UConn - SC post game

[Cuango]

We were completely outclassed

As we should have been! It would have required basically a miracle for us to win that game. SC is simply out of our league at this point. We could win against them but t would require many things to go right for us and many things to go wrong for them! I’m actually grateful it wasn’t worse! As bad as it was, there were a few encouraging things, Aaliyah, while not playing her best game, nevertheless was able to produce 20-12-3, Paige, though imo clearly not “right” produced her average, and Ash, though clearly overwhelmed with the “Bigness” of the game, kept shooting when most freshmen would have folded! As for the rest, it was pretty grim! Nika played very poorly imo, with 5 pretty bad turnovers, six points, and not the best defense I’ve seen from her. KK was simply overwhelmed and could not seem to adjust to the SC shotblocking! Q, while finally hitting a three in the waning moments, was a nonfactor, going 1/5 and was basically a swinging door on defense. Brady too, was a non factor, playing 14 minutes with one offensive rebound and zero shot attempts! However, the mere fact that she was able to stay on the floor for 14 minutes was somewhat encouraging.

The truth is, considering who is sitting on our bench, unable to play, the fact that we are 20-5 with a strong chance at an undefeated conference run, is practically a miracle! We have five wins against ranked teams and will likely finish the regular season with six. We admittedly have two bad losses, ND and NC State, though the NC State game is not so bad in retrospect. We will likely host for the NCAA tourney barring some epic collapse in the Big East tournament. We still are on track to accomplish the first two goals for every UConn team, winning both the regular season and the conference tourney title for the Big East! I think many look at our record and forget that the Big East is, with the exception of Marquette and Creighton, pretty much at our mercy, even in our compromised state!

We basically have five effective players, two of which are freshmen, one journeyman point guard, and two very good players to round it out! Our “bench”, two freshmen”, were outscored 19-0 by our opponent today!
Our job now, is to support our team and appreciate whatever they are able to accomplish given their obvious disadvantage in size and numbers against virtually every team we play. They are still capable of making us proud and remember, our freshman are getting better with every game they play. Although we still hope for a run this year, those fans that are frustrated and critical of this team should understand the magnitude of what we have sitting on our bench every game! Even SC, who are clearly in a class of their own at the top of women’s college basketball, and who dominated us in every way, might be hard pressed to deal with five of their top players being unable to play for the entire season!

Is it possible that our time has passed and we will not win another title? Yes! Of course it is! Is it possible that we will not beat SC again? Yes! However, before we allow them to start throwing dirt on our coffin, how about we wait til we have a full, healthy roster and are able to match up with these top teams on an even (numerically & talent wise) basis! Til then, though disappointing, none of these losses mean squat as does all the talk about Geno not being able to cut it anymore! All of that could be true, I suppose, but not til he (and we) have a healthy roster! I’m betting that if we actually have a healthy team next year, all these naysayers will have to eat a lot of crow!

 

[Pharos]

"The credit belongs to the [wo]man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends [her]self in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if [she] fails, at least [she] fails while daring greatly, so that [her] place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.” (after Teddy Roosevelt, Paris, April 23, 1910)

 

[JBK]

I hate to be that guy, I'm a fan of everyone on the team but I do think this one is on Paige. They just don't have a great shot at winning these type of games if she doesn't play well. She missed a lot of clean looks. USC doesn't beat Stanford if Juju doesn't go crazy. Notre Dame doesn't win if Hidalgo doesn't go crazy. It's hard to win against a top 5 team if ur best player doesn't play well. I don't think it's for lack of effort but she struggled today.

Really hard on Paige when 2 starters were no threat today.
Even Clark is surrounded by 4 players that look to score.

 

[uconnever]

And if SC gets Strong?

Then they get her, the problem has been we are really just one or two players away. We’ve been off these past few years but not too far off. We need one of the elite players Strong or someone else because there are more out there. They’ve been going elsewhere lately, but we are still right there. I’ve been really down on this team but even I can see we are either a healthy team away and that’s it or a top player away, the pieces with health are definitely there. As I’ve said, these next two years of recruiting will tell us all we need to know.

 

[jandab]

The most troubling stat is Ice (the biggest player on the floor), 1 rebound in 15 minutes!!

Best not to speak if you offer little of value to Ice or the team!!

 

[REB1094]

that wasnt fun

 

[Sluconn Husky]

"When you're playing with sort of the limitations that we have with our roster right now, you're going to need a little bit of help, obviously, and you're going to have to play exceptionally well," UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said.

