UConn Women: Geno Auriemma Gathers Team, And The 2018-19 Project Has Begun

[the Q]

When UConn had Stewie, Mo & Tuck, they were clearly the "best team on the floor" with the possible exception of their freshman year when the Huskies caught a few breaks. The past two seasons, while the Huskies were very good, they lacked the dominant player to put them over the top. As a result they faced teams that were equally talented and lost.

There was no one equally talented.

 

[oldude]

There was no one equally talented.

We're going to have to disagree on that.

 

[the Q]

We're going to have to disagree on that.

the top 6 players on that team are all likely to be WNBA first round picks.

A few will go top 5.

Does anyone else come close to that?

 

[Crossover]

It's not unless you're clearly the best team on the floor.

whcih they were each of the past 2 years, and it wasn't really close.

They've given 2 titles away the past 2 years.

It's like prime Tiger at a major. When is a top 5 finish at the masters a failure? When you're Tiger Woods.

Did you watch the semi-final game? On that night Notre Dame was the best team on the floor. Excellent team defense, excellent job of finding the shooters on offense, a lights out performance by Jackie Young, and an ice-water performance by Arike Ogunbowale. The notion that UCONN "gave away" the game is beyond insulting to both teams.

 

[phil sampieri]

When UConn had Stewie, Mo & Tuck, they were clearly the "best team on the floor" with the possible exception of their freshman year when the Huskies caught a few breaks. The past two seasons, while the Huskies were very good, they lacked the dominant player to put them over the top. As a result they faced teams that were equally talented and lost.

We were the best team on the floor but not that day.

 

[Jeff H]

It's not unless you're clearly the best team on the floor.

whcih they were each of the past 2 years, and it wasn't really close.

They've given 2 titles away the past 2 years.

It's like prime Tiger at a major. When is a top 5 finish at the masters a failure? When you're Tiger Woods.

This whole idea that UConn is so good that any loss is an abject failure is just not realistic. The history of sports shows that on a given day the best team doesn't always win. I think if UConn played ND in a best of five they'd win, but the difference in the teams is not so great that UConn should be expected to win every game. When Tiger Woods was dominating golf he had four days to come out on top. He didn't have to shoot the low round every day.

 

[the Q]

Did you watch the semi-final game? On that night Notre Dame was the best team on the floor. Excellent team defense, excellent job of finding the shooters on offense, a lights out performance by Jackie Young, and an ice-water performance by Arike Ogunbowale. The notion that UCONN "gave away" the game is beyond insulting to both teams.

It's also the truth.

Unforced turnovers, playing jittery, no one looking to take the game over (reiterated on the SNY season review episode). Getting beat up the court by much heavier girls in transition.

It was similar to last year. A lot of mental mistakes.

 

[hugefan]

Except we had 3 main players with 4 fouls and 3 players with injuries playing in a 45 minute game.

 

[Buzzyboy]

C'mon, Nan. Comments such as "You constantly question Geno" (which isn't true. I rarely but sometimes do) and "This is a slap in the face of the entire program" is not an exchange of ideas just like I asked for. It's closer to a soft shaming as it has nothing to do with the topic at hand. Not that I can't handle that, it sometimes goes with the territory of expressing a minority opinion, unfortunately. But that's what it is.

Sounds like a song from the past, with lyrics "why is everybody always picking on me". You say you can handle it and yet you continue to respond which says that you really can't handle it or at least can't handle it very well. You throw out an opinion, your opinion to the altar, and when the response doesn't seem to suit you, you're hurt? It seems like that is what this whole site is about, isn't it?

 

[Buzzyboy]

It's also the truth.

Unforced turnovers, playing jittery, no one looking to take the game over (reiterated on the SNY season review episode). Getting beat up the court by much heavier girls in transition.

It was similar to last year. A lot of mental mistakes.

I agree it was anybody's game but just the fact that Notre Dame gave up two five point leads in both the last few seconds of regulation and then in overtime, prior to the game winning shot by Notre Dame AND that usually very reliable Gabby missed a layup with 2 seconds left in regulation that would have won that game, suggests that MAYBE you should question Notre Dame at least as much as you seem to be UConn.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Except we had 3 main players with 4 fouls and 3 players with injuries playing in a 45 minute game.

Some people will now talk of Notre Dame having three ACL players on their team. Who knows if that didn't work to their benefit because it may have developed team chemistry that wouldn't have existed had the other girls been healthy. That is a totally unanswerable question either way since we'll never know, will we????

 

[the Q]

I agree it was anybody's game but just the fact that Notre Dame gave up two five point leads in both the last few seconds of regulation and then in overtime, prior to the game winning shot by Notre Dame AND that usually very reliable Gabby missed a layup with 2 seconds left in regulation that would have won that game, suggests that MAYBE you should question Notre Dame at least as much as you seem to be UConn.

ND was playing without their best player and their PG.

The fact that they were even in the game is a feat.

 

[Buzzyboy]

It's not unless you're clearly the best team on the floor.

whcih they were each of the past 2 years, and it wasn't really close.

They've given 2 titles away the past 2 years.

It's like prime Tiger at a major. When is a top 5 finish at the masters a failure? When you're Tiger Woods.

Healthy, I would unequivocally say that UConn was the best team in women's college basketball. They weren't in the tournament because they weren't healthy though they still should have probably won the whole thing.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Who from UConn wasn’t healthy other than Coombs?

 

[Buzzyboy]

ND was playing without their best player and their PG.

The fact that they were even in the game is a feat.

