The Old Bait and Switch

[diggerfoot]

I admit it; I was totally fooled. In the week leading up to the game Auriemma suggested that Faris would be on Ogwumike the most. Well, why not? She covered the All-American power/point forward Thomas like a blanket. But Thomas has an outside game. I did not realize how limited Ogwumike's game was until yesterday.

Or is Ogwumike really as limited as UConn made it appeared? Might the old bait and switch by Auriemma, putting Dolson on Ogwumike, have something to do with that. Was Stanford ill-prepared because they were ill-informed? Part of me says "Nah" because the offense they run requires players to evaluate on the fly. Yet they definitely seemed to have a predisposition to continue using Ogwumike in ways that Dolson and team defense thwarted, kind of like banging their heads against the wall.

I'm never going to believe a word Auriemma says again, though I'm ecstatic he's our coach .

One other armchair, hindsight, data mining, etc. etc. type of observation. Dolson has never been considered a great rebounder, but I've pointed out here before that she's compensated for not having a "nose for the ball" by boxing out well. Ogwumike eventually got her offensive rebounds, but only later in the game when either Dolson was out of the game or getting a little tired. Dolson got so many rebounds in this game because the ball bounced the right way while she was boxing out Stanford's best rebounder.

 

[Icebear]

One big difference is that Stef was much more suited and capable of covering Chiney this year because of her fitness and improved mobility. Last year Faris, also, covered Chiney much of the game so Geno's word pregame was consistent with past habits. But habits can be changed.