Who is the GOAT UConn woman's basketball player? - Poll

[DaddyChoc]

Thanks to everyone who voted. I'd like to revisit this in a few years and see if people's votes drift toward Maya or Stewie a bit more.

it shouldnt if we're only suppose to focus on their UConn career

 

[DaddyChoc]

IMO with EDD on the team it would have been 8 NCs in a row!

or 195-0

 

[CL82]

it shouldnt if we're only suppose to focus on their UConn career

You're right of course, but you can see from the posts it does creep in. Who knows with more reflection, I might change my vote.

I picked Stewie over Diana in part because of Stewie's consistent performance on the biggest stage. It was close. It isn't just about the natties. If we were doing this pole on the men's team, I would pick Kemba over Shabazz, even though Shabazz had two national championships and Kemba "only" had one.

As others have said, it is great that we have had so many great players and great seasons that we can have this debate.

 

[Waquoit]

Oh I know. I put an enormous weight on who DT won her last two Championships with.

It's not like she played with nothing. Her center was a 1st round draft pick and had a 9 year pro career.

 

[Waquoit]

After DT it would be Kerry Bascom before Moore or Stewart.

No. it wouldn't. Not even close.

 

[intlzncster]

It's not like she played with nothing. Her center was a 1st round draft pick and had a 9 year pro career.

Focusing on Jr/Sr years here, when they were out and out leaders.

Maya and Stewie played with girls who are in the conversation for Best Ever at UCONN.

Maya played with girls (jr sr years) who were drafted 1, 11, 13, 14 etc in more loaded drafts. Possibly the best center UCONN's had (Charles). Top caliber guard/wings (Hayes/Greene). One of the all time swiss army knifes, the perfect Auriemma player (Faris). Even two young kids who would become 1st team AAs (Briah/Stef). I mean, the overall talent disparity was massive.

Stewie played 4 years with a girl who is in the conversation with Sue Bird for best PG ever to play at UCONN (Jefferson). DT played with Maria Conlon. Nice kid, steady, good 3pt shot, but nobodies putting her on an All Conference team (iirc), never mind All American. And, as a lesser player, D was a huge part of her success. Stewie had a 1st team AA all time 3pt shooter (KML).

If you put D's crew up against any team (sans D, Stewie, Maya) in the last 8 years or so, they'd get absolutely smoked. Of the players on DT's Jr/Sr year teams, how many would start on Stewie's or Maya's teams? Damn near none. J Moore on Maya's Sr year team. Maybe Soph Strother on one of those teams.

Add in the fact that D's teams were pretty damn young too (esp Jr year). Can't be overstated. People were shocked they won the title her Jr year. And not many thought they'd repeat.

Note: I'm NOT knocking what Stewie did. Stewie's very close to DT in UCONN history for me. I put an enormous weight on 4 straight Championships. Mind you, that All UCONN PG mentioned earlier also has 4. So it's not the delineating factor.

 

[Waquoit]

You don't have to give me the laundry list, intl. I lived that laundry list when you were in what, middle school? The key fact for me is Stewie led the team to a national title as a freshman while Taurasi was the main reason they lost as a freshman.

 

[intlzncster]

You don't have to give me the laundry list, intl. I lived that laundry list when you were in what, middle school? The key fact for me is Stewie led the team to a national title as a freshman while Taurasi was the main reason they lost as a freshman.

Uh, no. I was already out of college. Attended many of DT's games. If you lived it, you would understand.

DT's team lost 2 vet AA leaders that season. Subtract Dolson and Hartley from Brianna's team and you think she wins it? Zero chance.

 

[hoophuskee]

It's not like she played with nothing. Her center was a 1st round draft pick and had a 9 year pro career.

No DT didn't play with nothing. But all of her teammates were complimentary players other that BTurner who could score a bit on her own but was extremely inconsistent. JessMoore could score a bit in the post too but she was more complimentary (ie not an all-american player but extremely solid.).

 

[hoophuskee]

Focusing on Jr/Sr years here, when they were out and out leaders.
Maya and Stewie played with girls who are in the conversation for Best Ever at UCONN.

(2) Maya played with girls (jr sr years) who were drafted 1, 11, 13, 14 etc in more loaded drafts. Possibly the best center UCONN's had (Charles). Top caliber guard/wings (Hayes/Greene). One of the all time swiss army knifes, the perfect Auriemma player (Faris). Even two young kids who would become 1st team AAs (Briah/Stef). I mean, the overall talent disparity was massive.

(1) If you put D's crew up against any team (sans D, Stewie, Maya) in the last 8 years or so, they'd get absolutely smoked. Of the players on DT's Jr/Sr year teams, how many would start on Stewie's or Maya's teams? Damn near none. J Moore on Maya's Sr year team. Maybe Soph Strother on one of those teams.