"... If you're going to win a game like this, you either have to have more more players with better talent, or you're gonna have to play a much smarter game and get some help from the other team. And we did not play a very smart game in the first half and certainly didn't get any help from them because they took advantage of every mistake that we made."

UConn women's basketball team no match for top-ranked South Carolina in 83-65 loss

The No. 11-ranked UConn women's basketball team was dismantled by top-ranked South Carolina Sunday in Columbia.

www.ctinsider.com

 

[hookshot]

If Shade (or Paige) had just hit some more of their open shots, then this would be a much different discussion. It would have been a lot closer. It just seems as if Shade has hit a bit of the Freshman Wall - she's just in a bit of a shooting slump. If she had made just 3 more of those 3s, we're talking a single digit loss. So maybe it wasn't quite as bad as some folks think.

I wouldn't throw too much shade at Shade, she is one of 7 who played and of one of 5 who had heavy minutes but had 25% of our total points. Who thought before the season that she would be having this much scoring impact. She took the right shots, given the scarcity of open looks, and consistent with her role as third most required scorer. She didn't have a great shooting percentage in this one, partially because those open looks were just a bit more rushed, but where would we have been without her 16 points. Who would you rather have been taking those shots.

 

[mikeboss550]

And won't Dawn have to come up with game plans to keep all of these players happy/involved when it comes to playing time. She may get all these good/great players but keeping them happy, well....
And now thinking about this, what has this have to do with a post game thread?????? Boy, did I fall for it.

She already does a solid job with 11 McDonald's all americans in the roster...ant very little xfers out of the program over her tenure

 

[uconnfan68]

Is that why I didn't recognize a lot of the posters? I've never been to the men's board because I like the women's game, it's below the rim.

There’s a problem with “below the rim” thinking. The game is passing you by.

 

[Oldschoolbb]

Here's what I see:

1. Not enough good midrange/outside shooters. Only Shade and Paige are.
2. Not enough rebounding - given the lack of size, Edwards needs to be pulling in about 20 per game to make UConn competitive.
3. Too many weak links defensively. Edwards is repeatedly taken advantage of, both in man situations and switches. Otherwise, most players can be shot over due to lack of size. Quick guards are kryptonite.
4. Not enough athleticism.
5. Paige has never been 100% recovered this season and now she's getting ground down.

It's just not an elite team.

 

[bantamlaker]

Shade certainly had a rough shooting day going 2 of 11 from three and 6 of 19 overall. It’s unusual for a freshman to have that level of confidence to keep shooting. I’ll have to rewatch the game but I don’t remember her taking many, if any, bad shots. It’s impressive that she was able to get that many decent looks against a quality defensive team. There will be many games in her UConn career where she hits the majority of those. After all, a 1 of 15 shooting performance against ND in the 2001 Final Four didn’t keep freshman Diana Taurasi from becoming the GOAT.

 

[MSGRET]

There’s a problem with “below the rim” thinking. The game is passing you by.

You enjoy your type of basketball and I'll enjoy mine. When I played it was below the rim and if you even had any type of grip on the rim it was a technical. Today they hang all over the rim and there's no call. I don't considerate it basketball anymore in the men's game, both pro and college.

 

[uconnfan68]

It looked like they passed up a few shots they would have taken in the first half, because Geno wanted more ball movement. I think that messed with a few heads.

 

[uconnfan68]

You enjoy your type of basketball and I'll enjoy mine. When I played it was below the rim and if you even had any type of grip on the rim it was a technical. Today they hang all over the rim and there's no call. I don't considerate it basketball anymore in the men's game, both pro and college.

The women’s game is rapidly progressing to be playing above the rim. Don’t get left behind.

 

[Ron and Vida]

Against better teams we just don’t have enough offense. Nika and KK combined for 6 points today and aren’t players who can take over offensively or have consistent enough offensive games to know what you’re going to get. Add that to we won’t get much offense from the bench that means we have 3 players who will need to outscore the other team.

Our team is what it is and they’ll keep working, keep looking to improve, and see where things go.

Lets go win the BE tourney and then get to March Madness where “survive and advance” is the name of the game.

Basically we’ve traditionally been a top four team but with the injuries we are a top 16 team

 

[MSGRET]

The women’s game is rapidly progressing to be playing above the rim. Don’t get left behind.

In all of the games played so far this season both women's Pro and College there have been fewer dunks in total then the dunks in most of any of the men's single game total.

 

[Conndog]

Today Geno needed scoring, and as good as Ines can be, she isn't a scorer, especially against athletic guards.

But neither is Nika typically, unless she is wide open for a three. If Ines is wide open, she can hit a three too. Maybe Ines would have had fewer turnovers today.

