UConn - Iowa Postgame Thread

[FormerCTrez]

Very proud UConn played their heart out! But disappointed that my General Manager will walk in with Iowa gear tomorrow! UConn will be right back next year!

Go in early, and decorate his/her office with UConn gear.

 

[NYCer20]

Damn it. It's probably a foul, letter of the law. But I'm certain that exact screen was not called a foul dozens of times throughout this women's tourney. And I don't think it's a matter of just not making that call in that moment. I wouldn't make that call in the second quarter of a 15-point game either. Refs let that slide all the time.

Also wish though the final play would have been less convoluted. Just get it to Paige and let her Jimmy Chitwood it. I also might be a hypocrite with that though. In the D2 men's final last weekend I loved that the winning play was an actual set that led to a screen and a corner J instead of just giving it to the best player and letting him dribble down the clock to launch a stepback three at the buzzer, which is basically the go-to play at all levels now in the final seconds. So maybe it was a good play call tonight, I don't know. But I just can't shake the feeling I'd rather just get it to Paige and let her work.

Incredible season though and certainly didn't expect them to make it this far. Disappointed they won't get a shot at South Carolina. Yeah, they'd have been a longshot but if Tennessee had the chance they had to beat them earlier in the year, of course UConn could have captured lightning in a bottle. Feel the same way about Iowa facing them. Last year I thought it was going to be a mismatch for South Carolina too. But in hoops in a one-game situation you never know. Especially with Clark. In three games against her UConn did a great job on her but other teams...for four years haven't so we'll see.

Really enjoyed watching Edwards and Nika for four years and both went out battling tonight.

Fun season to follow and just hope for better health next year and that this time the season ends with a victory.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Also wish though the final play would have been less convoluted. Just get it to Paige and let her Jimmy Chitwood it. .

I've been informed that this take is critical of the team and not the result of properly reading the room.

 

[jaydee602]

Geno just summed it up perfectly:
"There's probably an illegal screen call that you could make on every single possession. I just know that there were three or four of them called on us and I don't think there were any called on them."

 

[Steve Frohock]

Let the players decide the game.

Just look at the status sheet.
Uconn fouls 18: Iowa 9
Uconn fouls shots/made: 4/3 Iowa 10/14
Uconn has been one of the best teams in the country in fewest fouls
All other stats relatively equal.
Hmmmmmmm!

 

[Rdkid]

Your take on my post is inaccurate. My critical take is on Geno's end-of-game coaching decision. Maybe learn to comprehend posts before mouthing off

I read just fine professor. Your take that we “let” Iowa stay in the game is ignorant. They are a 1 seed for a reason. We were a three seed for a reason - a team that by sheer grit played their way into the Final 4. Did you watch either team this year?

 

[maple]

Just look at the status sheet.
Uconn fouls 18: Iowa 9
Uconn fouls shots/made: 4/3 Iowa 10/14
Uconn has been one of the best teams in the country in fewest fouls
All other stats relatively equal.
Hmmmmmmm!

Of course they couldn’t help but give the golden team some extra chances. I could not believe it when Clark was “fouled” by Shade while taking a 3 — and it’s literally just Clark falling into Shade after taking the shot. Shade doesn’t touch her before that.

 

[Gurleyman]

Ugh. Watched it again.

Most frustrating part about that last play is that Aaliyah set a great FIRST screen. Marshall just gets wiped out and has a hard time fighting over it, and Paige comes to the three-point line wide open … if that was the play. But since that was the decoy/misdirection, that screen working that well actually blew the play up because Bueckers came back into traffic, where Marshall was waiting.

This screen cap Marshall is just finally getting around Edwards and Paige isn’t even moving hard - she’s just sorta loafing, waiting to cut back to the sideline as the play was designed. If she was cutting hard and Muhl was looking to pass, she’d have had Iowa in trouble.

Our decoy screen was probably the best screen we set for her all night.

 

[BugsyCT]

"Terrible Call" is currently trending on Twitter/X.

It's not just UConn fans - it's the general consensus.

 

[bayern7]

The moving screen call on Edwards was correct. We lost, fair and square.

Whether it was “correct” or not. The point is that’s just not a call you make with 4 seconds left in a final four game…if it was an egregious offensive foul that’s one thing. Even you should be able to admit that the call was a stretch in the first place and then when you put it in the context of the game/circumstances it was a ridiculous call to make…it happens, it is what it is. And to be frank even before this game tipped off I had SC soundly beating UConn if they did make it through. But all that being said that was just a classic example of a ref unnecessarily injecting themselves into a high stakes game for absolutely no reason. And quite frankly it makes people not want to watch the sport, it ruins it for people.

 

[YSRFrisbee]

The postgame press conference

WOW. These three never cease to amaze me. They displayed such maturity and grace despite the heartbreak. This program produces more than just winners on the court--they're winners in life.

 

[hoophuskee]

She gave it back to Nika. I don't understand the play. Even if she gets it back she has only a few seconds. Give the ball to Jimmy Chitwood on the inbounds. This isn't rocket science.

I can't see the replay - - I hated the the play call too. Too much. with that said -- if Paige were to hve caught teh ball there would have bene slightly over 3 seoconds left.

