Post Game — Post Mortem...

[hipressure]

Geno's post game comments really summed it up "At this time of year in the final four there are great teams, but it is great players that win games." for the the past 2 seasons now we have lacked that great player that we have become so accustomed to having on our team. The Stewies. The Maya's. The Taurasi's. The Lobo's etc. We have a great team without a doubt but we don't have " That" player! That special player that wants the ball in tough situations. That player that knows how to breakdown defenders and dribble drive to the basket. Will one of our 2 new recruits fit the bill? We will have to wait and see. Megan sure didn't live up to the hype, at least not yet.

I honestly thought Azura should have started the second half, I was really surprised that she didn't. It really seem to completely destroy the momentum we had in the 2nd quarter. Oh well, I love my Huskies anyway. It was another great season with another disappointing ending. I really hope we can recruit one or two great players again to go along with our usually great team. Go Huskies!

 

[uconnfan68]

Honestly, I put this one on the coach. Z in the lineup gave you the momentum and the lead in the 2nd Q. You then go back to the same lineup that led to the problem to begin with in the 3rd. Kept Z out until your lead dissipates before bringing her in. Geno's record speaks for itself so I am by no means questioning his overall coaching chops. I am just questioning a particular decision. At this stage, coaching to the situation and not to a set in stone mindset is crucial. Situational coaching is not one of Geno's forte imho.

ND’s inside passing torched Z more than a few times. I think McCowan has a field day.

 

[Plebe]

IMO, what they really need is to be in a better conference so they experience more competitive games. The AAC sucks and while Geno does the best he can to schedule top out of conference competition, it causes most of the tougher games to be earlier in the season rather than later. IMO When UConn gets to the NCAA tournament, they don't really know how good they need to to compete against be against the toughest competition in the nation.

The conference has absolutely nothing to do with it.

 

[ScarlettB]

The conference has absolutely nothing to do with it.

OK. Then that means that straight up ND was just better than UConn. I don't know that I think that is really true..

 

[NoelAustin]

If last year didn't make us hungry enough to play with a killer instinct, what difference will this make?

Lou is one year away from being the best UConn player to not play in a national championship game. I hope that's enough motivation.

 

[Plebe]

OK. Then that means that straight up ND was just better than UConn. I don't know that I think that is really true..

Notre Dame was the better team tonight when it counted most. Close game, could have gone either way, but they were better. They were very nearly the better team when they played in December as well. UConn found a way to win that game, but not tonight. It happens.

 

[HoopsFan21]

We played absolutely every body. I mean hell we would play 3 top 25 teams in a week at the start of the season where one of them included flying cross country and then playing at a weird time on a day's rest. We went two months between true home games, and three months between back to back home games. Come on with this conference/schedule crap. GO. LOOK. AT. OUR. SCHEDULE. Jesus. The only way the schedule could have been tougher is if they played every single game on the road against WNBA teams. These P5 people can't get over themselves and the fact that their leagues suck as much as ours outside of the one or two top teams. Yeah it would be great if we were in the ACC or SEC or B1G, but that would just mean our conference championship trophy would look a little different than it does now.

 

[housekeys]

OK. Then that means that straight up ND was just better than UConn. I don't know that I think that is really true..

Yes, that was true tonight. ND was better. No, I also do not think conference has anything to do with the loss.

 

[RogueDave]

Nothing diminishes this season, it was Awesome! Again!

Insufficient Bench Was a much discussed weakness...today showed this again...Having some size and physical presence to counteract Shepard would have really helped...An additional skilled guard would have been huge as well...

4th foul on Lou doomed us...allowed ND to score unopposed, just drive against Lou...Teams this closely matched it really swung the outcome...

It Isnt Just The Resting Of The Starters...

It Is Not Being Able To Bring In Players That Have The Ability To Impact The Game With Different Skill Sets or Size or Physicality...

We have not had that luxury for the past couple seasons...

 

[Flyegirl]

I honestly thought Azura should have started the second half, I was really surprised that she didn't. It really seem to completely destroy the momentum we had in the 2nd quarter.

Bingo! My thoughts exactly.

 

[ScarlettB]

We played absolutely every body. I mean hell we would play 3 top 25 teams in a week at the start of the season where one of them included flying across country and then playing at a weird time on a day's rest. We went two months between true on campus home games, and three months between back to back home games. Come on with this conference/schedule crap. GO. LOOK. AT. OUR. SCHEDULE. Jesus. The only way the schedule could have been tougher is if they played every single game on the road against WNBA teams. These P5 people can't get over themselves and the fact that their leagues suck as much as ours outside of the one or two top teams. Yeah it would be great if we were in the ACC or SEC or B1G, but that would just mean our conference championship trophy would look a little different than it does now.

I know you can't do anything about your conference affiliation, but I really wish you were in a better conference. Even though Geno schedules the best OOC opponents he can, it still leaves you somewhat untested at the end of the season and you then only face substantial competition when you get to the later rounds of the NCAA tournament. UConn seems to have a lot of problem in games that go to OT. This game was no exception.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Seems UCONN loses their instinctive edge in overtimes.

LOL

 

[ASweet3781]

If last year didn't make us hungry enough to play with a killer instinct, what difference will this make?

Not only that, but if we couldn't beat ND without their injured players, what's gonna happen when they return them?

Sorry but maybe it's still the shock but I don't think people realize how devastating this loss is. ND will be better than us going forward. This may have been our last best hope in a while.

 

[VivaLsVgs]

There’s always hope.....remember when Louisville took down Baylor. No one saw that coming.

I admit I was dismayed when they showed ND’s lineup and they have no Seniors....yikes!