Add in the fact that D's teams were pretty damn young too (esp Jr year). Can't be overstated. People were shocked they won the title her Jr year. And not many thought they'd repeat.

Note: I'm NOT knocking what Stewie did. Stewie's very close to DT in UCONN history for me. I put an enormous weight on 4 straight Championships. Mind you, that All UCONN PG mentioned earlier also has 4. So it's not the delineating factor.

(1) Who do you think wins if the Texas team which DT helped beat in 02-03 plays the Notre Dame team which Stewie helped beat in 12-13? The ND team imo would absolutely smoke that Texas team.

(2) You're using the draft picks of Maya's former teammates now let's look at a few of the ND teammates and where they were drafted. Diggins was drafted 3rd. Achonwa 9th. McBride 3rd. And Loyd 1st. Geno Aureimma BUILT HIS OFFENSE around the freshman Stewie to BEAT THAT TREMENDOUSLY TALENTED TEAM.Or we can put it another way by saying Geno put his faith in the freshman over other 1st round draft pick UCONN All-AMercians too.

 

[intlzncster]

(1) Who do you think wins if the Texas team which DT helped beat in 02-03 plays the Notre Dame team which Stewie helped beat in 12-13? The ND team imo would absolutely smoke that Texas team.

(2) You're using the draft picks of Maya's former teammates now let's look at a few of the ND teammates and where they were drafted. Diggins was drafted 3rd. Achonwa 9th. McBride 3rd. And Loyd 1st. Geno Aureimma BUILT HIS OFFENSE around the freshman Stewie to BEAT THAT TREMENDOUSLY TALENTED TEAM.Or we can put it another way by saying Geno put his faith in the freshman over other 1st round draft pick UCONN All-AMercians too.

Or to put another way, he knew Stewie was a positional mismatch, so despite her experience, he did the smart thing and exploited it. You could look at it a number of ways. Stewie was definitely the best mismatch I've ever seen in WCBB. Nothing like her in that respect.

But what you're also kinda saying is that the non focal points were 1st team All Americans. 1st team AA role players! lol That bolsters my point!

But you could say that, the fact that they beat Texas by a couple points shows just how weak that team was historically.

And DT's club beat vaunted Tennessee for both titles. UT games were a tough slog.

All you gotta do is look at margin of victories for both teams throughout the year, and you can see how stacked UCONN was to the teams they were playing. There's really no comparison.

 

[hoophuskee]

Or to put another way, he knew Stewie was a positional mismatch, so despite her experience, he did the smart thing and exploited it. You could look at it a number of ways. Stewie was definitely the best mismatch I've ever seen in WCBB. Nothing like her in that respect.

(1) But what you're also kinda saying is that the non focal points were 1st team All Americans. 1st team AA role players! lol That bolsters my point!

(2) But you could say that, the fact that they beat Texas by a couple points shows just how weak that team was historically.

(3) And DT's club beat vaunted Tennessee for both titles. UT games were a tough slog.

(4) All you gotta do is look at margin of victories for both teams throughout the year, and you can see how stacked UCONN was to the teams they were playing. There's really no comparison.

I don't understand most of your points.

1--- What are you saying? I hope you're not suggesting you think that having a deep bench is better than having high tier talent? Notre Dame had a number 1 pick, 2 numbers 3 picks and a number 9. That far superseded the point you made about Maya's team. A number 1 tier-player will bring players up a level because as a number 1 or number 3 fro example usually have some point of their game that is tremendous. When UCONN got Maya Moore and Lorin Dixon-- UCONN onyl had two players and Dixon was high but that high. There is a reason why the class of Maya (and Lorin) was a powerful class. Because the one player - a super player-- has an enormous impact on the game.

2-- What's your point to number 2? You're the one that thinks it was relevant to bring up the teams. So what I'm saying is DT went against weaker opponents. Yes she had weaker teammates. But she had weaker opponents. As an upperclassman, she was obviously the focal point of the team and the leader. Stewart had much superior teammates, but she had much superior opponents too.

3-- I looked up the 7 times UCONN and Tenn played total combining the final four and finals. The 2002, 2003 and 2004 were the weakest Tenn teams. The Tenn teams of 1995, 1996, 1997 and 2000 were superior. Yes DT helped beat among the weakest teams Tenn brought to the final four when competing against UCONN. SO what does that prove? And then we can look at during Stewie's era-- in her 1st year -- that ND team was far superior to those Tenn teams. I'll stack Diggins, McBride, Achonwa and Loyd against 2002, 2003 and 2004 Tennessee and imo ND easily - very easily comes out on top. IMo the ND games were a tough slog too. When DT helped beat the 2002, 2003 and 2004 Tenn teams, there was no Parker, Catchings or Holdsclaw. Are you trying to say the year Stewie was a frosh and she helped lead her team to victory over ND that had beaten UCONN three previous times that year (two at home) - that the games weren't a tough slog? Two years later -- another tough game. ND was a tough slog, right?

