We may have been caught by Surprise

[Zonepress]

To me every game is entertaining. It's part of what being a fan is all about. You chew off your nails, almost have a heart attack, etc. when it's a close game or loss, and sit back and enjoy the team going out and performing well in a blowout.

Honestly, I'm tired of the fickle fans who whine and complain about the blowouts. You want close games and losses, go be a fan of some mid major or middle of the pack team. If you can't find the joy in watching the players light it up in a blowout, and then get to see the reserves, who never see time in big games, come in and give it their all, then you aren't a true UConn fan.

It's the opposite end, but equally annoying as the fans who think every game should be a 20+ point win, even against top 10 teams. The last part of last season was unusual with UConn blowing out both final 4 and NC opponents. Believe it or not, the Juju-less USC team gave UConn the toughest game as we "only" won by 14. And we were down at halftime vs. Oklahoma only to win by 23 in the end.

IMHO people should enjoy every single second of UConn basketball for the next several years because Geno won't be here forever, and neither will the incredible players we have the privilege of enjoying.

Well said

 

[Ozimoto]

I remember that last season many thought pre-season that the Huskies would be a lights out three point shooting team. Didn't really prove to be the case until later in the season. It looks like this season is trending the same way.

 

[HuskyNan]

Folks should research ALL games Syla has played and not cherry pick the handful of underwhelming ones. She is, after all, just starting her sophomore year in college

Kid is amazing and deserves her due. Giving credit to players on other teams doesn’t diminish the appreciation we have for our Huskies.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

I was reminded of that old saying, "You're never as good as you think you are and never as bad as you think you are!"

...and the third leg of the sayings triangle [probably the hypotenuse!]: "You are what your record says you are, unless you believe in the system (a.k.a. The Process) BEFORE the post-season tournament begins!" 😎 🔥 😎

Geno, CD & Company have been here before, and it WAS a three point WIN, and NOT a loss! I am hoping the Michigan game does for the Huskies, what the Tennessee game did for last season's edition. Learning CAN take place with a very close win, if the players follow the coaching and embrace the challenges in each play in front of them - whether on defense or on offense.

Go Huskies!!!

 

[The CDR-Ret]

I agree. I keep thinking back to what Geno said a few weeks ago, that the one thing he doesn't want to see is for UConn to win a game that then begins to feel like a loss because they didn't win by 30.

Very wise! Thank you for your 1st post & welcome!

The extra wise Geno also said not to over-analyze and make a win feel like a loss. I told many teams that they could learn more in a loss than a win, but a close win can generate just as many lessons and it is easier to avoid being in a funk when you win rather than when you lose a game that you thought you should have won.

The close wins build resiliency, particularly if you come back from a deficit or the team had a large lead collapse but our team kept the opponents from (re)gaining a lead just as our Huskies did on Friday!

Go Huskies!!!

 

[The CDR-Ret]

To me every game is entertaining. It's part of what being a fan is all about. You chew off your nails, almost have a heart attack, etc. when it's a close game or loss, and sit back and enjoy the team going out and performing well in a blowout.

Honestly, I'm tired of the fickle fans who whine and complain about the blowouts. You want close games and losses, go be a fan of some mid major or middle of the pack team. If you can't find the joy in watching the players light it up in a blowout, and then get to see the reserves, who never see time in big games, come in and give it their all, then you aren't a true UConn fan.

It's the opposite end, but equally annoying as the fans who think every game should be a 20+ point win, even against top 10 teams. The last part of last season was unusual with UConn blowing out both final 4 and NC opponents. Believe it or not, the Juju-less USC team gave UConn the toughest game as we "only" won by 14. And we were down at halftime vs. Oklahoma only to win by 23 in the end.

IMHO people should enjoy every single second of UConn basketball for the next several years because Geno won't be here forever, and neither will the incredible players we have the privilege of enjoying.

Completely agree!

The journey is about development of the entire team - both in basketball and life. These women are also full-time students and youngsters whose ages are between 1/4 and 1/3 of many of our ages (many of us are outside those fractions on the tiny side of 1/4).

