Slate Article: The UConn Women’s Basketball Dynasty Is Over

[StarMan]

The UConn Women’s Basketball Dynasty Is Over

 

[Orangutan]

*cowers under desk*

I predict that many Boneyarders may not be happy with the writer of this particular opinion piece.

 

[Sonny44]

Just more incentive for Geno.

 

[UconnWBB]

While I may not totally agree with its premise, it was a very fascinating read...thank you!!

 

[Roundball fan]

I thought it was a good article, very true except I don't think Geno is going to retire. My feeling is that after Tuesday he will take a little time to reflect on the season, then start thinking what he has to do for next year. Oh he also has the Olympic team to coach. I believe in Geno and CD, should be a very interesting season next year.

 

[GoUconn7961]

I don't think it's anything that hasn't crossed the minds of dedicated fans. At least I never thought we'd go on like this forever..

 

[UConnCat]

It's one thing for sportswriters who don't follow wbb to weigh in on the UConn dynasty, but quite another for an obscure chicago law professor to chime in. I imagine Slate was looking to join the fray and Bronsteen stepped up. Looks like he scoured some message boards for some of his information.

 

[Bgillon]

*cowers under desk*

I predict that many Boneyarders may not be happy with the writer of this particular opinion piece.

On the contrary. I think it is a well written, objective analysis of UCONN and other strong programs. I hope Stewie and friends win their 4th tomorrow night and then next year let's see how Geno does coaching the new group.

 

[UcMiami]

Really good read and there is no question that the next year(s) are going to be very different in WCBB.
For 3+ years we have had a team with three first team AA quality players and sometimes four, with very good supporting cast as well.
2013 Stewart was not an AA her freshman year but she was better than just a first team AA in her freshman NCAA run to go with Dolson and KML (and Faris and Hartley
2014 Stewart, Dolson, Hartley (and KML and Moriah)
2015 Stewart, KML, Moriah (and Tuck and Nurse and Stokes)
2016 Stewart, Moriah, Tuck (and Nurse and Samuelson, and Williams and Collier)

In most of the last three of those years and in the first year NCAA we had the NPOY quality player not just first team AA quality. And we also had finalists or winners of Lieberman and DPOY players. That combined with great coaching and great team work is the definition of a dominant team.

To look at next year and not recognize a huge shift in the team make-up would be blindness. Is there a lot of talent on the team, certainly. Can Gabby, Lou, and Napheesa become AAs, can Danger become a Lieberman or Staley winner, can Butler become a Hamblin or Dolson, can Irwin and Bent become special, can Chong or Ekmark blossom like Maria did when Sue left, yes to all those questions, but ...
The team returning next year most closely resembles the team that came back in 2005 or 2011 than any team since that year - if Tuck does return, then it more closely resembles the team that returned in 2003 or in 2010. In either case, it does not resemble the team that returned at the start of this season or the ones that returned in the prior two years.

On Edit: The operative word in the last paragraph is 'can' - all of those things can happen - in the previous years most of those qualities were already known quantities.

And just a reminder - before this current stretch, there were only two years in NCAA history that had three first team AAs on a single team - 2002 Uconn, and late 1990s TN. That is a huge collection of talent on a single team that is very rare.

 

[Husky25]

I don't watch much Women's basketball (really only when UConn is playing a top 10 team), but these types of columns are somewhat aggravating and should be to any sports fan, let alone a UConn women's basketball fan.

If there’s one thing Auriemma hasn’t done, it’s win a title without a transcendent player. The next few years will present that opportunity. While Samuelson is terrific, she reminds me more of a complementary star like Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis rather than a transformational talent like Taurasi, Moore, or Stewart or a national player of the year like Lobo or Bird. All UConn will have, then, is one of the greatest coaches ever in any sport, and a group of players excellent enough to contend—not dominate, but contend—every year. Could Auriemma squeeze a national championship out of those teams? I’d love to find out, but he might not feel the same way.

Having guided this graduating class to a perfect four national titles, and looking ahead to a major rebuilding project, the 62-year-old coach could see this as a perfect opportunity to retire. Or perhaps he could take on a new challenge, like coaching men.

OH NO!! UConn might lose 4 games next year but still reach the Final 4!! Auriemma should retire. He doesn't want to take on THAT challenge!!

Equally baffling is the notion that, especially at age 62, Auriemma should go coach men's basketball. Despite the similar sounding name, they are two different games and the players have vastly different personalities and attitudes. Having Geno Auriemma coaching Mens Basketball is loosely akin to asking Jürgen Klinsmann to call plays for Tom Brady.

 

[ctdad]

This particular, absolutely dominating phase of the dynasty may well be over come Wednesday morning, but I would not predict an overall end. In many ways, this year's UConn team can be likened to UCLA in 1969 (the year Alcindor/Abdul-Jabbar graduated). Bill Walton would not play in his first NCAA tournament until 1972. UCLA was not as dominating in 1970 or 1971 as they had been during the Jabbar years or would be in the Walton years, but at the end of both the 1970 and 1971 tournaments they still were called NCAA champs.

Next year 4 or 5 teams have a reasonable shot at the title. That doesn't mean in the end that the Huskies don't cut down the nets again, but teams have a legit shot at knocking them off.

This year, the title really has always been UConn's to lose. They were not going to be beaten, the only way someone else wins this year is if UConn plays it's absolute worst game of the seniors' 4 year careers coupled with a lights out performance by their opponent (you might have better odds winning the lottery). And even that might not be enough.

