We Never gave up and that we should be Proud of

[Tonyc]

Some are looking at the NC loss as a disaster. Well Im looking at it as an accomplishment. With all our injuries and our tuff road to the FF and we made it to the final game that was a huge accomplishment. Take into consideration what we went through this past season and to end up in the Final game....well that is something many never saw coming. In that game Azzi was sick, Dorka was injured, Paige was not up to speed Liv had a groin pull, Evina had an injury and we gritted it out just like we had to do all season. We overcame alot of odds to get there. Many fans never thought we would get through the regionals. We did.

This may have been one of Geno's Greatest Accomplishments. Getting to the Finals with a team that was paralyzed most of the season and in the NCAA's. If we were healthy would we have beaten SC? We will never know because things may have gone differently but they didnt. Congrats to SC and Congrats to UConn for finding their way to get there.

So now we look forward to next year.

 

[ctfjr]

Disaster? All things considered it was a great season.

 

[EricLA]

I must have missed all the posts that said making the NC game was a disaster of a season. Were the players disappointed? Of course. Were the fans disappointed? Of course. But anyone who even thought the season was "less than", never mind a disaster, wasn't paying attention. And I certainly didn't see posts like that on the BY.

Tony pointed out all the issues that plagued us in the NC game alone (BTW, not only did Evina sustain an injury, but she did not come back into the game after her injury). But the whole season was a clusterf* of 10-odd starting lineups based on multiple injuries and illnesses. Only 2 players played in every game (Evina and Aaliyah).

And the murder's row of games getting to the finals - UCF, Indiana, NC State, Stanford - was an incredible accomplishment.

I think UCONN nation was incredibly proud of this team.

 

[LouS]

Some are looking at the NC loss as a disaster. Well Im looking at it as an accomplishment. With all our injuries and our tuff road to the FF and we made it to the final game that was a huge accomplishment. Take into consideration what we went through this past season and to end up in the Final game....well that is something many never saw coming. In that game Azzi was sick, Dorka was injured, Paige was not up to speed Liv had a groin pull, Evina had an injury and we gritted it out just like we had to do all season. We overcame alot of odds to get there. Many fans never thought we would get through the regionals. We did.

This may have been one of Geno's Greatest Accomplishments. Getting to the Finals with a team that was paralyzed most of the season and in the NCAA's. If we were healthy would we have beaten SC? We will never know because things may have gone differently but they didnt. Congrats to SC and Congrats to UConn for finding their way to get there.

So now we look forward to next year.

TOTALLY AGREE......

 

[oldude]

I have made this point in another post. Give UConn a healthy Liv, Dorka, Aubrey, Evina & Azzi, along with the rest of the lineup, and let’s go at it again with SC. UConn might not win, but it would most certainly be a tough battle to the end.

 

[veryolddog]

I think that the NC State game was one of the best UConn games that I have ever seen. Maybe, ESPN will play it again as a "classic".

 

[my2cents]

The only luck this team had was BAD LUCK.

 

[JellyBean]

Some are looking at the NC loss as a disaster. Well Im looking at it as an accomplishment. With all our injuries and our tuff road to the FF and we made it to the final game that was a huge accomplishment. Take into consideration what we went through this past season and to end up in the Final game....well that is something many never saw coming. In that game Azzi was sick, Dorka was injured, Paige was not up to speed Liv had a groin pull, Evina had an injury and we gritted it out just like we had to do all season. We overcame alot of odds to get there. Many fans never thought we would get through the regionals. We did.

This may have been one of Geno's Greatest Accomplishments. Getting to the Finals with a team that was paralyzed most of the season and in the NCAA's. If we were healthy would we have beaten SC? We will never know because things may have gone differently but they didnt. Congrats to SC and Congrats to UConn for finding their way to get there.

So now we look forward to next year.

@Tonyc with another awesome post. I agree 100% with what you said. Given what this team went through; roster adjustments due to injuries, illnesses, travel delays, sometimes playing 3 games in a 7 day stretch, and games being canceled, and to reach the National Championship while dealing with all of that. Huge accomplishment. This was Coach G and the coaching staff finest coaching job since that 90-91 season when the program broke through and reached it's first FF.

Now we just look forward to the next season. Hopefully the returning players are hungry for more and putting a plan together to work on their individual game to help the program get back on top of the mountain.

 

[Scud49]

One great season - a super duper happy ending? Not quite, but what a year, and what a great, great, group of kids - and I have a feeling come this fall we are going to be even more excited - if that's possible...!

I do love this team!