Enjoy the journey, as each edition of our beloved Huskies is different. Many of the previous "litters" have their names on the "ring of honor" and even more have Championship rings at the NCAA and WNBA level, as well as Olympic and FIBA World medals.

But don't forget the Carolines, Ayana's, Ines's, and those who get their first points of the season in "mop up time" or even in the waning seconds of the NC game. The unselfish nature of our Huskies is to be applauded whether they go undefeated or they do not make the Final Four.

In the words of the wise and ancient philosopher, Woody the Cowboy: "Be HAPPY, Slink!"

Be entertained and enjoy every second (as EricLA said, but stay away from the scythe of Cronus as apparently the youngest can be fiesty)!!!

Go Huskies!!!

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Folks should research ALL games Syla has played and not cherry pick the handful of underwhelming ones. She is, after all, just starting her sophomore year in college

Kid is amazing and deserves her due. Giving credit to players on other teams doesn’t diminish the appreciation we have for our Huskies.

View attachment 113552

Greatest performances when the lights are brightest! Kind of like Stewie and Pheesa.

Unrivaled in early 2026 should be amazing, PARTICULARLY if the WNBA does not yet have an approved CBA.

Would not mind if Michigan is the Huskies opponent in the 2026 NC game. It is now a matter of who gets better faster, and then who executes the game plan and then adjusts to what they see best in the moment!

Go Huskies!!!

 

[cancontent]

I don't know enough basketball, but I keep hearing that you can break the 2-3 zone by hitting your outside shots, which UConn was not doing, except for maybe Azzi. At the start of the year, most people would guess that outside shooting is UConn's strength, but so far it has not turned out that way.

Hitting outside shots is one part, but finding the soft spots in the zone by forcing the ball from side to side also helps. Sometimes this is where the high post comes in handy.

 

[HopJim]

I remember that last season many thought pre-season that the Huskies would be a lights out three point shooting team. Didn't really prove to be the case until later in the season. It looks like this season is trending the same way.

Hopefully a good assessment. Last year's uptick in 3-pointers was in part created by one of the walking wounded (i.e. Azzi) returning to full strength. We may see a slightly different trend this year where some of the lower % shooters like KK and Blanca starting to increase their accuracy. Past few games may be start of a positive trend. Suspect Ash will increase her accuracy as well and proven shooters like Caroline and Morgan will fully heal and gain playing time.

 

[Pharos]

OR, take away the 1st qtr and Michigan wins by 14 points. Not really fair to take away the parts of the game that don't go well

Another way to say it is that Michigan won the final 3 quarters. And that had happened before.

 

[tomcat]

Thoughts:
1.anyone on the UConn staff surprised by MI is not competent. They were not surprised. They were not ablevto calm down players who panicked a little.
2. This will be a learning experience for several, including Sarah. The player who often is close to kerection was anything but on a number of plays, including, uncharacteristically, layups where she was out of position to make the shot. She will learn.
3. They put Ziebell in there to shoot and she didn't. In fact, fir one confusing part of the third period, the whole team looked like they were afraid to shoot.
4. We all are pulling for Ayanna to have an impact. So far, not so much.
5. Its a good thing Azzi can shoot free throws.

 

[ME Husky Fan]

Checkout Syla's stat line from the Syracuse game. The kid (to her credit) was in a zone and everything she threw up went it and not much we were going to do. Just happy we hung in there despite that last second turnover (another) by Shade which almost gave Michigan a last second shot to tie.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Checkout Syla's stat line from the Syracuse game. The kid (to her credit) was in a zone and everything she threw up went it and not much we were going to do. Just happy we hung in there despite that last second turnover (another) by Shade which almost gave Michigan a last second shot to tie.

Should have done a "Shaq" by throwing the ball straight up (3 seconds up & 3 seconds down) with a slight trajectory towards the UConn basket, so it hits iron and goes up for 1 second & down for another ==> 8 seconds burned off the clock. No more grabbing at the ball by defenders...

