UConn-South Carolina game

[FridaFriend]

I'm just glad that Cardoso is not going to be out because she is injured.

 

[Cuango]

UConn women's basketball must be in a sad state if some of us are celebrating the fact that an opposing player will miss a regular season game.

Make no mistake, SC has four bench players who are as good as any other sixth woman in the country. If there was ever a team that could do without their leading scorer for one game, it's them.

Newsflash! UConn women’s basketball is in a sad state! They’ve got five starting level players sitting on their bench and are essentially playing 7 against 12 every game with four of those seven, being freshmen. I don’t really see Cardoso’s absence having much of an effect. They (SC) are massive favorites and we will have to play exceptionally well and have some luck on our side to have any chance at all!

 

[Zarathustra]

I'm just glad that Cardoso is not going to be out because she is injured.

Cardoso is playing with the Brazilian National team this weekend (to
qualify for the Olympics). Dawn mentioned that the other day.

 

[Shenandoah]

Newsflash! UConn women’s basketball is in a sad state! They’ve got five starting level players sitting on their bench and are essentially playing 7 against 12 every game with four of those seven, being freshmen. I don’t really see Cardoso’s absence having much of an effect. They (SC) are massive favorites and we will have to play exceptionally well and have some luck on our side to have any chance at all!

Now it's 6 against 12, as Q hardly saw the floor against St. Johns. Geno is running his starters into the ground, again. Cardoso's absence won't make a dent in the outcome, except in the SC blocked shots total.

 

[Geew1992]

So glad the players and coaches don’t think the way some of y’all do. Or they may as well not show up

 

[HopJim]

Predict that the game will be determined by the number of mistakes UConn does or doesn't make. I believe our top 4 starters have a slight edge without Cardoso and if Nika can eliminate her bad passes and fouls, we should be very competitive for 90% of the game. If Ice and Q can just play solid in limited sub minutes, let the game come to them with no major mistakes, we should be fine.

 

[AmeriConn]

This is the one game Paige must take over from tipoff.

 

[CB360]

So UCONN wins because S.C. was missing Cardoso , UCONN loses , they can't even beat a team that's missing one of if not their best player. UCONN won't/can't win in the media's perception ........ Just saying....

 

[Darwin]

Now it's 6 against 12, as Q hardly saw the floor against St. Johns. Geno is running his starters into the ground, again. Cardoso's absence won't make a dent in the outcome, except in the SC blocked shots total.

SC has 11 players on their roster. Minus Cardoso, there will be 10 available for UCONN, not 12. It will be 10 against 9 therefore.

 

[boscolino]

SC: too deep even without Cardoso, too long, too quick, simply too much for this bombed by injuries Huskies team. Imho.

 

[hoopsfan22]

SC has 11 players on their roster. Minus Cardoso, there will be 10 available for UCONN, not 12. It will be 10 against 9 therefore.

UConn will have 9 available. The starting five, plus a bench of Q and Ice, and then Ines and Amari who are basically there for cheerleading and mop up duty.

 

[visitingcock]

UConn will have 9 available. The starting five, plus a bench of Q and Ice, and then Ines and Amari who are basically there for cheerleading and mop up duty.

SCar will have 10 available. The starting five with Ashlyn Watkins starting in place of Cardosa, plus a 3 woman primary bench of Fulwiley (1/2), Tessa Johnson (2/3), and Sania Feagin (4/5). The deep bench of Sakima Walker (5) and Saynya Jah (3/4) are there basically for cheerleading and mop-up duty.

Yes, we have more depth of woman power for this game and Dawn will try to wear y'all out for the 4th quarter just as she has done all year. Yes, we are favored. No, we are not a lock to win. Look at what Duke, UNC, Utah, LSU and even Vanderbilt did. We rarely blow opponents out early. We allow decent teams to hang with us til the end when our depth wears them down. Is the strategy infallible? No. Sometimes a determined opponent can save their best for that last 5 minute push. Paige with the ball in the final minutes of a close game is, . . . well . . . Paige.

UConn has a possible advantage in that their starters are accustomed to playing long minutes. Ours are not. Could our starters be tired for the last 5 minute push by UConn? Possibly.

I expect to win at home. Am I certain? Heck no! Not even close! The day has not yet come that anybody can feel certain of a win over Geno's gals.

Good luck in everything except the final score and may all our players end the game healthy!

 

[CL82]

Good luck in everything except the final score and may all our players end the game healthy!

