It’s difficult to say exactly what this team is missing byond the fact that we have some (quite a few) players that simply don’t seem able to step up under big pressure! Paige used to be the bestI’ve ever seen at it! I think she still has that in even though she has been struggling ltely. Let’s face it, what lost us the Tenn. game was very simple. We could not make any shots! Why? That is the big question that needs to be answered going forward. Obviously, Tennessee’s pressure had something (a lot?, a little?) to do with it. However, we had multiple open threes and layups that simply clanked off the rim.
The question is; did we simply have a bad shooting night, or were our players so rattled from the pressure, the “big game” atmosphere, that they tightened up and changed their shot? It is an important question because our potential (basketball) future essentially will likely be determined by the answer. If it was simply a bad shooting night, then we can probably live with it and work on ways to lessen those kinds of performances. If it’s the other, well, let’s just say Geno has a real problem on his hands. Are there ways to fix the yips? I don’t know.
I do know that this team woke up Friday morning with the same amount of talent as we had before the game when most of us felt fairly confident we would win. This is an enigmatic team, but clearly, we have plenty of talent to win against anyone! I feel bad for Geno, I believe he desperately wants to win a title for Paige! He has always built his coaching approach around entering the tournament with his team playing it’s best. Can he do it again? I believe so!