 

[msf22b]

But neither is Nika typically, unless she is wide open for a three. If Ines is wide open, she can hit a three too. Maybe Ines would have had fewer turnovers today.

Maybe Ines could have given the starters much needed rest

 

[Millenial23]

I wouldn't throw too much shade at Shade, she is one of 7 who played and of one of 5 who had heavy minutes but had 25% of our total points. Who thought before the season that she would be having this much scoring impact. She took the right shots, given the scarcity of open looks, and consistent with her role as third most required scorer. She didn't have a great shooting percentage in this one, partially because those open looks were just a bit more rushed, but where would we have been without her 16 points. Who would you rather have been taking those shots.

no shade intended at all! Just saying that if she had shot her average the sky wouldn't be falling and it would look respectable. everyone has off shooting nights.

 

[Darwin]

Seriously? UConn has 7 players, two of which are freshmen not ready to play in that atmosphere against that team. It's a 5-player team.

They were all recruited by UConn. They all wear the uniform. SC played all their freshman today.

 

[CleverLiz]

Tough game, especially on the road....our 2 All Americans had 20 each in a hard fought game. Picture Fudd shooting those 3s instead of Shade, and KK pulling up short for a quick jump shot instead having the same result over and over under the basket. 12 assists is not a good sign either, but the turnovers were even. Who knows what would have happen without injuries this year, all we can do is be happy with what we have.

Congratulations to SC - they played really well and with confidence. Each player contributed and without Cordova, stepped up their games. Dawn has depth at every position so players bring energy and appear well coached.

I’m proud of Allyah, Paige and Ashlynn -they competed and kept after it, playing defense!

KK and Nikka are outclassed angainst good guards, do not pose a scoring threat, allowing teams to double team our scorers.

Ice and Q struggle continuously against good teams, perhaps outside their comfort zones.

Nikka made back to back mistakes, early in Q4 when UCONN was on a run, resulting in a 7-0 swing and a foul.

The team needs to learn and grow from this loss.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

They were all recruited by UConn. They all wear the uniform. SC played all their freshman today.

And SC's freshmen (depending on if you count Kitts) went 2-16 from the field with 6 rebs & 3 assists in 45 mins.

 

[Zonepress]

Then they get her, the problem has been we are really just one or two players away. We’ve been off these past few years but not too far off. We need one of the elite players Strong or someone else because there are more out there. They’ve been going elsewhere lately, but we are still right there. I’ve been really down on this team but even I can see we are either a healthy team away and that’s it or a top player away, the pieces with health are definitely there. As I’ve said, these next two years of recruiting will tell us all we need to

"When you're playing with sort of the limitations that we have with our roster right now, you're going to need a little bit of help, obviously, and you're going to have to play exceptionally well," UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said.

"... If you're going to win a game like this, you either have to have more more players with better talent, or you're gonna have to play a much smarter game and get some help from the other team. And we did not play a very smart game in the first half and certainly didn't get any help from them because they took advantage of every mistake that we made."

UConn women's basketball team no match for top-ranked South Carolina in 83-65 loss

The No. 11-ranked UConn women's basketball team was dismantled by top-ranked South Carolina Sunday in Columbia.

www.ctinsider.com

Geno does have a way to put it a few words very accurately
It seems the two programs are going in different directions


I think it’s fair to say that in South Carolina is in the exulted spot once held by Tennessee and then Uconn
They’ve been the best program for the last five years and you’re pretty heavy favorites to win this year and I suspect it will be next year
They have a charismatic, coach who is developed a culture in which you wait your turn to play you get prepared for the WNBA and very few players transfer
They are indeed at the top of the mountain, and will stay there as long as Dawn continues to coach

UConn on the other hand has struggled to stay at the level they have enjoyed primarily due to injuries
But also some recruits who may not have played to expectations and unfortunately the injuries. Will affect the team next year as well (the assumption
That all these players who undergo surgery and return to who they were previously would be great to see but a big question) the talent level will
Dip appreciably if Paige decides not to return

It just shows how amazing the 25 year run of being a national championship contender was
It may take a few years of superlative recruiting to
Get back to the top of the mountain

In the meantime I will continue to go to the games and enjoy watching the team

 

[hookshot]

no shade intended at all! Just saying that if she had shot her average the sky wouldn't be falling and it would look respectable. everyone has off shooting nights.