Back at you! I look forward to playing against South Carolina every year and I hope the series continues. Dawn and Geno are two of the best coaches in the game and both programs are excellent. South Carolina is an excellent team and no doubt it will be challenging for the Huskies, particularly in South Carolina. I'd rather play you guys with Cardosa available, but we have our work cut out for us regardless.

 

[maple]

SCar will have 10 available. The starting five with Ashlyn Watkins starting in place of Cardosa, plus a 3 woman primary bench of Fulwiley (1/2), Tessa Johnson (2/3), and Sania Feagin (4/5). The deep bench of Sakima Walker (5) and Saynya Jah (3/4) are there basically for cheerleading and mop-up duty.

Yes, we have more depth of woman power for this game and Dawn will try to wear y'all out for the 4th quarter just as she has done all year. Yes, we are favored. No, we are not a lock to win. Look at what Duke, UNC, Utah, LSU and even Vanderbilt did. We rarely blow opponents out early. We allow decent teams to hang with us til the end when our depth wears them down. Is the strategy infallible? No. Sometimes a determined opponent can save their best for that last 5 minute push. Paige with the ball in the final minutes of a close game is, . . . well . . . Paige.

UConn has a possible advantage in that their starters are accustomed to playing long minutes. Ours are not. Could our starters be tired for the last 5 minute push by UConn? Possibly.

I expect to win at home. Am I certain? Heck no! Not even close! The day has not yet come that anybody can feel certain of a win over Geno's gals.

Good luck in everything except the final score and may all our players end the game healthy!

This is what I think makes it possible for UConn to squeak out a win.

4Q, an evenly matched game ... UConn gets hot, SCar goes cold ... anything can happen. Not saying it will. I expect a loss to SCar (just being realistic), but we hung with you guys last year with a depleted roster and almost stole a win.

Hope for the best, expect the worst.

 

[HuskyNan]

SCar will have 10 available. The starting five with Ashlyn Watkins starting in place of Cardosa, plus a 3 woman primary bench of Fulwiley (1/2), Tessa Johnson (2/3), and Sania Feagin (4/5). The deep bench of Sakima Walker (5) and Saynya Jah (3/4) are there basically for cheerleading and mop-up duty.

Yes, we have more depth of woman power for this game and Dawn will try to wear y'all out for the 4th quarter just as she has done all year. Yes, we are favored. No, we are not a lock to win. Look at what Duke, UNC, Utah, LSU and even Vanderbilt did. We rarely blow opponents out early. We allow decent teams to hang with us til the end when our depth wears them down. Is the strategy infallible? No. Sometimes a determined opponent can save their best for that last 5 minute push. Paige with the ball in the final minutes of a close game is, . . . well . . . Paige.

UConn has a possible advantage in that their starters are accustomed to playing long minutes. Ours are not. Could our starters be tired for the last 5 minute push by UConn? Possibly.

I expect to win at home. Am I certain? Heck no! Not even close! The day has not yet come that anybody can feel certain of a win over Geno's gals.

Good luck in everything except the final score and may all our players end the game healthy!

I’m not as worried about the height issue as I am about the experience difference. Everyone in your starting five played last year and has a national championship. UConn starts two true freshmen and brings two freshmen off the bench to complement 3 seniors. I don’t worry about the seniors being overwhelmed by the moment but the freshmen are another story

 

[UC77]

View attachment 96062

Only makes it worse if they lose ..

 

[visitingcock]

I’m not as worried about the height issue as I am about the experience difference. Everyone in your starting five played last year and has a national championship. UConn starts two true freshmen and brings two freshmen off the bench to complement 3 seniors. I don’t worry about the seniors being overwhelmed by the moment but the freshmen are another story

Well, Poa Poa and Chloe Kitts don't have championships, Two freshmen are in our guard rotation and starter Kitts at 4 is little more than a freshman. But you are right, they will be used to the friendly crowd of 18,000, if not the hoopla of the moment. Your newbies will be facing a huge, hostile crowd for the first time. (or have y'all played a road game against a huge crowd this year.)

 

[HuskyNan]

Well, Poa Poa and Chloe Kitts don't have championships, Two freshmen are in our guard rotation and starter Kitts at 4 is little more than a freshman. But you are right, they will be used to the friendly crowd of 18,000, if not the hoopla of the moment. Your newbies will be facing a huge, hostile crowd for the first time. (or have y'all played a road game against a huge crowd this year.)

