Sue Bird Interview with some Paige tidbits

[baggerbob]

Sue's not wrong. Her point was when you have so many great players, championships are a way to distinguish among them. But, I think, Paige still has a chance to win 4, right? That would put her right at the top of the list, unless we want to go with National Championship winning percentage per years of eligibility. That would be a very "UConn" metric but it isn't particularly relevant at most schools.

24-0 is the standard never losing an NCAA tournament game.

 

[baggerbob]

There is simply no way to determine who is the best player in UConn history, and which was the best team. There is no team in the country that has produced the huge number of stars that UConn has. With other schools I'm sure the fans and local media could have a consensus of the top 5 players in their history, but we cannot really agree on a top 10 for UConn.

It is extremely unusual for a single player to win a NC by herself, and in my recollection, it still hasn't been done. Sue was surrounded by great players, Stewie was surrounded by great players, Maya, Tina, the same. You can debate the different great teams, but a star will only "contribute" if surrounded by other excellent players. After the seniors left after 2002, the sophomore Diana Taurasi was left with 3 freshmen and a few bench players. This team had no business making it to the final 4, but at the sacrifice of her own personal stats, Diana taught, mentored, and not only willed this team to the F4, but actually pulled them out of the fire against a excellent and tall Texas team, then beat Tennessee in the final.

As far as best team, most people think the 2002 team was best, and yes, they were great. As far as total talent, 2001 had these same players as 2002, but also Svetlana Abrosimova and Shea Ralph, both first team All Americans.

Because of all the great players that end up playing together, it just is hard to really know. NCs need a great team, not only a great player. That should not be the criteria, so the debate will go on.

PS to Oldude, I agree that MJ was our best PG at this time.

If anyone can find the transcript of the final 4 interview in 2013 with Kelly Faris and Geno after the Louisville game. I remember reading Kelly saying we knew we couldn't win without. Stewie.

 

[HuskyNan]

Sue Bird needs no defense of her status her legend is very SECURE. Sue will go down as the best PG to ever play the women's game and she will be a 1st ballot HOF based on her UCONN, WNBA, International and Olympic championships.
Your Question: Just for argument sake let's say that Bueckers wins zero titles but wins NPOY 4 times (with the stats to back it up). Would she be precluded from consideration as the best pg in UConn history?
My Answer: Of course not. I would also bet you that even if Paige were to win the next 3 NCAA championships & three years from now we are having a debate of the best UCONN PG ever Sue Bird and Moriah Jefferson will be included in that conversation. It will be a remarkable conversation to have and I hope I'm around for it because it will have been nearly 25 years since Sue played at UCONN.

Ironically, Sue came to UConn as a shooting guard, although she did play some point in high school. Geno converted her to the point after Kiersten was unable to play.

 

[Alydar]

But Wilt was not the best team player, Russell was. In my mind you can't be the greatest player if you don't bring home the gold. Would Jordan be Jordan without 6 rings? If you are so great, you should be able to translate that to a title. Whether we like to say it or not, Paige didn't carry us against Arizona and to a NC, the way Stewie did her freshman year. Paige may have been the best player in WBB this year, but she wasn't the best player that game. If Paige wins 4 POY awards but no titles, I put Bird ahead of her.

Ever hear of Ted Williams?

 

[BBallF]

Ever hear of Ted Williams?

Maybe, I think he might have played baseball though. Totally different sport with a hitter and fielder not usually having the impact of a pitcher like Koufax or Gibson. In basketball, a great player can take over a game or a series or a season. It's one of five players and you can touch the ball every possession and pass, shoot or do whatever. The Splinter wasn't up every at bat. Not every ball was hit to him in right field.

In basketball, you want to be the greatest, you gotta win the biggest prizes. The greatest players do. Stockton and Barkley were great but they were not the greatest. Barkley himself in his MVP season said he thought he was the greatest player in the league until they played MJ in the Finals.

Paige is only on Second Mountain with Bird and Charles in my book unless she wins multiple crowns. Right now she is tied with Kara Wolters and Jenn Rizzotti for NPOY awards. I'm not ready to put a crown on her head yet. She has to earn it.

 

[oldude]

Maybe, I think he might have played baseball though. Totally different sport with a hitter and fielder not usually having the impact of a pitcher like Koufax or Gibson. In basketball, a great player can take over a game or a series or a season. It's one of five players and you can touch the ball every possession and pass, shoot or do whatever. The Splinter wasn't up every at bat. Not every ball was hit to him in right field.

In basketball, you want to be the greatest, you gotta win the biggest prizes. The greatest players do. Stockton and Barkley were great but they were not the greatest. Barkley himself in his MVP season said he thought he was the greatest player in the league until they played MJ in the Finals.

