Top 10 UConn Plays in history | The Boneyard

Top 10 UConn Plays in history

An interesting set of plays spanning the years. Picking them was not easy I'm sure. A good read as we shelter in place.
 
Two comments:
What was most incredible about Maya's steal against DePaul was her immediate time-out signal. Almost every other player would have turned and headed up court. And she was a freshman.
And I would have included the only play the 2002 actually needed to make all season, against Oklahoma State in the finals, with about a minute left. With four WNBA first round draft choices, Geno called it for Diana, who made the shot and fouled out OSU's All American Stacey Dales on the same play.
 
I can't see the list because I don't have a JI subscription, but this is one of the most important plays I can recall. It comes at 51:35 in the video of the Stanford v. UConn championship game in 2010 and involves the 2 best players in the nation. Tina blocks Nneka's shot and outlets it to Maya, who beats Pohlen to the hoop.

 
Can’t read list but the Aubrey to Anna back pass to CW was certainly the highlight of the past season.
 
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This is the shot:

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Two comments:
What was most incredible about Maya's steal against DePaul was her immediate time-out signal. Almost every other player would have turned and headed up court. And she was a freshman.
And I would have included the only play the 2002 actually needed to make all season, against Oklahoma State in the finals, with about a minute left. With four WNBA first round draft choices, Geno called it for Diana, who made the shot and fouled out OSU's All American Stacey Dales on the same play.
Oklahoma not ok state
 
Great article by Carl and excellent list. He mentions some plays -- the Maya layup (#10) and Sveta against BC (#7) -- that I hadn't thought of in years. Of course the Maya steal against DePaul was truly amazing. I was at the game and dined in disbelief afterwards with @j66kicker, @ThisJustIn and others.
Great times Cat. I remember you picking up the check at Rick Bayless' Topolobampo - YUM, thanks!

 
One key play in 1995 was in the Regional Final vs. Virginia at Gampel. It was late and the game was close. UVa was inbounding and UConn was defending like crazy. The crowd noise was as loud as I have ever heard it. The inbounder tried to call a timeout but the ref couldn't hear her and it was a turnover.
 
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I simply returned the favor. You picked up the check after the Depaul game at Carmine's as I recall. A memorable Saturday night in Chicago.
Ahh - Rush Street. I miss Chicago (and I didn't even live there - ha). We should organize a meet-up for a UConn-DePaul game whenever WCBB, air travel, etc., gets started up again.
 
Ahh - Rush Street. I miss Chicago (and I didn't even live there - ha). We should organize a meet-up for a UConn-DePaul game whenever WCBB, air travel, etc., gets started up again.

I'll be there. I know there are questions about where future BETs will be but I wouldn't object to Chicago.

I think I'll pass on another meet-up in Milwaukee in January. :)
 
I'll be there. I know there are questions about where future BETs will be but I wouldn't object to Chicago.

I think I'll pass on another meet-up in Milwaukee in January. :)
Oh man - that was colder than cold! I remember ThisJustIn wanted to see what cheese curds were all about, so I grabbed a bag at the grocery store and snuck them into the trunk of her rent car (which she had loaned me the night before so the wimpier fans in the crowd could drive my car home after the Marquette game to get out of the cold). The curds froze solid while we were having breakfast and were like little orange rocks when she found them.
 
The DT game I remember most was the end of the TX game in the 2003 FF. She was immense throughout the comeback from 9 down but the block/rebound at the buzzer capped it.

And two personal favorites - the Heather Buck steal and layup and Briana Polido's shot both at the end of their careers.
 
One of my favorite plays was when they played USF at the XL Center going for their 90th straight when. Gabby blocked a shot, Kia got the ball on the side went towards the basket then passed the the ball to Lou who tipped a bounce pass to Gabby for a lay up. Drove everyone crazy and the FS1 announcers couldn't believe it. It happened with about 3:20 left in the first quarter. That was the game where they won 103-37.
 
The DT game I remember most was the end of the TX game in the 2003 FF. She was immense throughout the comeback from 9 down but the block/rebound at the buzzer capped it.