Texas was on the road. Minnesota was also sold out

was also sold

 

[hoopsnloops32]

SCar will have 10 available. The starting five with Ashlyn Watkins starting in place of Cardosa, plus a 3 woman primary bench of Fulwiley (1/2), Tessa Johnson (2/3), and Sania Feagin (4/5). The deep bench of Sakima Walker (5) and Saynya Jah (3/4) are there basically for cheerleading and mop-up duty.

Yes, we have more depth of woman power for this game and Dawn will try to wear y'all out for the 4th quarter just as she has done all year. Yes, we are favored. No, we are not a lock to win. Look at what Duke, UNC, Utah, LSU and even Vanderbilt did. We rarely blow opponents out early. We allow decent teams to hang with us til the end when our depth wears them down. Is the strategy infallible? No. Sometimes a determined opponent can save their best for that last 5 minute push. Paige with the ball in the final minutes of a close game is, . . . well . . . Paige.

UConn has a possible advantage in that their starters are accustomed to playing long minutes. Ours are not. Could our starters be tired for the last 5 minute push by UConn? Possibly.

I expect to win at home. Am I certain? Heck no! Not even close! The day has not yet come that anybody can feel certain of a win over Geno's gals.

Good luck in everything except the final score and may all our players end the game healthy!

Yes but we get blown out early. See the UCLA and Texas games. It’s not really about South Carolina, it’s about UConn and how uncompetitive we are against good teams.

And Uconns starters aren’t used to playing long minutes. Until very recently l, only Nika and Ashlyn were regularly playing over 30 minutes a game. So no advantage there.

Paige isn’t Paige anymore mentally. If she shows up for this game it would be a nice surprise. She’s only played sparingly in 4th quarters this year and only well in 4th quarter 2-3 times.

 

[Artifact]

May God bless her on her trip ! But, you still must pray !

 

[GoUconn7961]

This will not matter at all. I already have the "L" penciled in. Hopefully they'll prove me wrong.

 

[Cuango]

Obviously, we do have a chance to win this game! Unfortunately, it’s a very small chance and requires a lot of things to go well for us. One thing that is absolutely necessary is that we avoid falling behind by more than 8-10 points throughout the game. We especially need to be strong at the beginning of both halves. The odds are very much against us but if we can somehow be within striking distance at the end, Paige could win this for us.
I find it quite amusing that even though they (SC) have every advantage in this game, many commentators are clearly a little nervous about this game. I’m unsure why, as they (SC) are healthy, have a huge numbers and talent advantage, are playing at home, and are simply better at this time. This would be a monumental upset, hence the nervousness I suppose, as it would not be a good look for them to lose this game. The sleek, healthy, favorite son losing to the old, balding, slightly paunchy has beens in a walking boot, is not something they wish to contemplate. Fortunately for them, I don’t think it’s likely to happen! The disparity between the two teams is just too great right now. What a story it would be though!

 

[AmeriConn]

This would be a good game for Paige to put up 40 points.

 

[visitingcock]

Obviously, we do have a chance to win this game! Unfortunately, it’s a very small chance and requires a lot of things to go well for us. One thing that is absolutely necessary is that we avoid falling behind by more than 8-10 points throughout the game. We especially need to be strong at the beginning of both halves. The odds are very much against us but if we can somehow be within striking distance at the end, Paige could win this for us.
I find it quite amusing that even though they (SC) have every advantage in this game, many commentators are clearly a little nervous about this game. I’m unsure why, as they (SC) are healthy, have a huge numbers and talent advantage, are playing at home, and are simply better at this time. This would be a monumental upset, hence the nervousness I suppose, as it would not be a good look for them to lose this game. The sleek, healthy, favorite son losing to the old, balding, slightly paunchy has beens in a walking boot, is not something they wish to contemplate. Fortunately for them, I don’t think it’s likely to happen! The disparity between the two teams is just too great right now. What a story it would be though!

Who would not be "a little nervous" about playing "THE Program" in wbb? Not be a good look? Meh, I don't think many of us care about that. It wasn't a good look when Mizzou beat us two years ago. We have won the title with regular season defeats. Twice. We have never won a title after being undefeated in the regular season.

"old, balding, slightly paunchy has beens in a walking boot?" I'm telling Geno on you!

 

[HuskyNan]

This would be a good game for Paige to put up 40 points.

Aaliyah is also free to put up another 33 points, too