Tara and The Last Streak Broken

[RockyMTblue2]

"Did breaking the longest winning streak in basketball history really mean nothing to her? After ten minutes of prodding VanDerveer about this, she seemed to grow a little frustrated, albeit with extreme politeness. "I want to make sure you understand," she said with a good-natured sense of assurance. "What they did was special. Winning 90 games is special. That's incredible. What we did was, we played a very good game on one night. To win 90 games is being consistent. We didn't win 90 games. They did."

Throwback Thursday: Stanford Snaps UConn's Record 90-Game Win Streak | VICE Sports

 

[eebmg]

What an interesting article. I think it puts into perspective how WCBB really looks at the UConn Program. Even if you manage to beat UConn, you really don't feel like champions since you will never meet their level of consistency. Basically, the feeling seems to be that we won only because UConn played sub par and we played above our level. On the other hand, the fans will go nuts.

 

[tonehill68]

Interesting article from the Stanford perspective. Tara and her ladies did absolutely what they had to do to win the game and had everything going for them that night. Kudos to Tara and Stanford for doing a few things. One, for winning the game and stopping the streak. Two, being physical with Maya. Three and most importantly, acknowledging that although they won the game, to recognize an amazing thing that UCONN was able to do. She and her team were grounded even with he win. (They deserved to celebrate of course). Sometimes, things don't go your way, and this was the case that night for UCONN.

 

[MilfordHusky]

After that game, Tara got a lot of questions about UConn. Appropriately, she wanted the focus shifted to Stanford. They had effectively executed a solid game plan and had several excellent players. Nneka, Jeanette, and Chiney made All-American teams during their careers. Nneka and Chiney were high-level elite players.

 

[CajunHusky]

Tara VanDeveer:

"What they did was special. Winning 90 games is special. That's incredible. What we did was, we played a very good game on one night. To win 90 games is being consistent. We didn't win 90 games. They did."

 

[ballhawk]

I was at the Stanford game in 2014 when Stanford broke UConn's 47 game win streak. To Stanford that was not just another game. There was an intensity reflective of an NCAA final (at least for Stanford). When they won, the crowd and the players went nuts. Maybe 2010 was different, but this game was special to the Cardinals.

 

[JudgeSCR]

Two things.

1 - The talk by the players that this was just another game is belied by their exuberant celebration after winning. I don't begrudge them the celebration, in fact I applaud it. They deserved to celebrate. It was a great game and a big win. But don't celebrate like you just won the NCAA title and then say "At least for me, I honestly wasn't thinking about the [UConn] streak." Not mad at 'em ... just sayin'. By the way, VanDerveer's comments are pretty classy. She looks at it now through a coach's eyes.

2- This points me back to the amazing aura of UConn. For every team, beating them feels almost like winning the NCAA title. Our women meet that intensity and desire every game. Every team that plays them has three goals: Win the NCAA title, win their conference, and beat UConn.

 

[CajunHusky]

Two things.

1 - The talk by the players that this was just another game is belied by their exuberant celebration after winning. I don't begrudge them the celebration, in fact I applaud it. They deserved to celebrate. It was a great game and a big win. But don't celebrate like you just won the NCAA title and then say "At least for me, I honestly wasn't thinking about the [UConn] streak." Not mad at 'em ... just sayin'. By the way, VanDerveer's comments are pretty classy. She looks at it now through a coach's eyes.

2- This points me back to the amazing aura of UConn. For every team, beating them feels almost like winning the NCAA title. Our women meet that intensity and desire every game. Every team that plays them has three goals: Win the NCAA title, win their conference, and beat UConn.

Streak or not, it has long ago been beat UConn and you have arrived. ... just as UConn in their first victory over Tennesse. Stanford beat UConn. Of course it is a big deal. Were they celebrating ending the streak or were they celebrating beating everybody's measuring stick in WBB. The streak is just a symbol .

Don't forget when UConn finally does lose a game it will be heart wrenching for those UConn women. There is no getting around it. They carry a heavy burden as just the latest who have toiled in a long line of sustained excellence.

 

[Plebe]

But not everyone was elated. VanDerveer, with hardly a smile on her face, shook UConn coach Geno Auriemma's hand and "did the press conference thing," as she put it, adding "it wasn't anything special." Because she doesn't drink, she didn't even have a celebratory beer.​

I love Tara's personality and her dry wit. She's never garnered the same media attention as Pat and Geno, or even as Muffet and Brenda, but she deserves more. She does her thing and does it very well.

 

[bags27]

Wow, such diverse reactions. FWIW, here are mine:
1. Stanford's players' celebration was great and deserved: they won a huge upset and of course they should party-hardy over that. Tara just shook Geno's hand as always and acted with the same dignity that is her hallmark. Ditto her remark here, but be not fooled: she is acknowledging UConn's achievement, not bowing down to it, because:
2. Really and truly, to UConn boosters for life, it's personal. To everyone else, UConn is just a placeholder for a particular dynasty: it's not personal, it's business, we-know-who famously said. If it had been Tennessee's streak, its end would have been just as meaningful and/or meaningless. Someday, maybe some other team will hold the record and then someone else can celebrate breaking it. It's what teams do.

