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"There’s no failure in sports. There’s good days, bad days, some days you’re able to be successful, some days you’re not. Some days it’s your turn, some days it’s not your turn. That’s what sports [are] about. You don’t always win. Someone else is going to win.”Nika Mühl is laser-focused on a national championship
After three seasons ending in heartbreak at UConn, the senior point guard will do whatever's necessary to earn a ring.
Agree, though I'd substitute "lucky" for "dominant." We were unlucky. They were lucky. Every champion needs a little luck. The key is being ready for what luck brings you.Carnac- -
I believe that philosophy. When the injuries kept mounting and mounting, I saw the writing on the wall and said many times that last year WAS NOT our year. There's nothing wrong with that. It was somebody else's (LSU) turn to win. When it's your year, you will win. When it's not, you won't. Nobody wins every year.
Personally, with all the injuries UConn suffered last year, at times having only 6 players who were able to dress for a game, UConn did quite well. Better than most teams would have given the same circumstances. If you were a betting man/woman, who would you take to win this year's championship.......LSU or the field?
Carnac- - YES! I think that it was just one of those years for LSU!
No matter what happened to LSU they were destined to win the NCAA!
Every mistake turned their way, players off the bench having career games, etc.
Like the Mets in 1969, nothing was stopping that runaway train!
I don't think LSU will be as dominate this coming season!
After the last 2 years this is UCONN's turn to shine!
Doggy........I'd rather be "lucky" than good. In order to win the BIG ones, the ball has to bounce "your way" a few times.
Any coach in any sport will tell you that.
Unfortunately, UConn has been blessed with "bad" luck the past two years. Lucky better than good. Ok. In my opinion, the only luck UConn needs this season is a healthy roster, particularly Paige. If they have "luck," they will be very good.Doggy........I'd rather be "lucky" than good. In order to win the BIG ones, the ball has to bounce "your way" a few times.
If UConn can go through the entire season healthy, like LSU and South Carolina did last year, things will take care of themselves. UConn is too talented and too deep not to be successful this year.
Totally agree. Though to repeat a championship you need to be good as well as lucky.Doggy........I'd rather be "lucky" than good. In order to win the BIG ones, the ball has to bounce "your way" a few times.
Once you get to the Final 4, two first team All Americans on the bench would derail any team.
I agree Carnac. But we have one more aspect going for Uconn. Our past history and our striving for perfection and the NC. Paige and Nika and Azzi had thought that when they signed with Uconn that they would have a NC ring by now. The same with Caroline. With the players we have now on the roster, we now have the fire power, defense, grit and determination to go all the way. This team, unlike past teams, are on a quest to accomplished what was predicted of them and thru bad luck injuries, deterred them. They are GOOD and they know it, so they will not be denied. This is their time, this is their destiny and they will prevail! GO HUSKIES!!!!If UConn can go through the entire season healthy, like LSU and South Carolina did last year, things will take care of themselves. UConn is too talented and too deep not to be successful this year.
Few if any teams have the "firepower" or the ability to score as they do. Geno can put 5 starters on the floor that can score 20 points in any given game. How many other teams can do that? I also expect this team to be very very stingy on defense as well.
I completely agreed with your take. Ergo my personal mantra for the season......................"it's time."
If you're really really good as the 1995 team, or the Breanna Stewart era teams were, luck played a very small part in that equation.
Most of the games weren't close enough for luck to have an effect on the outcome.
Doggie....seriously, I think the only team that can stop UConn this year is........UConn. I know there are other teams that are talented and formidable. The usual cast of top 10 teams. BUT.........................I really think THIS is our year. I'm going to keep believing it until we're out of the tournament, or hoisting the trophy.
As a UConn fan....nothing would please me more than for this team to kick ass and take names one game at a time. Run the table. Run the table like they did in 1995 - 35-0. UConn has 6 undefeated seasons under Geno, so it's not a bridge too far.
I’m with you. This is what luck will have brought us — a healthy team — and we have the gunners and the bruisers and the runners and the slashers to know what to do with this bit of smiling luck.Doggie....seriously, I think the only team that can stop UConn this year is........UConn. I know there are other teams that are talented and formidable. The usual cast of top 10 teams. BUT.........................I really think THIS is our year. I'm going to keep believing it until we're out of the tournament, or hoisting the trophy.
After Paige and Ice went down before the season began, I didn't feel this way. I really think this is our year!!!
I would take the field in the LSU Vs. the field bet, because UCONN is in that field.A clip from Giannis Antetokounmpo...“Every year you build towards something,” he began, “… there’s always steps to it. Michael Jordan played 15 years, won six championships. The other nine years are a failure? … There’s no failure in sports. There’s good days, bad days, some days you’re able to be successful, some days you’re not. Some days (years) it’s your turn, some days (years) it’s not your turn. That’s what sports [are] about. You don’t always win. Someone else is going to win.”
I believe that philosophy. When the injuries kept mounting and mounting, I saw the writing on the wall and said many times that last year WAS NOT our year. There's nothing wrong with that. It was somebody else's (LSU) turn to win. When it's your year, you will win. When it's not, you won't. Nobody wins every year.
Personally, with all the injuries UConn suffered last year, at times having only 6 players who were able to dress for a game, UConn did quite well. Better than most teams would have given the same circumstances. If you were a betting man/woman, who would you take to win this year's championship.......LSU or the field?
I think this coming season, given the talent and depth Geno has, this is his best chance to win number 12 since the Stewart era ended 7 years ago. He has a veteran upperclassmen starting line up, and an unusually (for UConn) deep bench of 9 reserves.
I never understood that expression. Good is good, and luck is fleeting and uncontrollable. Look at all the great athletes. How many were good versus lucky?
We were a great team last season, and profoundly unlucky. If we hadn't lost Paige and Ice early on, and then Caroline and then Azzi, and then Dorka for a stretch, and even Ayanna and Nika briefly, I think we could have run the table. That's what luck can do to a great team.
Luck in your sport can be a simple bounce of the ball or a “clutch” play, or sometimes a play that wasn't made by an opponent. How many times have we seen the outcome of a game be decided by a last-minute or last-second play?
Lucky not to have injuries, lucky to have good refs, lucky in which opponent wins the previous round…
That was Edna Mode in The Incredibles. She’s always been a role model for me.
One more note about my query.........................This year, I'm adopting the "tonyc" outlook for UConn the entire season, with unbridled optimism. Beginning with the assumption that the injury woes that plagued us the last two years are over. We had more than our share of injuries. Injuries that for the most part debilitated our team before it began. Then it got worse. Who saw UConn get down to 6 healthy players that could dress for a game? Who saw conference losses to Marquette and St. Johns that season?
Some teams like LSU and South Carolina didn't have any injuries to their core players all year. Let us have a large glass of THAT Kool-Aid.
Paige missed the entire season, Azzi played in only 15 of UConn's 37 games (40%).
I have often wondered how Iowa would have faired if Caitlin Clark had been lost for the year, and Monika Czinano played in only 15 games?
Or South Carolina if Aliyah Boston was lost for the entire year, and Zia Cooke missed 40% of their games? And finally, LSU if Angel Reese missed the entire season, and Alexis Morris played in only 15 games. Tell me that LSU still wins the championship in spite of their two best players being out for as many games as Paige and Azzi were.
I've heard coaches and players in various sports say, "sometimes, you make your own luck." In baseball, you've heard of "a lucky bounce"?