Regardless, Sarah stripped the ball above the opponents key for the time to run out. A 3 point win is still a win, and multiple lessons can be learned from a close game. It is up to Geno, CD, and Company to instill the mindset of needing to demoralize the competition in the 3rd Quarter, in addition to the 1st quarter, and substituting in a "stopper" to break the opponent's run at 6 or less without the need to call an early timeout. Timeouts should be saved in the event of specific needs to be addressed in the last two minutes of a half or a game, but I trust Geno to do what it takes to gain "instructional moments." Just like teaching physics, the "student" needs to realize they do not have the "tool" in the front of their mind or do NOT "see" the best course of action, which creates "a vacuum" that allows them to be coached into the best course of action with their mind under stress. When given the best option and a back up, they will then be able to recognize the situation and react without over-thinking it for the future.

Last year, it took the "pain" of the UTenn loss and the realization that the NCAA Tournament was "closer than it appears" to make the entire team more "coachable," and the South Carolina game (regular season) was "proof of concept" for the fact that the lessons were learned and internalized (to 'stay learned').

Geno, CD, and Co. have got this! Everybody else can sit down (unless they are in the game for the Huskies)!!!

Go Huskies!!!

 

[Skeets]

...and the third leg of the sayings triangle [probably the hypotenuse!]: "You are what your record says you are, unless you believe in the system (a.k.a. The Process) BEFORE the post-season tournament begins!" 😎 🔥 😎

Geno, CD & Company have been here before, and it WAS a three point WIN, and NOT a loss! I am hoping the Michigan game does for the Huskies, what the Tennessee game did for last season's edition. Learning CAN take place with a very close win, if the players follow the coaching and embrace the challenges in each play in front of them - whether on defense or on offense.

Go Huskies!!!

I'm of the opinion that there is no such thing as a good loss. If you can't learn and grow from a tough win, then you can't learn and grow. You don't need a loss to learn. I particularly don't like the theory that a loss takes pressure off the team. I expect Geno to keep the pressure on the team, win or lose. So, what good is a loss? Saying a loss is a "good loss" is just a horrible excuse as far as I am concerned.

If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me.

 

[jaundicedeye]

To me every game is entertaining. It's part of what being a fan is all about. You chew off your nails, almost have a heart attack, etc. when it's a close game or loss, and sit back and enjoy the team going out and performing well in a blowout.

Honestly, I'm tired of the fickle fans who whine and complain about the blowouts. You want close games and losses, go be a fan of some mid major or middle of the pack team. If you can't find the joy in watching the players light it up in a blowout, and then get to see the reserves, who never see time in big games, come in and give it their all, then you aren't a true UConn fan.

It's the opposite end, but equally annoying as the fans who think every game should be a 20+ point win, even against top 10 teams. The last part of last season was unusual with UConn blowing out both final 4 and NC opponents. Believe it or not, the Juju-less USC team gave UConn the toughest game as we "only" won by 14. And we were down at halftime vs. Oklahoma only to win by 23 in the end.

IMHO people should enjoy every single second of UConn basketball for the next several years because Geno won't be here forever, and neither will the incredible players we have the privilege of enjoying.

and one said:
[I'm over the Michigan game. It's a long season and UConn is going to win a lot of games, maybe all of them and a NC. I can say from a fan perspective that watching the Michigan game was immensely more entertaining than what we'll see from many of the in-conference blowouts coming up.]

Eric, in fairness and defense of and one he simply said he found the Michigan game immensely entertaining and more entertaining than in-conference blowouts. If you read it again you will see that he was not being a fickle fan complaining and whining about blowouts at all. He simply stated his preference. A preference held by a great many fans, including me.
For that you disliked his post and mischaracterized it with your reply?

 

[Longtime fan]

Well said

Agree 100%. Everything is fun to watch.

 

[YKCornelius]

I'm of the opinion that there is no such thing as a good loss. If you can't learn and grow from a tough win, then you can't learn and grow. You don't need a loss to learn. I particularly don't like the theory that a loss takes pressure off the team. I expect Geno to keep the pressure on the team, win or lose. So, what good is a loss? Saying a loss is a "good loss" is just a horrible excuse as far as I am concerned.

If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me.