In every sport at every level all around the world, some athlete or some team holds the record for most consecutive wins. It's a cool thing to hold and it's a cool thing to break and it's a cool thing to stop, but it ain't why we play the game.

 

[UcMiami]

Really nice article. And I think it is true that they 'didn't think about the streak' in preparing for the game, which doesn't mean that they didn't think about ending the streak when they accomplished it. It is two different things - and Tara is a good enough coach to instill in her team a focus on the 'next game' and to ignore the noise, and she is a good enough coach to game plan effectively against a strong opponent. She has done it at least three times against Uconn - the 90 streak ender, the 47 streak ender, and the FF win in Maya's freshman year.

There is a difference between celebrating beating the #1 team in the country, or for a lesser team beating a heavy favorite, and making it about ended. Any time Uconn or SC, or ND, or Baylor gets beaten in recent years by a lowlier team it is a big deal and a big celebration, and usually those games are pretty packed because they are the best games. It is the same for rivalry games. And it doesn't matter whether there is any 'streak' attached to either team. It is because for fans and players alike there is more importance attached to the accomplishment.

 

[alexrgct]

Yep, Stanford broke UConn's 47-game streak (fifth-longest overall), as well as the fabled 90-gamer.

It was, of course, the end of the 47-game streak that launched the now-legendary one. As we all know, it's currrently at 86 games, and I wish for all the world that it keeps going. UMD is a true test. I hope to hell we're ready to duplicate the ND game in South Bend. I also believe we're up to just that. We have underclass-women like Phee and KLS who could become even more legendary tonight. Gabby, Kia, and even Crystal Dangerfield Mouse as well...

Is it 6:00 PM ET yet???

 

[tomcat]

I was at the Stanford game in 2014 when Stanford broke UConn's 47 game win streak. To Stanford that was not just another game. There was an intensity reflective of an NCAA final (at least for Stanford). When they won, the crowd and the players went nuts. Maybe 2010 was different, but this game was special to the Cardinals.

I was going to say this if you didn't. My wife and I were there (I was at the 90th win as well), and there's no question that in the Stanford arena that night, the crowd and, to a certain extent the players, were treating it like it was an NCAA tournament game. Tara's comments, meanwhile, are really well thought out. She's a class act.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Really interesting article. Thanks for posting.

Somewhat off topic (but honestly, does anyone really care). I found this paragraph especially relatable for a personal reason.
While the Stanford players I spoke to derived much more joy from the victory than their former coach, neither celebrated too heartily that evening. Today, they seemed to mostly put it in the Nice Memory category—a fun win to to be a part of, but not a whole lot more. Tinkle's family had been in town for her 20th birthday, which happened to be that day. After the game, her mother and grandmother took her to a local Italian restaurant. A bunch of fans were also there, and gave her a standing ovation when she entered.

In late March of 2004, both the men's and women's teams were getting ready to do something unprecedented in the history of college basketball: win both championships. Our daughter was a senior and on campus when Diana & Co. secured a spot in the Final Four just as Emeka and the guys had done a night earlier. Dick Enberg had announced the women's game and concluded with a reference to both teams moving forward. "How great must it be to be a kid on that campus tonight!" (Or words to that effect.) Later, as I related what Dick had said to my wife, she remarked, "And it's your birthday." And, indeed, it was our daughter's 22nd birthday (to the best of my knowledge,no standing "O" for her though).

 

[DaddyChoc]

Yep, Stanford broke UConn's 47-game streak (fifth-longest overall), as well as the fabled 90-gamer.

It was, of course, the end of the 47-game streak that launched the now-legendary one. As we all know, it's currrently at 86 games, and I wish for all the world that it keeps going. UMD is a true test. I hope to hell we're ready to duplicate the ND game in South Bend. I also believe we're up to just that. We have underclass-women like Phee and KLS who could become even more legendary tonight. Gabby, Kia, and even Crystal Dangerfield Mouse as well...

Is it 6:00 PM ET yet???

thanks, I wasn't sure about the time... I gotta get a quick nap in!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Win the NCAA title, win their conference, and beat UConn.

Got me thinking. I'll bet lots of players and some coaches would take beating UConn over a conference title.

 

[Nuyoika]

I was at the Stanford game in 2014 when Stanford broke UConn's 47 game win streak. To Stanford that was not just another game. There was an intensity reflective of an NCAA final (at least for Stanford). When they won, the crowd and the players went nuts. Maybe 2010 was different, but this game was special to the Cardinals.

It most certainly was special to them considering how the rest of their season went. Then again when you think about it whenever UConn has lost it has taken something special from the opposing team. To win they had to shoot 50% (much higher than their average) and UConn had to shoot 40% (much lower than their average) and they still only ended up winning by two in OT @ that. Incidentally, that performance by Stanford was not something they could ever replicate again against a ranked opponent as they ended up having a 10 loss season.

Which reminds me of another odd fact... that last time UConn lost in regulation was March 2013.

 

[CajunHusky]

thanks, I wasn't sure about the time... I gotta get a quick nap in!

holy toledo .... I thought it was at 7:00!!!! thanks

 

[DaddyChoc]

holy toledo .... I thought it was at 7:00!!!! thanks

I didn't even get my nap but I couldn't watch it live... I'm at 7 minutes left in the 4th quarter knowing that UConn won... while listening to the radio post-show