 

[meyers7]

I don't see Geno retiring while he still has a contract. I think when he retires it'll be after his contract is up. (not necessarily the current contract, but who knows?)

Hope the writer is wrong about Walker too.

 

[JimGunther]

Article was OK - just OK. It's what you do with the talent you've got that matters.
I like our chances
"Red flag in front of the bull" for me is the insinuation that coaching men would be the be the culmination of his career.

 

[GiladKatzDeli]

So long as all of our games are televised and the fan base is as passionate as it is, we'll contend for a national championship on an (almost) annual basis, no matter what.

 

[winlots]

Am among those who thought that this was very well done and very much on target -- BUT, I had a BIG problem with his slipping in the smelly red herring (in my view) about Coach riding off into the sunset. That kind of stuff is just fodder for other desperate coaches to quote to recruits and it detracts from both the piece and the author.....outa bounds off him!

(Did like the challenge he put our there for Coach.)

 

[HoopsHoppy]

Think the writer might be wrong in evaluation of Lou as well - Think she has the skills, physical prowess, determination and focus to absorb the UConn teaching and coaching and attain the "star" level that is her potential.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I didn't read it and I won't. Why would anyone in their right mind go to Slate for a sports opinion on anyone or anything.

 

[UcMiami]

I didn't read it and I won't. Why would anyone in their right mind go to Slate for a sports opinion on anyone or anything.

I actually recommend you do - it is quite well written. Are there a few gems that will annoy - sure, but otherwise it is good.

 

[Henry]

Dynasty #1 was 2000-2004. Dynasty #2 was 2009-2016. Dynasty #3?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I actually recommend you do - it is quite well written. Are there a few gems that will annoy - sure, but otherwise it is good.

Knew it. You are the devil!

 

[Fishy]

"The UConn dynasty is over...."

*wins championship 24 hours later*

".....completely over, I tells you!"

All righty.

 

[Kevin G]

This was a good article. Truthful and factual. He calls it like he sees it. There may be some fans who hate this because there may be truth to what he sees and it is hard to accept it. UCONN will have a down year next year. He is right about ND, South Carolina, Baylor, and Texas. Heck, I'll even throw in Maryland. UCONN needs to catch up on the recruiting end like he did after Maya graduated. Like it or not, that's the truth.

 

[JoePgh]

I think the article's assessment of the national scene in WCBB next year is very accurate. Whereas UConn has had dominant talent for at least the last 3 years (if not 4), it will not have that next year. It will be "another" Top 10 team with some very good players, but no more and no better than several other teams' players.

As a fan, I think that will make for some major interest. It will be like the 2011 and 2012 days when UConn and Notre Dame were about equal in talent, so it became a contest in generalship between Geno and Muffitt, and a contest in execution between the players on the two teams. Notre Dame was just a bit better, but enough to give them a 7-2 record against UConn in that period of time -- even though I suspect that UConn scored more points than ND over those 9 games.

Next year, it won't be just the Irish -- there will be Terps / Cardinals / Gamecocks / Bears / Longhorns and maybe western Cardinal to make things interesting. (Stanford will have McCall and the rebounding Samuelson to make life interesting in the NCAA tournament if the teams should meet.) If Tennessee's late season renaissance proves to be more than a flash in the pan, there may also be Vols. UConn will have a number of close games and probably a few losses, but they will still contend for the NC.

Next year will give us as UConn fans a chance to see whether coaching, effort, and execution can make up for a certain deficiency in talent, and how far that approach can go. My prediction is that only Notre Dame will have enough of talent + generalship + execution to defeat UConn, among all of those contenders. But it will be interesting to see it play out.

 

[BroadwayVa]

The UConn Women’s Basketball Dynasty Is Over

This particular dynasty is over, i.e. the one with Stewie, Tuck, Moriah. That is true. After DT the recruiting wasn't great--that too is true.
Geno recruited Swiss Cheese in Samuelson, Collier, Gabby, Nurse, Butler, Dangerfield, and a few others for next year--one is the daughter of a coach and a solid 6 ft 1.
Aja Wilson is a good player, who was taken out of her game by a 7th ranked team--how well does that speak for USC?? Notre Dame, like Baylor was taken out of the NCAA tourney by much lessor teams! what does that say about them, and parity.
But with the Swiss Cheese Geno has around for next year--even I who worries when blowout are only 30 points in the forth quarter--see's Geno fielding a final 4 team next year. Will he go 39 and 0 next year?? Without a crystal ball anyone would be a fool to say he won't. Fear not UConn will still make even me happy next year..

 

[BroadwayVa]

This was a good article. Truthful and factual. He calls it like he sees it. There may be some fans who hate this because there may be truth to what he sees and it is hard to accept it. UCONN will have a down year next year. He is right about ND, South Carolina, Baylor, and Texas. Heck, I'll even throw in Maryland. UCONN needs to catch up on the recruiting end like he did after Maya graduated. Like it or not, that's the truth.

3Please define a "down year" next year for UConn?? Is that only getting to the final 4, or a 38 and 1, or 25 and 10.
Next years team has a whole lot more talent than the team (after DT) spoken about in the article. If you don't think a healthy Katie Lou, Collier, Gabby, Dangerfield, Nurse, Butler, et al, will do more than their fair share of NCAA damage--think again. I respect your opinion and even the Article was some what fair but it appears you too are speaking apples and ball bearing (no banana's) ND, USC, Baylor, Tx, Md, maybe Duke,Tn will be good, as usual but Uconn isn't devoid of talent--and the X factor (if you don't know what that is ask Mrs Aurimema (sp))