of assists as Moriah while scoring 600 more points is pretty amazing and for a guard her rebounding and her blocking of shots jumps out. She is #11 in blocked shots for her career with 147.
[Stewart was a supreme help defender, as a 1 on 1 defender she was not as great - very good but not great.]
Again - they are all three great, and we have had a number of threads with people making solid arguments for each of the three - and they are solid arguments. Emphasize one aspect of the game and you can proclaim any one of them GOAT, they were all three magnificent. The comparisons are endless and the conclusions inconclusive because it is a team game against different competition and with different teammates. Too much of the game is not open to statistical analysis and the statistics available are too dependent on factors beyond the control of any individual player. Play with a teammate shooting 60% and your assists go up, play against poor defensive teams and your own shooting percent rises, play against poor offensive teams with less talented players and your defensive statistics rise.

Excellent Post! Can't argue much about what you stated. If Maya is better defensively than Stewie, that's saying a lot. I would put DT in the best pg conversation, if, we were only talking offense. MJ's defense is what puts her on top imho. I must state that I have never ever seen a better flowing offense than this years team. I think this years team was the most potent offense in history. KLS, became a force, then with Kia contributing, we were unstoppable.

 

[UcMiami]

Excellent Post! Can't argue much about what you stated. If Maya is better defensively than Stewie, that's saying a lot. I would put DT in the best pg conversation, if, we were only talking offense. MJ's defense is what puts her on top imho. I must state that I have never ever seen a better flowing offense than this years team. I think this years team was the most potent offense in history. KLS, became a force, then with Kia contributing, we were unstoppable.

I didn't actually say that! I said she was better in fundamentals - Stewart with her height and length had great recovery ability when she was beaten one on one and as a help defender she could intimidate (and block) in a way that Maya couldn't at her size. In your earlier post, you were identifying areas of Stewart's game where she was supreme, and I was just answering back in areas I thought Maya was better. For my personal ranking I have the Stewart, Maya, and DT, so I was just being devil's advocate because you made the bold challenge:
For those who think MM is better, make your case, I'm listening. What does she do better than BS?
I rose to your bait!

 

[Phillyconn]

I didn't actually say that! I said she was better in fundamentals - Stewart with her height and length had great recovery ability when she was beaten one on one and as a help defender she could intimidate (and block) in a way that Maya couldn't at her size. In your earlier post, you were identifying areas of Stewart's game where she was supreme, and I was just answering back in areas I thought Maya was better. For my personal ranking I have the Stewart, Maya, and DT, so I was just being devil's advocate because you made the bold challenge:
For those who think MM is better, make your case, I'm listening. What does she do better than BS?
I rose to your bait!

Again, thanks for excellently, stating you case, much appreciated. I agree with your rankings. Now, who is your personal favorite? I gotta say DT, because, she always fought back. We all know how certain teams tried to intimidate us, by getting overly physical. That girl was no gentleman or gentle woman? When players took liberties with DT, she would make them pay. I can remember, DT, driving to the hoop, giving a nice, vicious elbow to a defender, who was basically trying to hurt her. MM or Stewie, would never do that. Too nice. Even though letting your "play" do the talking, is considered the classy thing to do, when teams are trying to roughhouse our girls. I'm a hockey fan, so when DT, would fight back and get angry about other teams, getting toooo physical with our girls, I loved it. She is a true warrior. That is why she is my personal favorite.

 

[UcMiami]

Oh my - OK, more bait in the water!
For personality amongst the big three - absolutely DT - fire and sass and attitude and a wicked sense of humor. She is the most entertaining interview in the women's game (except of course Geno.)

A few others:
1. For sheer joy and boundless energy - Moriah - unmatched in all my years of following the team.
2. For poetry in motion - we defer to the Russian judges - Sveta
3. For power in motion - Maya
4. For strength - Tina
5. For making it all look effortless - Breanna