There is always pressure on UConn players. No program is under more scrutiny. And god forbid Paige does not excel in her home state, haters will come out from under their rocks.
Well said, she is classy and is a terrific recruiter. The recruiting battles between her and Geno are well known. That being said, it was quite apparent at the handshake that they do not like each other. Unfortunately it has been that way for many years.
I have to disagree. There was no way they were overconfident. Confident yes and rightfully so. They were defending national champions and like so many previous UConn teams coming in to a final four, had earned that level of confidence. I think the Stanford players frustration or disbelief ensued from their inability to “turn it on” much like they had all year. Part of it was UConn’s dedication to making it difficult for them to execute their offense early in each possession, taking time off the clock, thus forcing them into shots their normally efficient offense avoids.
The idea of 5’10” Nika replacing 6’5” Dorka is absolutely unfathomable. Except that’s exactly what happened, at least on the boards. Clearly Nika doesn’t know she’s short and has no concept of size or the limitations her lack of size would normally impose on her. What a remarkable competitor!!!
This year's team is the classic example of the sum of the parts being greater than the whole. No one individual player is responsible for this end-of-year run. Every player has deficiencies and flaws. Multiple different players have been the one to step up when it was most needed. On paper most impartial prognosticators would say NC State, Stanford and SC would all be favored vs. UConn. Yet here we are.
She refers to Liv as Nelson-Odi...
I was surprised, too. He did a long hug and chat with the NC State coach.
She was also in a loser's mindset when interviewed on camera (I think after Q3). Said to my wife then, "What's up with her? That's not good." Seemed like she didn't have a clear head. Hope she's okay - has been balanced and insightful when I've heard her speak in prior years.
This morning I'm wondering whether AE (and others) might be able to draw offensive fouls on her. She bulls into the lane. Risky but perhaps...
It's a little different with coaches where you have a long history of competing at the top of the game I think like a Tara or Muffet or Pat. They should just do away with the whole thing. All it seems to do is create controversy or even fights on the men's side. If the players want to congratulate each other they can without the line, just like they did last night. Every game we analyze a 3 second interaction at the buzzer to try to discern some meaning about how many hugs or how long it takes to whiz by each other on their way to the locker room.
Perhaps something to this I don't get - but at that point isn't an uncontested layup worth more than time off the clock with the attendant risk of a turnover?
Tara doesn't like Geno or Uconn..Geno could care less
I have a TV that yells. My wife kept asking what all the noise and hollering was in the living room. I assured her that it was the TV and spectators. From our bedroom, to her it must have sounded a lot like me. But I steadfastly held my position. If it happens again Sunday she might insist on a new TV for me!
She just said she likes Geno in the pre-game press conference. Like what more do people want? Hugs and kisses at the buzzer when her team just lost a tough game? And I thought our expectations for our own team were ridiculous.
FACT. When things were looking like they could turn Stanford's way E and Nika were as good as you could reasonably ask for. Geno has said on several occasions that no one has to do more than what they have shown they can do in the past. Just be great at what you do. They are two prime examples.