Was there any possibility that she could have split defense and drove once catching the pass or does it look like she would have been fading sideways / right?

And if I am not mistaken the Duke game he ran a play to give the ball toPaige at the top to allow her to makea move, didn't he? Or was there no timeout and Paige just made the play?

 

[Sluconn Husky]

I read just fine professor. Your take that we “let” Iowa stay in the game is ignorant. They are a 1 seed for a reason. We were a three seed for a reason - a team that by sheer grit played their way into the Final 4. Did you watch either team this year?

I watched every game, genius. 98% of your posts are on the men's board so please don't pretend like you have a clue about the women's team.

UConn did let Iowa hang in there and Geno himself all but said so when interviewed before the 2nd quarter.

 

[SCGamecock]

GREAT season, Huskies! I really did not expect you guys to even get this far based off of your adversity this season. What a season. You'll be back in the Final Four next season.

UConn played extremely tough tonight and thank you for the Clark gameplan. Geno is the best at finding the chink in the armor. For those of you Huskies that may be rooting for the Gamecocks on Sunday, we will do our best to try to take a little bit of your gameplan and bring it home.

 

[iri10]

What a roller coaster of a season. From extreme high initial expectations, with a mostly healthy roster. To bruising disappointment as we lost important player after important player. To the end of the season into the postseason, where it looked like UConn had learned to compensate as well as they could for their roster deficiencies, and put on a nice streak of tough winning.

The FF was 1-2 games further than I saw them going, months ago. And they were a bucket from going even further.

Like most others here, I just wish that the play had lived or died in the hands of the players, of both teams. And not with a referee call that was probably technically correct, but never called in the vast majority of high profile games in the closing seconds with the game on the line.

 

[Steve Frohock]

Because the refs handed Iowa the game, I am now rooting for SC. Go Gamecocks!

Nope. Never

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Geno just summed it up perfectly:
"There's probably an illegal screen call that you could make on every single possession. I just know that there were three or four of them called on us and I don't think there were any called on them."

He could've easily just given Paige the ball and let her make a play instead of messing with a screen. Despite all his talk about Paige being the best player he decided she needed help making a winning play. Iowa would have never set a screen for Clark.

 

[hoophuskee]

So, if the ref doesn’t make that call and Paige hits the game-winner, is the story the missed moving screen by Edwards? No? Exactly.

Probably not the story because if oyu start making comments about "should have been called," then you certainly could point to a short time earlier the Clark push-off in the lane, couldn't you? . . . Exactly.

 

[Barkin Out]

I give AE a ton of credit for keeping her composure in the press conference when being asked repeatedly about the call. The kid sounds like she has 10 lbs of concrete in her sinuses because someone smashed her nose on a no-call. And with less than 10 seconds in a national semi final she gets called for that ticky tack trash. From now on, whenever I feel my temper begin to boil, I will think of Aaliyah and gain strength from her example.

 

[iri10]

Ugh. Watched it again.

Most frustrating part about that last play is that Aaliyah set a great FIRST screen. Marshall just gets wiped out and has a hard time fighting over it, and Paige comes to the three-point line wide open … if that was the play. But since that was the decoy/misdirection, that screen working that well actually blew the play up because Bueckers came back into traffic, where Marshall was waiting.

This screen cap Marshall is just finally getting around Edwards and Paige isn’t even moving hard - she’s just sorta loafing, waiting to cut back to the sideline as the play was designed. If she was cutting hard and Muhl was looking to pass, she’d have had Iowa in trouble.

Our decoy screen was probably the best screen we set for her all night.

Looking at those replays, I'm wondering if Paige was actually going to look for a pass to Edwards under the basket. Edwards turned back toward the basket and looked like she was going to streak to the hoop. Stuelke rushed out toward Paige to take over the defensive load. Possibly leaving an open Aaliyah under the basket, if Paige got the pass right.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Probably not the story because if oyu start making comments about "should have been called," then you certainly could point to a short time earlier the Clark push-off in the lane, couldn't you? . . . Exactly.

Was this when she forearmed KK and made a shot, or a different pitiful call?

 

[hoophuskee]

He could've easily just given Paige the ball and let her make a play instead of messing with a screen. Despite all his talk about Paige being the best player he decided she needed help making a winning play. Iowa would have never set a screen for Clark.

I agree with most of your comments and I agree the play was too convuluted. But Clark is more of a one-on-one player. Paige does need picks more. How often is Paige ispalted in the manner Clark is? SO, why not just give Paige the ball after one pass in which she would be coming "downhill" at a defender with the option to pick and roll or take a pull-up?

But I agree - not a good call - I jus thinktoo much dribbling wiht Nika toward the corner.

 

[Fastbreak]

I wonder if it was a broken play? Reminds me of that play a few years ago in the loss to Mississippi State.

 

[hoophuskee]

Looking at those replays, I'm wondering if Paige was actually going to look for a pass to Edwards under the basket. Edwards turned back toward the basket and looked like she was going to streak to the hoop. Stuelke rushed out toward Paige to take over the defensive load. Possibly leaving an open Aaliyah under the basket, if Paige got the pass right.

I was asking something similar with another poster. I had also thought about Aaliyah streaking - but did it really look like she was going to roll toward the basket?