Totally correct!
I agree there is always an argument for Moore or DT. And there are plenty of people in each camp. And both camps can make good arguments. The thing is now, or rather in 2016 (providing no major injuries), the argument will change to Moore/DT/Stewart.
She's freakishly athletic! There are times my mouth drops open watching what she can do.
I would qualify the "mediocre freshman season" a bit because she had the best first ten games of any freshman in UConn history and on the other end, she had close to the best post season tournaments in freshman history with two MVP's. That suggests calling it something other than mediocre. It was definitely a little Jekyll & Hyde but after a largely mediocre mid and later season, she obviously turned the corner in time to help UConn to their 8th title.
I am surely one of Dolson's biggest fans here and have often talked of what it's going to be like without her contributions next year. We'll still obviously have a great amount of talent but she surely makes life so much easier for everyone with her exceptional defense and her wonderful offensive skills both as a scorer and maybe even more, as a facilitator. Beyond being the ultimate "big girl" passer, her abilities to go left or right when in the post, shooting with either hand and also to be able to knock down 15 to 20 foot shots regularly puts so much pressure on our opponents. Meanwhile the other girls are free to make cuts and work to get free, knowing that if they are successful, there's a strong likelihood that a Dolson pass will be waiting for them. I'm glad there are others like yourself who realize how very special she is.
I want to argue that Maya played and lost her senior year against a superlatively coached and talented Notre Dame team and that she played magnificently while her team never seemed to leave the starting gate. The teams that Dee won with in her last two years played against teams in my mind that weren't nearly as talented or as well coached. Beyond that, her teammates gave a lot more on the court than did the Huskies in that semi-final loss of Maya's last year. Basketball is surely not a one person sport but I don't have any recollection of anyone carrying the team as much as Maya did in the comeback win against Stanford where UConn (with Charles) only scored 12 points in the first half. Maya was the inspiration that brought them back and finished off their unbeaten season. There's no way you are ever going to convince me that Dee would have made any difference in that loss to Notre Dame that denied Maya a third championship and I can unequivocally say that Maya in her freshman year played far better in the NCAA tournament loss to Stanford than did Dee in her freshman loss to Notre Dame. She had a horrific night of shooting where she took UConn out of any chance to win the game. She missed shot after shot after shot and buried any hopes of them beating the Irish after having had a big halftime lead. Sometimes the "myth" of Dianne seems to be perpetuated here.
I agree wholeheartedly. It's like a starving artist can't get any recognition until he or she is dead? She has already done enough to create a legacy. We aren't sure how much greater it'll be but it's a hell of a start, isn't it.
Yes. Not taking anything away from each player's supporting cast, but the individual skills of Stewart can not be ignored. One distinction is this: while DT and MM where difference makers on offense, BS can win you the game by dominating on the defensive end as well as going off on the offensive end.
I hope you know that Diana is in the conversation but it seems that seem people want to anoint her as clearly better than Maya based solely on national championships. I don't think that's accurate in any way because I don't think there's anyone in UConn history whose done more to potentially win four national titles than Ms. Moore. Diana was (and is) great as is Maya and it's possible that Stewie will surpass them in national titles (I sure hope so). Diana was more of a peacock and strutted and carried on, displaying her personality on the court, which may be why some feel she may have had more of a will to win than did Maya but I don't think anyone who played with Maya will ever contest her will and determination even if it wasn't characterized by displays that were as obvious. Both winners with immense talents. I guess we can just leave it at that. Go Huskies!
Stewart hasn't even put together 2 full good seasons, and I'm pretty sure Breanna had four other pretty darn good teammates out there with her last night. Oh by the way, Stewie was a non-factor until the 2nd media time out. If not for Mosqueda-Lewis and Jefferson knocking down big shots early to stop Louisville's momentum, who knows how that game would have turned out. Even Geno joked in his post-game that Stewie was like she was in the "witness protection program" for the first 6 or 7 minutes, so let's not pretend she single-handedly beat Louisville, because not even the coaching staff believes that and they were there. By the way, DT and MM have Olympic gold medals. How many does Stewie have? By the way, DT and Maya have multiple national championships and NPOY awards. How many does Stewie have? Maya was also a four-time first team All-American, only the second in history to pull that off. If you really think Stewie can win games by herself, then she can certainly lose them too, and she has already lost as many games in her first 1+ years as Maya did in all of her 4 years. But I guess we should just go by the eye test? By that same token, why not just hand UConn this year's national title because they are clearly the best team based on what everyone has seen. Like I said, go back and watch some youtube and then tell me DT and Maya have nothing on Stewie. Maybe one day we'll talk about Stewart as being in the same club as Maya and DT, but she has far from earned it.
Nor did DT win without Maria and Moore (Jessica)