 

[Golden Husky]

"For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: 'It might have been!'"
--John Greenleaf Whittier

 

[boontonbomber]

pressure, pressure, pressure. ND had nothing to lose, UConn had everything to lose, and they played "not to lose" from the beginning. had that good second quarter, where they played their game, but that was it. painful to watch, but it's really,really hard not to press when you're undefeated, most expect you to win, and then they had to have had last year's game on their minds. that said, I wish our best player, and scorer, had taken more than 3 shots in the second half and overtime. how did that happen?

 

[HoopsFan21]

I know you can't do anything about your conference affiliation, but I really wish you were in a better conference. Even though Geno schedules the best OOC opponents he can, it still leaves you somewhat untested at the end of the season and you then only face substantial competition when you get to the later rounds of the NCAA tournament. UConn seems to have a lot of problem in games that go to OT. This game was no exception.

We literally just played Louisville and South Carolina six weeks ago at the end of our regular season. You know the two teams that won the ACC and SEC tournaments? Both were down 20-30 in the first half. Do you really think the best teams in America improved appreciably in that time? Everyone wants to keep making it about the conference. UConn is what 36-13 against ND now? And 15-0 against Louisville? And 528-0 against toughest league in America SEC champ South Carolina? Like I said the only thing that will make the conference whores happy is if we played WNBA teams instead of Tulsa and Memphis in conference.

 

[wyo angel]

Not only that, but if we couldn't beat ND without their injured players, what's gonna happen when they return them?

Sorry but maybe it's still the shock but I don't think people realize how devastating this loss is. ND will be better than us going forward. This may have been our last best hope in a while.

Devastating? DEVASTATING???

Absolutely not!

UConn, Geno and our players have helped women’s college basketball go from merely being a game to being a REAL and RESPECTED sport.

A sport worthy of watching.
A sport worthy of air time.
A sport more people
write about
attend in person
watch on tv
and speak about
than was done 5 years ago.


So no, this loss is not devastating. At least not IMHO. There’s a much bigger picture here.

 

[Charliebball]

I guess UConn WBB is now the lovable loser so the media can get off of Geno's case.............somehow I don't think so............they simply don't get the fact that the only thing that matters to UConn is the NC...........going undefeated in the regular season doesn't mean a damn thing without that.........

 

[ASweet3781]

Devastating? DEVASTATING???

Absolutely not!

UConn, Geno and our players have helped women’s college basketball go from merely being a game to being a REAL and RESPECTED sport.

A sport worthy of watching.
A sport worthy of air time.
A sport more people
write about
attend in person
watch on tv
and speak about
than was done 5 years ago.


So no, this loss is not devastating. At least not IMHO. There’s a much bigger picture here.

Eh that was fine last year. Not this year. Not to Notre Dame. Sorry this was a huge missed opportunity that will haunt for some time.

 

[trb123]

To win another NC, Geno should have had the sense to hand this team over to Dillon after 1Q or earlier.

 

[Bleed Blue-XY]

Anytime we go to overtime nowadays a sense of dread creeps in.

 

[Charliebball]

looking at the final stats..........UConn shot a better percentage of two and three pointers yet lost the game.......don't see that happen very often

 

[HoopsFan21]

Anytime we go to overtime nowadays a sense of dread creeps in.

If the lead is under 15 with 2:00 to go in the 3rd a sense of dread should creep in.

 

[AussieHusky]

Nothing diminishes this season, it was Awesome! Again!

Insufficient Bench Was a much discussed weakness...today showed this again...Having some size and physical presence to counteract Shepard would have really helped...An additional skilled guard would have been huge as well...

4th foul on Lou doomed us...allowed ND to score unopposed, just drive against Lou...Teams this closely matched it really swung the outcome...

It Isnt Just The Resting Of The Starters...

It Is Not Being Able To Bring In Players That Have The Ability To Impact The Game With Different Skill Sets or Size or Physicality...

We have not had that luxury for the past couple seasons...

Nothing diminishes this season, it was Awesome! Again!

Insufficient Bench Was a much discussed weakness...today showed this again...Having some size and physical presence to counteract Shepard would have really helped...An additional skilled guard would have been huge as well...

4th foul on Lou doomed us...allowed ND to score unopposed, just drive against Lou...Teams this closely matched it really swung the outcome...

It Isnt Just The Resting Of The Starters...

It Is Not Being Able To Bring In Players That Have The Ability To Impact The Game With Different Skill Sets or Size or Physicality...

We have not had that luxury for the past couple seasons...

Agreed with you....but would add a question...
Whose fault is it that a bench was not developed during the season? I mean, our recruits, compare to the other schools are not "chop liver". Meg was the best HS player for a reason... can't tell me that all of a sudden she forgot how to play basketball when she got to UCONN. Batouly, inof her injuries early in the season came on really well imo later in the season. She's a big body that could have maybe change the pace a little? The downside to cultivating and sticking with a few is that the other scouts them and their tendencies well. And a smart coach such as MM can devise an effective countermeasure. Now when the skill differential is large (i.e., early rounds of the NCAA), your small, well drilled group is likely to win out. But the the playing fields are leveled (similar skilled players), it is usually a wash. So bringing in someone that the other team may not have scouted (especially if they are limited such as ND was tonight), you may just get that little edge... a big rebound or put back, or a foul on the other team. Megan never saw the floor...can't tell me that the UCONN scheme is so difficult that she would not have made at least one meaningful play. After all, it is only basketball. Sometimes, it does not take a scheme or mastery of the way "we" play, but just a simple one-on-one basketball. Arike's was just a simple one-on-one play, nothing more.