Paige is only on Second Mountain with Bird and Charles in my book unless she wins multiple crowns. Right now she is tied with Kara Wolters and Jenn Rizzotti for NPOY awards. I'm not ready to put a crown on her head yet. She has to earn it.

The baseball player with the most World Series championships ever is Yogi Berra, and he had a substantial impact on every single one.

 

[wolfe613]

Maybe, I think he might have played baseball though. Totally different sport with a hitter and fielder not usually having the impact of a pitcher like Koufax or Gibson. In basketball, a great player can take over a game or a series or a season. It's one of five players and you can touch the ball every possession and pass, shoot or do whatever. The Splinter wasn't up every at bat. Not every ball was hit to him in right field.

In basketball, you want to be the greatest, you gotta win the biggest prizes. The greatest players do. Stockton and Barkley were great but they were not the greatest. Barkley himself in his MVP season said he thought he was the greatest player in the league until they played MJ in the Finals.

Paige is only on Second Mountain with Bird and Charles in my book unless she wins multiple crowns. Right now she is tied with Kara Wolters and Jenn Rizzotti for NPOY awards. I'm not ready to put a crown on her head yet. She has to earn it.

so explain Lebron with the cavs when he carried a bunch of role players to a finals

 

[Alydar]

Sue specifically said: "But, when you go to Connecticut, the only thing you’re judged on is championships."
Is anyone seriously debating this statement?

Only as far as the national media is concerned but I for one am only a fan and while the disappointment of not winning the title is real I judge the team on how many well-played games I get to see over the season.
The assumption that a single elimination playdown tournament always results with the best team winning simply isn't true. It produces a tournament champion. I remember when the NFL post season consisted of one game. The winner was the champion and at least they got into the game by having the best record in their conference. The Giants third superbowl championship, the first time they made Brady cry, they entered the postseason as a wildcard team. No one, even rabid Giant fans would suggest they were the best team in the NFL and history will record that NE was the best team that year.
Yes, the NFL isn't WCBB. And I have had this debate many times with folks who say that being the champion is equivilent to being the best. I think they are similar but not equivilent.

My opinion is that the GOAT question will have an obvious answer in the next several years, along with the GTOAT question.

 

[BBallF]

The baseball player with the most World Series championships ever is Yogi Berra, and he had a substantial impact on every single one.

He didn't win any of those Series himself or impact them in the same sense that Diana won in 2003 and 2004. Could the Yankees have won those Series without Yogi? Good debate in a bar. Could the Bulls have won 6 without MJ, or the Celtics without Russell or UCONN without Stewie? No way.

 

[Alydar]

She didn’t play because she tore her ACL early in the season. After she was hurt and Kiersten Walters couldn’t play because of her knees, the remaining guards available to play the point were Amy Duran, Courtney Gaine, Marci Glenney, and Tihana Abrlic. Of course they didn’t win a championship.

I assumed that everyone knew Bird missed her freshman season.

 

[Zanzman]

Maybe, I think he might have played baseball though. Totally different sport with a hitter and fielder not usually having the impact of a pitcher like Koufax or Gibson. In basketball, a great player can take over a game or a series or a season. It's one of five players and you can touch the ball every possession and pass, shoot or do whatever. The Splinter wasn't up every at bat. Not every ball was hit to him in right field.

In basketball, you want to be the greatest, you gotta win the biggest prizes. The greatest players do. Stockton and Barkley were great but they were not the greatest. Barkley himself in his MVP season said he thought he was the greatest player in the league until they played MJ in the Finals.

Paige is only on Second Mountain with Bird and Charles in my book unless she wins multiple crowns. Right now she is tied with Kara Wolters and Jenn Rizzotti for NPOY awards. I'm not ready to put a crown on her head yet. She has to earn it.

So a hitter and fielder who play in most games have less impact than a pitcher that throws every fifth day Couldn’t disagree more

 

[BBallF]

so explain Lebron with the cavs when he carried a bunch of role players to a finals

What is there to explain? If he doesn't ever win a ring, and not 4 of them, he is not in the conversation.

 

[wolfe613]

What is there to explain? If he doesn't ever win a ring, and not 4 of them, he is not in the conversation.

so it would have been better that he lost in rd 1? IF Paige is not on this Uconn Roster is this team even in the elite 8, I'll say they beat Iowa but no chance vs Baylor

 

[Alydar]

Sue Bird needs no defense of her status her legend is very SECURE. Sue will go down as the best PG to ever play the women's game and she will be a 1st ballot HOF based on her UCONN, WNBA, International and Olympic championships.
Your Question: Just for argument sake let's say that Bueckers wins zero titles but wins NPOY 4 times (with the stats to back it up). Would she be precluded from consideration as the best pg in UConn history?
My Answer: Of course not. I would also bet you that even if Paige were to win the next 3 NCAA championships & three years from now we are having a debate of the best UCONN PG ever Sue Bird and Moriah Jefferson will be included in that conversation. It will be a remarkable conversation to have and I hope I'm around for it because it will have been nearly 25 years since Sue played at UCONN.

