What 4th player should be on UCONN's version of Mount Rushmore?

[JustinesGuy]

Without debating Rebecca vs. Napheesa directly, is examining how a player from a one era might fit into another the point? Or should we look at the impact the player had when she was playing? Isn't that the thing we actually know vs. trying to assess a hypothetical using very limited information?

And if one's assessment is that players playing now are all better than the players playing in earlier eras, then building a Mount Rushmore becomes an exercise in futility since you'd always be replacing the honorees.

(And if UConn had junior or senior season Rebecca last year in addition to everyone else on the team, they win the national championship without a doubt.)

Also: women. They're all women.

I agree. Don't get me wrong. RL was the most important recruit. I remember het era and the era before. I'm telling u and it's no disrespect to RL but the kids on the whole are better. That being said RL was such a talent she could excel now and yes if we had a jr or SR year RL WE win it all last year.

 

[Waquoit]

I agree. Don't get me wrong. RL was the most important recruit. I remember het era and the era before. I'm telling u and it's no disrespect to RL but the kids on the whole are better.

That's why the discussion is "Mt. Rushmore" not Top 4 recent players.

 

[bballnut90]

No argument with Lobo, but Bird DID win the Lieberman award in her non-standout national championship sophomore year. And then she won it again in her non-standout junior year.

I guess to be a BIG standout you have to win the Lieberman as well as the Wade, and the Naismith, and the national championship, and be selected #1 overall in the NCAA draft. Sue did all of those things her senior year.

I think if you bring Bird into the mix, I don't think there is any way you can put her ahead of Jefferson when considering UCONN careers. Jefferson was the starting PG for three championship teams that went a combined 116-1 and her statistics are far superior to Bird across the board Not to mention she's a significantly better defender than Sue.

Jefferson has 2 Lieberman's to Sue's 3, and she didn't win any POY awards but it's a safe bet to assume she finished 2nd to Stewart in 2016 in every award. She also was robbed of being Final Four MOP in 2015, an award Bird never won.

If Lobo is my 4th, I'd probably put Jefferson at 5, Bird 6 and Charles 7.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

If accomplishments are the criteria, the answer is Lobo without dispute. Tina Charles would be next. If it is about importance to the program, it would be Lobo or Bascomb

 

[baggerbob]

Without debating Rebecca vs. Napheesa directly, is examining how a player from a one era might fit into another the point? Or should we look at the impact the player had when she was playing? Isn't that the thing we actually know vs. trying to assess a hypothetical using very limited information?

And if one's assessment is that players playing now are all better than the players playing in earlier eras, then building a Mount Rushmore becomes an exercise in futility since you'd always be replacing the honorees.

(And if UConn had junior or senior season Rebecca last year in addition to everyone else on the team, they win the national championship without a doubt.)

Also: women. They're all women.

Freshman Stewie wins with last years team, no-one from last year will ever be in the discussion, good, but not all-time great players. Stewie always found a way to win,even playing on 1 leg, she rebounded, and played defense against Notre Dame in the second half of the Championship Game. Her 15 rebounds were critical in that game.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I'm glad to see Kaleena getting some love. Though I don't put her in the top 4, I think she is under-appreciated.

She came in as a freshman after Maya Moore's departure left a HUGE void and led the team in scoring. She also was perhaps the only player willing to take the big shot. As a sophomore, Kaleena was overshadowed by Stewie, but still led the team in scoring and because a 1st-team All-American, shooting nearly 50% from the arc.

As a junior, Kaleena was poised to have a great season, but had a serious elbow injury plus a bout with mono that cost her a dozen or so games.

As a senior, she returned to All-American status and again shot nearly 50% from the arc. She set the NCAA career record for most 3-pointers made, 398. She finished tied with Nykesha Sales for 3rd in UConn career scoring, behind only Maya and Tina. (Stewie since passed everyone but Maya.) If not for those missed games, Kaleena would have passed Tina to be #2 all-time (as of 2015).

Over her career, Kaleena had to learn to become a better passer and defender and to expend her offensive repertoire. She did all of those, but she remained perhaps the key offensive player in the country. Her ability to hit the 3-pointer opened the floor for Stewie and Stefanie inside and for Bria's and Moriah's drives to the basket. Geno notes it's when a player scores that may be more important than how many she scores. Kaleena hit several threes, including in transition, that were parts of major scoring runs. She could put up 8-10 points in a minute. Her daggers deflated the opposition. She also hit shots to stop runs by the other team. KML was a major momentum changer. Her game against Stanford as a freshman, the regional games in Omaha (?) when everyone else was cold, her comeback game against Duke, her 3-point show against South Carolina, and her key jumpers in the low-scoring championship game to close out her career with a third championship were all great showpieces.