There is absolutely no way of knowing how the chemistry would be different if their "best" player were playing. Their offense might actually be better without her because she isn't the big focus of their offense and therefore, it's more efficient and players that wouldn't have been as integral have had the opportunity to contribute in different and better ways. They had a player throw up a career high (by far) in points and as mentioned, UConn was hurt and had a few players saddled with fouls that really crippled their ability to play defense aggressively. The way the game was called by the refs (I'm not saying they were anti-UConn) played into Notre Dame's hands and we all know that their success a few years back had a lot to do with Notre Dame coaching their players on how to draw fouls or at least FOUL CALLS to not only score points from the free throw line but also to handicap their opponents.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Who from UConn wasn’t healthy other than Coombs?

Gabby and KLS!

 

[HoopsFan21]

Gabby and KLS!

Gabby’s injury actually seemed to help her (per Geno), and KLS has an injury that’s chronic that she’s had since high school (per KLS) and will to the day she’s six feet under. Players on every team are dealing with things at the end of a long and grueling season. UConn has been lucky the last several years when it comes to injuries - definitely an advantage over opponents.

 

[hugefan]

Some people will now talk of Notre Dame having three ACL players on their team. Who knows if that didn't work to their benefit because it may have developed team chemistry that wouldn't have existed had the other girls been healthy. That is a totally unanswerable question either way since we'll never know, will we????

It certainly developed something but I would say it caused sympathy as their coach whined about it over and over and over and yet they got 23 free throws so you could say it worked. They also had an ACL that transferred out, so maybe the real question by the press should have been - what are you doing to have so many ACLs, at some point maybe there should be some accountability by ND and enough of the whining. As far as their PG she was also a transfer from Stanford. Turner was never going to play this season so why keep whining about it when the NCAA gave you Shepard and only you an eligible transfer.

 

[donalddoowop]

Did you watch the semi-final game? On that night Notre Dame was the best team on the floor. Excellent team defense, excellent job of finding the shooters on offense, a lights out performance by Jackie Young, and an ice-water performance by Arike Ogunbowale. The notion that UCONN "gave away" the game is beyond insulting to both teams.

Did you watch the semi-final game? On that night Notre Dame was the best team on the floor. Excellent team defense, excellent job of finding the shooters on offense, a lights out performance by Jackie Young, and an ice-water performance by Arike Ogunbowale. The notion that UCONN "gave away" the game is beyond insulting to both teams.

ND defense was not excellent in that game. Good defense does not give up five point leads twice with less than a minute to go. Neither team played good defense.

 

[JustinesGuy]

There was no one equally talented.

Geno told me with regards to stewies senior year that they could have played every game against a top 25 team and they would never lose that year. In that year against any competition they would not lose.

 

[Tenspro2002]

“Somebody asked [before the 2017-18 season] where I would like to be,” Auriemma said. “I said I'd like to be in the same spot we were in [the year before] and we'll take our chances. Well, we were in the same exact spot and we took our chances and we came up short. All right. What's your goal for next year? I want to be in the same situation and we'll take our chances.”

Third time's a charm. Let's see if the upperclassmen can develop a little nasty while they're on the court.

Geno has some wise words for our Gloomy Gus's to ponder:

“I try not to dwell on things like I used to,” he said. “One of the biggest differences over the years, and maybe because success does this to you -- maybe back in the day this would bother me forever. You would sometimes overreact, sometimes be rash in decisions you make. The feeling is still the same, any time you lose on the final weekend. But how long you hold onto it, that's changed.”

"Nasty" is a good way to describe it.

I think Lou has the capacity for it, but the tone for the last couple of years was set by Kia and Gabby, who were much more businesslike and buttoned-up in their approach to the game. That was fine over the course of a long season, but two years in a row we failed to match the intensity and verve of a spunky underdog. We were left lacking in terms of someone with the gumption to take things personally and take over the game.

Someone with attitude is needed.

 

[the Q]

"Nasty" is a good way to describe it.

I think Lou has the capacity for it, but the tone for the last couple of years was set by Kia and Gabby, who were much more businesslike and buttoned-up in their approach to the game. That was fine over the course of a long season, but two years in a row we failed to match the intensity and verve of a spunky underdog. We were left lacking in terms of someone with the gumption to take things personally and take over the game.

Someone with attitude is needed.

I really think that part is more skillset. But yes part of it was attitude.

Last year everyone but Gabby was scared with the ball.

This year in the 4th quarter you saw no one wanting to take over, even Gabby.

But KLS really needs to work on her ball handling if that's gonna be her next year, and Danger needs to work on her shooting. Both have the ability to take over, and now that their upperclassmen leaders are gone, maybe they can.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Who from UConn wasn’t healthy other than Coombs?

Lou, Gabby, Crystal, and maybe Pheesa.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Lou, Gabby, Crystal, and maybe Pheesa.

Their injuries did not prevent them from playing and are the same kind of nagging injuries that all players have to deal with over a six month long season. Injuries played no role in the outcome of the season. UConn has been very fortunate to not have the injuries other teams have had to deal with.

 

[HuskyNan]

Their injuries did not prevent them from playing and are the same kind of nagging injuries that all players have to deal with over a six month long season. Injuries played no role in the outcome of the season. UConn has been very fortunate to not have the injuries other teams have had to deal with.

Pretty cavalier attitude for someone sitting on a couch watching the game. Some of the injuries, especially the IT band syndrome and the shin splits, were very painful to play through. And Gabby suffered migraines as well.