 

[Carnac]

In January when Geno was down to 7 rotation players, I thought the very best UConn could do was get to the final four, knowing the number of quality teams they would have to beat to get there. Some how they did. After the game we learned that the UConn team that took the floor was not healthy. Several players were playing with injuries that would have kept them on the bench had it been a regular season game.

Another poster suggested something I concur with. Let SC take the floor with their core players nursing injuries like ours did and lets see who wins. UConn lost to the national champion. A team whose core players were all healthy. UConn was 1 of the 2 tournament teams to win 5 games. That is an incredible feat, given number of elite talented teams in the field.

Only 1 team can win the tournament. The other 67 teams will come away disappointed. This WAS NOT UConn's year, plain and simple. South Carolina had a super team this year and played like it. They were ranked number 1 wire to wire. THEY were the elephant in the room the entire season. Congratulations to them. I think their conference tournament finals lost to Kentucky was a "wake-up call" for them that galvanized them going into the tournament. They were humbled and reminded that they WERE NOT invincible. Henderson had a career game, and Boston (the best post player in the country and the NPOY) had her typical double double. UConn lost to them not once but twice. UConn beat teams twice this year that were not as good as they were.

In another post, I lauded the Huskies for their efforts this season and thanked them for the guts and fortitude they showed us. I gave them a tip o' the turban. This UConn team went as far as they could given the circumstances. When UConn loses, there will always be fans that will express their disappointment and dismay. It's their way of decompressing and blowing off a little steam. We know that Geno, his staff and the coaches were also disappointed. You can be sure tears were flowing in the UConn locker room after that game.

No doubt it took the players longer to get over that loss than it did for us. UConn Nation is not happy we lost, but we can be happy and proud of the GUTS, WILL and FORTITUDE our team showed throughout the season. In games 3,4 and 5 (#3 Indiana, #1 North Carolina State and #1 Stanford), this team showed me something. I came away very impressed!! If they can stay healthy, I think the 2022-2023 team can do some wonderful things and win more games than this year's team. South Carolina will again be the preseason favorite going into next year ranked #1 as they should be, but UConn should be right behind them at #2.

 

[jcoton56]

I still can not shake the similarity of the NC campaign to the old film ‘A Bridge Too Far” in that every bit of human capital was expended, but in the end, too much adversity reared its ugly head. That third #1 was just a bit too much to ask. Still damn proud.

 

[Inthepaint]

I thought last season, in spite of the disappointing loss to AZ in the FF was a success in many ways.
All the Covid stuff that everybody had to deal with, a young team with no seniors, freshmen PB, AE, NM playing above and beyond, a thrilling win over defending champs Baylor in the E8.
If possible the 2021-2022 team topped that
Well done, ladies.
Let’s see if we can take the next step next season.
GO HUSKIES!!

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

The start of every WBB season I have only 1 goal for the UCONN Huskies, to stay injury and illness free ALL season!
This season was the complete opposite and considering everything that happened I couldn't be prouder of this team!
From the coaching staff through to the players they overachieved to the final game!
Give any other WBB program what UCONN went through and they may not have even gotten into the NCAA Tournament!
Congrats to the UCONN WBB program for the thrills they gave all of us all season!

 

[jchusky]

The start of every WBB season I have only 1 goal for the UCONN Huskies, to stay injury and illness free ALL season!
This season was the complete opposite and considering everything that happened I couldn't be prouder of this team!
From the coaching staff through to the players they overachieved to the final game!
Give any other WBB program what UCONN went through and they may not have even gotten into the NCAA Tournament!
Congrats to the UCONN WBB program for the thrills they gave all of us all season!

lets pump the breaks a little shall we? Let's not act like there aren't 4 #1 recruits on this roster and multiple top 10 recruits. Yea there were injuries but still this is Uconn, the 6th-8th players on this team would start for 90% of the ncaa teams.

 

[oldude]

lets pump the breaks a little shall we? Let's not act like there aren't 4 #1 recruits on this roster and multiple top 10 recruits. Yea there were injuries but still this is Uconn, the 6th-8th players on this team would start for 90% of the ncaa teams.

So what exactly is your point? In order to win a national championship you don’t have to play and beat the bottom 90% of NCAA teams. You have to play and beat the top 10%, including 3 of the top 4 seeded teams in the nation. UConn took down 2 out of 3 and then fell to the top team without Dorka & Aubrey, with Liv & Evina injured and with Azzi sick.

No I don’t think it’s time to pump the breaks. I’m in 3rd gear with my foot to the floor about this Husky team.

 

[jchusky]

So what exactly is your point? In order to win a national championship you don’t have to play and beat the bottom 90% of NCAA teams. You have to play and beat the top 10%, including 3 of the top 4 seeded teams in the nation. UConn took down 2 out of 3 and then fell to the top team without Dorka & Aubrey, with Liv & Evina injured and with Azzi sick.