Don't judge Kaleena by her limited success to date at the pro level (which could change with a new coach). She was one of the very best collegiate players.

 

[cferraro04]

Lobo = George Washington

Dee = Abraham Lincoln

Stewie = Theodore Roosevelt

Maya = Thomas Jefferson

 

[Golden Husky]

What 4th player should be on our Mt Rushmore? For the purposes of this I am going to assume that Maya, Stewie and Dee are already on there. So I'm looking for who you think the 4th player should be.

Keep in mind that this is based on UCONN accomplishments, not what was done after college. NO one can deny that Sue Bird is the greatest PG to ever play the game, but does she deserve to be #4 on Mt. Rushmore?

BTW if anyone believes that Stewie, Maya and Dee are NOT shoe-ins, I'd love to hear why. Probably the same people who think UCONN will lose 2 or more games next year...

You know who would dismiss this discussion? Geno. Basketball is the ultimate team sport. But just to show you I'm not rigid and humorless (like Muffet), I'll vote for Sue.

 

[j66kicker]

Geno should be the 4th

 

[JustinesGuy]

Lobo = George Washington

Dee = Abraham Lincoln

Stewie = Theodore Roosevelt

Maya = Thomas Jefferson

Is this politics? Banned

 

[JustinesGuy]

Did anyone nominate Meghan Gardler?

 

[Golden Husky]

What 4th player should be on our Mt Rushmore? For the purposes of this I am going to assume that Maya, Stewie and Dee are already on there. So I'm looking for who you think the 4th player should be.

Keep in mind that this is based on UCONN accomplishments, not what was done after college. NO one can deny that Sue Bird is the greatest PG to ever play the game, but does she deserve to be #4 on Mt. Rushmore?

BTW if anyone believes that Stewie, Maya and Dee are NOT shoe-ins, I'd love to hear why. Probably the same people who think UCONN will lose 2 or more games next year...

While the fourth sculpture on the mountain remains in debate, a fragile consensus seems to be emerging for an all-time UConn starting five:
1-Sue
2-Dee
3-Maya
4-Stewie
5-Lobo

I'll leave it to you industrious types to put together an all-time starting five for Tennessee (and any other schools that might be competitive) and see how they stack up against our Lady Huskies.

 

[j66kicker]

Did anyone nominate Meghan Gardler?

Justine better not be readin' this...

While the fourth sculpture on the mountain remains in debate, a fragile consensus seems to be emerging for an all-time UConn starting five:
1-Sue
2-Dee
3-Maya
4-Stewie
5-Lobo

I'll leave it to you industrious types to put together an all-time starting five for Tennessee (and any other schools that might be competitive) and see how they stack up against our Lady Huskies.

I'll take a crack at Tennessee:

Lawson
Randall
Catchings
Holdsclaw
Parker

Feel free to sub your choices. When that's settled then let's vote on who wins one game for all the marbles between UConn's & TN's all-time teams.

 

[cferraro04]

Is this politics? Banned[/QUOTE


I truly hope this is tongue and cheek because this has nothing to do with politics.

 

[bballnut90]

While the fourth sculpture on the mountain remains in debate, a fragile consensus seems to be emerging for an all-time UConn starting five:
1-Sue
2-Dee
3-Maya
4-Stewie
5-Lobo

I'll leave it to you industrious types to put together an all-time starting five for Tennessee (and any other schools that might be competitive) and see how they stack up against our Lady Huskies.

Almost all of the Tennessee greats were forwards...Holdsclaw, Parker, Catchings, Charles, Gordon, etc. In the last 15 years they've only had one really transcendent player in Parker.

If selecting a starting 5 though, I'd probably go with:
Lawson or Marciniak
McCray
Catchings
Holdsclaw
Parker

Other programs:

Notre Dame:
Diggins
McBride
Loyd
Turner
Riley

USC:
Another forward/post heavy program with the McGee twins, Miller, Tina Thompson, And Leslie. Cooper would be the pick at SG, but she wasn't a big standout until she was a pro.