I think I stated that she was a legend. If you want to expand this from a UConn POV to a career GOAT then come see me in 15 or 20 years. Hopefully I'll still remember my name then.

 

[jdote33]

I definitely agree with this. In comparison to that era, today's WCBB is a put it through your legs, look the other way, fall down when you're touched, finesse game. The front lines UConn and Tenn. put on the floor back then would be making today's players and coaches cry now. Those kids got after it and pounded each other. And yes, I think the officials are softer now too.

Very interesting and thoughtful conversation. I agree that basketball is played much differently on all levels, than it was back then. But just in terms of talent level, or the field of competition, I'm not so sure back then was better. I'd defer to those who watched as I wasn't too familiar with teams outside of Uconn. I just think now, there are a lot of stacked teams. As much as I would like Uconn to win next year, the top 5 teams are LOADED (Stanford, South Carolina, Uconn, Maryland, NC State) with rosters full of clear WNBA level talents. It just seems like their is a lot of stiff competition out there,and maybe I just don't remember but was the field as talented back then. Of course there were very good teams, like Notre Dame, Tennessee, and Georgia. I just feel there are more compteitors, but maybe I'm underselling Uconn's team this upcoming year.

 

[BBallF]

So a hitter and fielder who play in most games have less impact than a pitcher that throws every fifth day Couldn’t disagree more

I picked specific examples. Koufax in 1963 was 25-5 and the Dodgers won 99 games so Koufax won 25% of them . Their best player was Tommy Davis who hit .326 with 15 homers and 88 RBIs. Who was more valuable? Who had a greater impact? The league thought Koufax, he was MVP and Cy Young. That is a rare phenomenon in baseball in that one player can have such an impact. In basketball, one player can be all the difference. Rewatch the Semis if you don't believe me.

 

[Mdoggie]

Name a UConn great who never won a natty?

 

[BBallF]

so it would have been better that he lost in rd 1? IF Paige is not on this Uconn Roster is this team even in the elite 8, I'll say they beat Iowa but no chance vs Baylor

No one is saying that Paige didn't have a great season or wasn't the reason we got to the FF. The point is that we are talking about the greatest, and if Lebron never wins those titles, or Paige doesn't win multiple ones, neither are in the conversation for me. Who are the greatest NBA players of all time? MJ, Magic, Wilt, Kareem, Bird, Erving, James, Duncan, West, Oscar, as a start. They all have titles.

 

[Mdoggie]

^ pretty simple.

 

[wolfe613]

No one is saying that Paige didn't have a great season or wasn't the reason we got to the FF. The point is that we are talking about the greatest, and if Lebron never wins those titles, or Paige doesn't win multiple ones, neither are in the conversation for me. Who are the greatest NBA players of all time? MJ, Magic, Wilt, Kareem, Bird, Erving, James, Duncan, West, Oscar, as a start. They all have titles.

I've never once heard when talking about the greatest Duncan being in the conversation, again Rodgers has 1 sb and when ppl say he is the goat of qb's they have every right to believe it and same with other sports, it's a team sport unless it's tennis or golf you are on your own

 

[Mdoggie]

I've never once heard when talking about the greatest Duncan being in the conversation, again Rodgers has 1 sb and when ppl say he is the goat of qb's they have every right to believe it and same with other sports, it's a team sport unless it's tennis or golf you are on your own

Tim Duncan exited the NBA the same he entered it – as a starter for the San Antonio Spurs with a selfless, team-first commitment to winning and an aversion for the spotlight.

He evolved as a player and person over a remarkable career that lasted nearly two decades, but those core values never wavered as Duncan developed into one of the best power forwards in basketball history.

 

[CMC'72]

Shakespeare said it best, "Much ado about nothing,"
No?

 

[eebmg]

Shakespeare said it best, "Much ado about nothing,"
No?

How many pulitzer's ?

 

[MilfordHusky]

Name a UConn great who never won a natty?

Megan Walker has met the requirement for being on the Huskies Wall of Honor. Kerry Bascom is on the Wall of Honor. Neither won a National Championship.

 

[MilfordHusky]

24-0 is the standard never losing an NCAA tournament game.

If 24-0 in the NCAA tourney is the gold standard, here's your GOAT:

I believe Moriah went 24-0. I was at the first game of the 2013 tourney, and Stewie was out with a relatively minor injury. She went 23-0 for her career.