I just logged on to post this, but was happy to see you beat me to it. Probably not a popular source of info for the BY, but praise of UConn women's basketball is graciously welcomed.The photo at the top of the piece was taken during Paige's on court conversation with referee Dee Kantner. I believe she is showing Dee just where the defender fouled her during her previous shot attempt. What a kid!
UConnCat, I'm a huge fan of yours, so please forgive me for expressing the tentative view that you might be a bit too hard on these Slate articles. Over the past 30 years, one of the biggest developments in sports journalism is that some of its top practitioners had no access to inside information and instead made their careers by just watching the games, reading message boards and ESPN, and writing what they thought. The early writings of Bill Simmons (who was not a professor but held the equally random job of bartender), to take one of countless examples, revolutionized the field that way. Some great journalists have access to players and coaches and get quotes from them, but that doesn’t automatically make the journalist an astute observer, and it isn’t the only way to write good stuff.
Been saying for a long time that while Geno is the greatest coach, it does not hurt to have had the greatest players.
Assuming you meant SC was the ‘decent team', I mean she did put up 31points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 steals and a block. Just sayin’...
One game! One game is not a large enough sample size. I also think SC is overrated, Mainly because Dawn Staley is overrated. I say that because she basically uses a grinding style of play popular in the WNBA. This in my opinion, why the WNBA puts out a product that is not watched by many. This, despite some really great players. Winning just one Championship with A'ja Wilson plus a great supporting cast is big time underachievement.
I think your being a little harsh here. The sample size of "decent" teams is at least 3. Tennessee and Arkansas are decent teams. Paige put up 27 against Arkansas in a losing cause and on an off shooting night had arguably the biggest basket against Tennessee. As for SC that had to be one of the most clutch performances in recent memory. Games against Baylor and Louisville were canceled through no fault of Paiges. She can only play the games scheduled.
Lol A'ja Wilson wasn't some insanely dominant recruit like a Griner/Stewart/Parker who changed the landscape of the sport. UCONN was darn near unbeatable her first two years with Stewart, A'ja won as a junior and had a very weak supporting cast as a senior. Dawn did a good job those 4 years even if they played ugly basketball.
Uconn SOS is 67. So 1/7th of the games have been against 'decent' teams. But just one against a top ten. In Stewie's 1st year they played almost every top ten team, including 4 games against a team made up of 5 future WNBA all stars. Plus Griner and Sims. The Baylor and ND teams that year would clobber SC, Tenn & Ark. They would also clobber this year's Uconn team.
Despite her notoriety, size and ability, plus playing with Odyssey Sims, Griner did not change any landscapes that I recall. So the three time AA and 1st pick in the draft only developed dominating ability after moving to the Pro's?
Just look at the roster that Stewie was playing with her freshmen year compared to Paige. As a matter of fact there's no comparison. Stewie didn't have to do any heavy lifting.
The 6 players who were generational are Miller, Holdsclaw, Taurasi, Parker, Moore and Stewart! 16 NCs between them! I loved watching each of these player's in action. My favorite Vol was Holdsclaw who was just a dominant force for them!
Your statements are not matters of fact! They are matters of opinion. You want a fact: Stewie dominated the tournament. Another fact: Stewie played against far superior opponents. And it isn't even close.
Changed in the landscape in that Baylor became the feared top dog during her tenure there and she was the pre-eminent player in women's college basketball. She swept all POY awards her last two years and was runner up to Moore for most POY awards as a sophomore. Her lack of multiple titles puts her lower on the totem pole of greatness compared to the likes of Moore/Parker/Stewart/etc but she was immensely dominant at Baylor. People rightfully harp on Kim/BG for only winning 1 title during her 4 years, but Griner was a true goliath of a talent even if it didn't lead to multiple titles.
How can you say this? Her 1st three years: 34-3, 33-2, 33-4. Maybe you misremembered?