One memorable play in that game was with about 2 minute left and Texas up by 2. Ann Strother misses a FT, Wilnet Crockett grabs the rebound and eventually Dee hits a long three from the top of the key that put UConn up by 1. I was sitting at that end of the arena and jumped out of my seat. UConn had no business winning that game but UConn had Diana.
 
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One memorable play in that game was with about 2 minute left and Texas up by 2. Ann Strother misses a FT, Wilnet Crockett grabs the rebound and eventually Dee hits a long three from the top of the key that put UConn up by 1. I was sitting at that end of the arena and jumped out of my seat. UConn had no business winning that game but UConn had Diana.
That 2003 FF in the Georgia Dome was my first FF. Those 2 games had to both be at least in the top 5 best games ever. Maybe top 2.

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How about greatest shot? Going back to the 2003 NC game against Tennessee, with about 7 minutes to go, Diana runs off of two screens going over the entire half court, gets the ball by the half court line and has a clear out on the right side. She backs down the defender, spins and then goes past the backboard and has to shoot with her left hand because of the angle from about 8 feet and puts it in. Did it win the game? No, but it reminded a lot of people of the famous Larry Bird switch to the left over the backboard shot. She was the only woman ever who would take that shot instinctively in such a setting and at such a moment and make it. Ann Myers was doing the commentary and she didn't even realize at first that she shot it with the left hand until the replay. It showed that D could do whatever she wanted, when she wanted with the ball.
 
How about greatest shot? Going back to the 2003 NC game against Tennessee, with about 7 minutes to go, Diana runs off of two screens going over the entire half court, gets the ball by the half court line and has a clear out on the right side. She backs down the defender, spins and then goes past the backboard and has to shoot with her left hand because of the angle from about 8 feet and puts it in. Did it win the game? No, but it reminded a lot of people of the famous Larry Bird switch to the left over the backboard shot. She was the only woman ever who would take that shot instinctively in such a setting and at such a moment and make it. Ann Myers was doing the commentary and she didn't even realize at first that she shot it with the left hand until the replay. It showed that D could do whatever she wanted, when she wanted with the ball.
Yep, who else even tries that shot?? But Dee sinks it late in the National Championship game.
 
Carl Ademac with a fun article. Wait till Paige breaks in. :)


ANY good play to jump start the Huskies in that Stanford championship game would rank highly. It looked like Mya Moore jump-started herself.
 
It's unfortunate that no one remembers this because UConn ended up losing the game, but attention must be paid to Kia Nurse's steal against Notre Dame in the 2018 Final Four at the end of regulation. She went in for a layup and sent the game to overtime, but then the Arike thing happened.

ND was usually ahead late in regulation in that game. In addition to Kia's steal and layup, Crystal and Napheesa both made clutch 3-pointers to keep UConn in the game when it appeared that they were destined to lose.
 
I remember #5. Spectacular by Swanier and Moore.

But the most spectacular play I recall involved Diana Taurasi. And it ended in a turnover. UConn impounded the ball under the opposing basket. A UConn player threw a long pass to Diana, who was standing just to the left of the top of the key, with her back to the basket. How she did this, I will never know. But without looking, and without catching the pass, she reached up for the long pass, then flicked it. Yes just flicked it from the side of the top of the key to a UConn player standing right next to the basket. It was not only a "no look" pass, but it the ball came to D in front of her, and she flicked it behind her some 20 feet to the waiting UConn player. But that player wasn't "waiting," and was so shocked to get the ball that she flubbed the easy layup, and the opposing team grabbed the rebound. It was that "flick": a long hard pass above her head that she didn't even bother to grasp, and clearly redirected it directly to the UConn player on the other side of the basket.

Just amazing! No basket. No assist. But wow!!!
 
Ahh - Rush Street. I miss Chicago (and I didn't even live there - ha). We should organize a meet-up for a UConn-DePaul game whenever WCBB, air travel, etc., gets started up again.
I dont remember the year, but I was working in Chicago. It was early in Genos run but after our first national championship. UCONN was in an NCAA regional Playoff at the Horizon in Chicago. We happened to sit near the DePaul team. They were completely in awe of the number of UCONN fans at the game.
 
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