No I don’t think it’s time to pump the breaks. I’m in 3rd gear with my foot to the floor about this Husky team.

he said with a straight face that most teams would miss the tournament and that's just laughable. A lineup with Ducharme, Muhl, Dorka, Deberry, and Westbrook would make the tournament in any league. Especially in the Big East.

 

[LoboDays]

Did you write this Tony?

 

[oldude]

he said with a straight face that most teams would miss the tournament and that's just laughable. A lineup with Ducharme, Muhl, Dorka, Deberry, and Westbrook would make the tournament in any league. Especially in the Big East.

I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you replying to my prior post or merely providing a stream of consciousness throwing out random UConn player names?

 

[jchusky]

I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you replying to my prior post or merely providing a stream of consciousness throwing out random UConn player names?

I wasn't talking to you I was talking to the vikes dude who said other teams woulda missed he tournament and that is laughable to say Uconn with these type of recruits would miss the tournament. Idk how that is taking a "shot" at the players.

 

[oldude]

I wasn't talking to you I was talking to the vikes dude who said other teams woulda missed he tournament and that is laughable to say Uconn with these type of recruits would miss the tournament. Idk how that is taking a "shot" at the players.

OK, but you can understand my confusion. You were responding to someone else by replying to my email?

 

[gold2323]

This season….Very succinctly “it was one of our finest moments” Huskies Forever.

 

[Carnac]

I still can not shake the similarity of the NC campaign to the old film ‘A Bridge Too Far” in that every bit of human capital was expended, but in the end, too much adversity reared its ugly head. That third #1 was just a bit too much to ask. Still damn proud.

I agree 1000% with your take!!! Our team gave everything they had. They left it all on the floor. SC was the better/healthier team that day. It didn't help that Destanni Henderson decided to have the best game of her career that day (26 pts).

 

[jchusky]

UConn could have had everyone full strength and South Carolina still would have won. They were the best team all season when trying. They demolished the first game vs UConn and the second happened again. They worked harder and were motivated after Boston missed shot last season. It's ok to admit Sc was the best team all season. Idk y so many try to find excuses. I don't hear anyone saying it Achonwa played vs UConn the game might have gone to Notre Dame.

 

[Bone Dog]

UConn could have had everyone full strength and South Carolina still would have won. They were the best team all season when trying. They demolished the first game vs UConn and the second happened again. They worked harder and were motivated after Boston missed shot last season. It's ok to admit Sc was the best team all season. Idk y so many try to find excuses. I don't hear anyone saying it Achonwa played vs UConn the game might have gone to Notre Dame.

Have to agree. I mean, it's always an "on a given night" kind of thing, and if the breaks had gone differently, we might have won, but that was certainly not a given, or even particularly likely.

I compare it to last year's tournament where we beat Baylor though were probably outplayed for much of the game and depended a little too much on Paige's heroics -- though they were awe-inspiring to watch! When we got to Arizona in the FF, a team we could have beaten on any other night, everyone else was emotionally drained and nothing Paige could do would have been enough. I imagine NC St suffered something similar, pulling out a win over ND they probably should have lost but for Raina's heroics. And they fell to us, even though they could have won on any other night. We rolled over Stanford next, energized by the power of the win over NC St instead of being drained by it, and it wasn't just that Stanford had an off shooting night. They were outplayed, too. We played tough D, tougher than they usually face. They played tough D too. But we'd been prepared for the pressure by the previous win, and they folded when it mattered. There was only so much Hailey Jones could do.

And then we had to face SC, and as with Arizona the previous year, we ran out of gas. It happens. But the journey to that point was awesome. I fully expect SC to run out of gas next year when they face us.

 

[Bald Husky]

I will never give up on this team because every year we begin with so much potential, not to mention talent. Still, we all know talent doesn't mean crap unless they are coached properly and injury free. We have the coaches, now the second thing. I don't think a repeat of lasts years horrors will come about as it did, but most of the girls were nursing the nicks, bruises, and tired or pulled muscles at the end of the season as most players do.

My hope is that they pay attention to these small injuries during the summer and let them heal properly, and completely before they continue their off-season training. If they can all be completely healthy when returning in August, then the chemistry will develop between the newbies, Lou2, and the talented returning players. Aubrey is the only Senior, so we have a relatively young team with some pretty good experienced players. I believe we will be better than last year, so with no major injuries, a couple of months practicing together, and a consistent (I hope) November schedule, this can be one of our best teams.

I can't wait to get to the Fall, but like last year, it will feel like eternity until we get there. Go Huskies, be safe and enjoy the summer.