Skeets, not so much a correction, but rather my take:

Allow me to side-step around the adjective in the term "a good loss", by changing that adjective to "beneficial" - while still maintaining your connotation towards learning and growing,

A wonderful example of "a beneficial loss" would be the defeat at Tennessee last season. As we heard from Geno in subsequent pressers, CD when subsequently talking to Bob Joyce in various post game Dailey Reports including after the win at South Carolina, and from the players themselves leading up to the Final Four, that loss in front of the large Tennessee home crowd "flipped the script" (my quote). It changed the players' mindsets and focus, and gelled the team into what we saw in Columbia and throughout the NCAA tournament. That is not just my opinion, but coming from the players and coaches themselves.

In other words, it was very beneficial for that loss to happen. Regardless of how it might have impacted the future NCAA seeding, and how negative it might have made some UConn fans feel at the time, more good came out of that loss than bad.

So, overall, especially while looking in the rearview mirror almost eight months later, I would characterize that game as a "good loss".

All of which brings me to the salient point: the "goodness" of a loss - or a tough win for that matter - is in the eyes of the competitor, and tends to grow (or diminish) over time.

 

[Majic Hands]

Over the years I believe the few losses we get really creates an opportunity to teach while you have there attention.

I’m pretty sure I’ve heard Geno mention that getting beat gets the kids attention.

 

[Skeets]

Skeets, not so much a correction, but rather my take:

...more good came out of that loss than bad.

I believe more good could have come out of a win. But did it turn the season around. So, there's that.

 

[Stagnant]

The score flatters Michigan. We pushed the lead back to double figures late. Swords hit a few miracles and put her team in position to steal the game.

We actually beat Michigan twice. We beat Michigan and Geno started tinkering with lineups and Michigan fought their way back into the game. We beat them again. And swords hit some bombs she usually doesn’t hit.

 

[FanSince17]

The score flatters Michigan. We pushed the lead back to double figures late. Swords hit a few miracles and put her team in position to steal the game.

We actually beat Michigan twice. We beat Michigan and Geno started tinkering with lineups and Michigan fought their way back into the game. We beat them again. And swords hit some bombs she usually doesn’t hit.

You’re a candidate for a rewatch. Make your popcorn and get comfortable.
That game was truly touch and go down the stretch. Lots of things could have happened to lead MI to a win. Check the stat sheet- Geno didn’t tinker with lineups in this game. 3 of our starters played almost 40 minutes. After the nice start, players were standing around. Geno chastised everybody for letting Sarah do all the work on the boards.

 

[cancontent]

The score flatters Michigan. We pushed the lead back to double figures late. Swords hit a few miracles and put her team in position to steal the game.

We actually beat Michigan twice. We beat Michigan and Geno started tinkering with lineups and Michigan fought their way back into the game. We beat them again. And swords hit some bombs she usually doesn’t hit.

It could also be said that the score isn't flattering to UConn because they had to "beat Michigan twice" to pull off the victory.

 

[Stagnant]

You’re a candidate for a rewatch. Make your popcorn and get comfortable.
That game was truly touch and go down the stretch. Lots of things could have happened to lead MI to a win. Check the stat sheet- Geno didn’t tinker with lineups in this game. 3 of our starters played almost 40 minutes. After the nice start, players were standing around. Geno chastised everybody for letting Sarah do all the work on the boards.

Jana and Allie ziebell should not have come on in the third quarter. It wasn’t the game for them. I am not sure why Geno tried them there.

 

[Magy Cannon]

No other team will have Kim Barnes Arico coaching
Remember her little St. Johns team coming to UCONN to break the 99 game home winning streak? She has a grest analytical basketball mind.

 

[Bald Husky]

How many times have we looked at the WBB scores from the night before and we see some of the best teams in the country only win by 5 points, or 2 points? It's natural that teams don't play their best every game, and why should UConn be an exception? The bottom line is that we won, a game that we could easily have lost if not for some clutch shooting from one of our all-Americans. That is why we are the best, always find a way, and the way only has to be one player in certain situations. We are in great shape, and this game will go a long way in showing the newbies, and the rest of the country that we can win great, and ugly in the same game. And it was, great and ugly within the same game. I believe that the rotation still needs some fixing, as some players aren't doing what Geno thinks they are capable of, but I believe in him, and I know that he will find the answer. In the meantime, relax, we are more than OK after watching the Utah game.
We are fine.