Understood. I think what happens in these games against athletic defenses, is that your your looks are very brief (Paige passed up a couple of those ) but if you don't take them it may not get any better. For example Nika has become a very reliable shooter, "only" when she has a wide open look. So you end up taking your opportunities that suit you, and you can arguably credit Shade for that, but the looks may have been a little too quick for her. Similarly, Its hard to be critical when KK took several to the rim because the path was there and open. But you want to get foul shots, if not a basket, or a dish for a basket, in those situations and KK doesn't yet have the experience or skill to create that outcome. In HS, when she went to the rim, it always ended up a basket

 

[CleverLiz]

The only strategy that could've given UConn a chance was to slow the game to a crawl, limit possessions, and take the air out of the ball. But that's not how this UConn roster is made

I couldn’t agree more, your best players need to play their best in the biggest game, if the team is to win. I hate to say it and a lot of people will disagree, but i would not vote for Paige as an All American. I’m each of our losses, she was not the best player on the court, not even sure she was the best guard on that respective day:

NC State game, rivers was better
UCLA - KK Rice had more impact
Texas - Harmon was amazing
ND - Hidalgo, no question
SC - PaoPao

While Paige will probably get the AA hardware, it will be on reputation more than results.

Agree, it’s not for lack of effort, but she looks like them team has looked for a number of years now, mentally tired as much if not more than physically tired.

Paige needs to be able to take over a game and she doesn’t seem to have the stamina.

In order to win these games, you need good guard play and in every loss, that’s been the issue!

 

[Yukon]

SC playing mostly flawless basketball for most of the game. The first quarter set the tone when SC made everything and UConn didn’t. It looked like Edwards and Bueckers were playing against Sputh Carolina by themselves. The freshmen are inexperienced and doing the best that they can but it wasn enough today.

Paige looked very frustrated, as she ought to be. She needs help and didn’t seem to get it today. Too many unsuccessful drives to basket by KK, coming up empty time and time again. Geno can have the best game strategy but the players need to execute. Edwards was great, Paige looked very tired out there but she kept her fire.

The loss can be a learning experience but the injuries are huge. The team showed heart but not enough skill. SC looked better without Cordosa!

still gotta love the huskies!

krishna Das?

 

[uconnever]

Geno does have a way to put it a few words very accurately
It seems the two programs are going in different directions


I think it’s fair to say that in South Carolina is in the exulted spot once held by Tennessee and then Uconn
They’ve been the best program for the last five years and you’re pretty heavy favorites to win this year and I suspect it will be next year
They have a charismatic, coach who is developed a culture in which you wait your turn to play you get prepared for the WNBA and very few players transfer
They are indeed at the top of the mountain, and will stay there as long as Dawn continues to coach

UConn on the other hand has struggled to stay at the level they have enjoyed primarily due to injuries
But also some recruits who may not have played to expectations and unfortunately the injuries. Will affect the team next year as well (the assumption
That all these players who undergo surgery and return to who they were previously would be great to see but a big question) the talent level will
Dip appreciably if Paige decides not to return

It just shows how amazing the 25 year run of being a national championship contender was
It may take a few years of superlative recruiting to
Get back to the top of the mountain

In the meantime I will continue to go to the games and enjoy watching the team

I believe we are good at the guards spots with who we have and who’s coming back. Better if Paige comes back. Geno needs to be aggressive in the portal for our missing piece. An active athletic big with everyone back and we will be a favorite next year. We are right there NOW! But the recruiting needs to pick up just a bit. This year is just a growth year and that’s fine as long as we get that big because we can’t compete with our an aggressive athletic rebounding big. That’s all we will need next year if everyone comes back. You add our injured players and that big and we win this game next year.

 

[Spaceman213J]

Could see most of the team was pressing from the start.

I thought this game showed the most how much losing Griffin hurt. Anytime one of the starters is out now, especially against a high caliber team, it's almost like playing 4 on 5, especially on the offensive end. I still like Brady's and Samuels futures, but where they are now... it's a big drop from bringing a player like Griffin in. I'm not sure how effective how a healthy Ducharme would have been in this game.

Was really impressed with Watkins. She hit some shots and she is certainly a paint clogger.

I know people say she's out the door, but hoping AE comes back for her Covid year, or Geno is really going to have to hit the transfer portal hard to find a replacement. I like Jana from the video I've seen, but she is coming off a major injury and the best way to get rapid progression from young talent is to get them talent to battle in practice.

 

[MSGRET]

Who falls the most spots tomorrow in the AP poll? Iowa who lost to unranked Nebraska or UConn who lost to undisputed #1 South Carolina. To me it should Iowa, but being that it's the AP it will most likely be UConn even though SC is the undisputed #1 team.