Stanford:
Pohlen/Azzi
Wiggins
Powell/Starbird
Ogwumike
Ogwumike/Appel

LSU:
Temeka Johnson
Marie Ferdinand
Seimone Augustus
Aiysha Smith maybe?
Sylvia Fowles

Baylor:
Griner
Davis
Sophia Young
Odyssey Sims
Alexis Jones

Duke:
Michelle Van Gorp
Elizabeth Williams
Monique Currie
Alana Beard
Lindsey Harding

Maryland:
Brionna Jones
Vicki Bullett/Langhorbe
Alyssa Thomas/Marissa Coleman
Shatori Walker Kimbrough
Kristi Toliver

North Carolina:
Charlotte Smith
Erlana Larkins
Tracy Reid
Nikki Teasley
Ivory Latta

Georgia:
Katrina McClain
Tasha Humphries
Lakeisha Frett
Kelly Miller
Saudia Roundtree

 

[JustinesGuy]

I was jk no worries

 

[cferraro04]

I was jk no worries

Good to know...lol.

 

[Wally East]

While the fourth sculpture on the mountain remains in debate, a fragile consensus seems to be emerging for an all-time UConn starting five:
1-Sue
2-Dee
3-Maya
4-Stewie
5-Lobo

I'll leave it to you industrious types to put together an all-time starting five for Tennessee (and any other schools that might be competitive) and see how they stack up against our Lady Huskies.

Mo over Sue. I love them both and Sue was amazing and it could go either way but Mo.
Lobo over Tina is also close but Rebecca was solid all four years while Tina was especially amazing her senior year.

Also: "Huskies." Just "Huskies"

 

[Wally East]

North Carolina:
Charlotte Smith
Erlana Larkins
Tracy Reid
Nikki Teasley
Ivory Latta

What to do with Marion Jones

Georgia:
Katrina McClain
Tasha Humphries
Lakeisha Frett
Kelly Miller
Saudia Roundtree

I'm out of my depth but I'm surprised that Teresa Edwards isn't there.

 

[bballnut90]

What to do with Marion Jones



I'm out of my depth but I'm surprised that Teresa Edwards isn't there.

Forgot about Edwards. I don't know much about her collegiate success, but she may take over Roundtree's spot. Roundtree would be a tough out though as she won POY in 96 and led them to a runner up that year.

 

[wire chief]

Monkey wrench throwing: in a thread several months ago when we were choosing first team & back-ups, it was none other than our sainted Husky Nan who declared that she would not include Lobo for not being athletic enough.

 

[cferraro04]

The only reason I include Lobo is because it could be argued that Lobo started it all, a pioneer if you will. It is why I liken her to George Washington on Mount Rushmore.

I went with Dee and Abraham Lincoln because Lincoln was a wartime President and Dee went to war with the powers that be, the evil empire...remember her punching the basketball stantion saying she just felt like punching something orange.

I went with Maya and Thomas Jefferson because Maya is the statesman of the group...always carefully choosing her words before speaking.

And, Stewie and Theodore Roosevelt because like Roosevelt, Stewie captured Roosevelt's life philosophy by living by the words uttered by Roosevelt from his famous “The Man in the Arena” speech. This tells us that the man / woman we should praise is the man / woman who’s out there fighting the big battles, even if those battles end in defeat. In our day, when cynicism and aloof detachment are considered hip and cool, Stewie channeling Roosevelt reminds us that glory and honor come to those “who spend themselves in a worthy cause.”

Roosevelt said, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

 

[JustinesGuy]

Monkey wrench throwing: in a thread several months ago when we were choosing first team & back-ups, it was none other than our sainted Husky Nan who declared that she would not include Lobo for not being athletic enough.

Maybe husky nan just thinks she's knows it all....

 

[Rixxx]

By the way, where is Husky Nan?

 

[tomcat]

I can understand why Bascom, but I think it's Lobo. Like the other three, she was a transformational player. She not only led the team to many wins, she, like the others, was an example of what, at the time, was a new type of player. She wasn't just a position player. She did things differently, or better in a different way, and her leadership was stellar. Unless IU have missed something, I don't think any of the current players -- as wonderful as they are, and I love 'em all -- is transformational. Napheesa is wonderful at what she does, as is Lou. Gabby is certainly a different kind of player, but I'm not sure others will come along in her mold. That, of course, would make her unique, and if she has a wonderful season this year, could maybe qualify her.