4-- I don't understand point 4 that you made.

 

[cbraarj]

No. it wouldn't. Not even close.

In college Moore or Stewart never hit the big shot. Bascom did and At a live event with the coaches. Geno started talking about Kerry when asked that question as the audience said Taurasi. Geno said Dee and Kerry. Yes it would!

 

[cbraarj]

You don't have to give me the laundry list, intl. I lived that laundry list when you were in what, middle school? The key fact for me is Stewie led the team to a national title as a freshman while Taurasi was the main reason they lost as a freshman.

I have followed Uconn since 1987 and she had a bad shooting night in the FF. It had nothing to do with losing 2 AAs to injury. Did Dee let ND come back to win by herself. Where was Bird Cash Jones Williams Schumaker and Johnson? Werent they on the 2000 NC team? A bad shooting night doesnt make a player the Main reason why you lost! If you played or coached you wouldnt have made that comment because the main reason why you lose by 15 would be your defense!

 

[Waquoit]

Geno started talking about Kerry when asked that question as the audience said Taurasi. Geno said Dee and Kerry. Yes it would!

Geno thought so much of Kerry he gave her scoring record to someone else.

 

[HopJim]

I went with Stewart but could easily have gone with Maya or DT. I discount the 'they started it' concept, which is certainly a valid consideration, because that is more conceptual about the program and not about what happened game in, game out on the basketball floor.

The deciding factor for me was Stewart's freshman year - her post season run and especially her NCAA run as a freshman was incredible - she carried that team as a freshman, and then did it three more years. I tend to agree with her that the FF MVP in her junior year should have gone to Moriah, but that wasn't a blemish, just an acknowledgement of a teammates equal brilliance sort of like Maya/Tina. (The only other freshman to come close to the impact on an NC at Uconn is probably Sales and she was unable to repeat that feat.)

Stewart's defensive presence to go with her offense - a quirk of her physical gifts is unique among my three contenders. While she is #1 in blocked shots at Uconn, her presence on defense not only altered a much higher number of shot, but prevented innumerable shots from even being attempted. The lasting impression of her defense was seeing an opponent beat a Uconn perimeter defender heading toward the basket and doing a U-turn when looking up and seeing Stewart lurking in the paint - I used to actually chuckle during games when it happened. We talk about PGs and great players making their teammates better on offense all the time, what Stewart did most of the time was make her teammates noticeably better defenders as well.

Well said. 4 years of MVP performance and BOTH defensive and offensive dominance.

 

[UCweCONN]

Poor Rebecca Lobo. Getting no love. Zero votes? Someone throw her a sympathy vote. Not me, I've seen them all since Bascom and voted for Stewart.

 

[hoophuskee]

In college Moore or Stewart never hit the big shot. Bascom did and At a live event with the coaches. Geno started talking about Kerry when asked that question as the audience said Taurasi. Geno said Dee and Kerry. Yes it would!

Is this a joke?

 

[hoophuskee]

I have followed Uconn since 1987 and she had a bad shooting night in the FF. It had nothing to do with losing 2 AAs to injury. Did Dee let ND come back to win by herself. Where was Bird Cash Jones Williams Schumaker and Johnson? Werent they on the 2000 NC team? A bad shooting night doesnt make a player the Main reason why you lost! If you played or coached you wouldnt have made that comment because the main reason why you lose by 15 would be your defense!

IMo this isn't true. If you lose in a low scoring game or you lose because you take bad shots (weren't patient enough) that lead to the other team getting fastbreaks or you have a star player or two that you built your offense around and they either miss a lot or get into foul trouble (because of offensive fouls too) - that would probably be the offense.

The other players are scholarship players too. You can't just wave a magic wand and say "stop them" and all of a sudden they are stopped.

 

[ReadR00ster]

The 3 greatest women's basketball players I have ever seen play. 1. Maya Moore. 2. Breanna Stewart. 3. Diana Taurasi in that order. Not just UConn but women's basketball.

 

[cbraarj]

Geno thought so much of Kerry he gave her scoring record to someone else.

This is the weakest comment ever on this board!

 

[cbraarj]

Is this a joke?

Only this question!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Oh God, how horrible. So many UConn greats to fight about. The horror.

 

[Buzzyboy]

I chose Maya. 4-time consensus All-American. 150-4, and every loss was an anomaly.

In the Rutgers loss--remember that Rutgers was very physically and mentally tough back then--after hitting 2 treys to cut the lead, Maya needed one more touch to send the game to OT, but never got the ball.

In the Stanford loss, Maya was still injured from the late season Rutgers mugging. Plus Tina had not grown up yet, and Wiggins was on fire.

In the next Stanford loss, Tiffany and Geno had the flu and Maya was probably sick as well. Tara planned 6 months for that game.

In the Notre Dame loss, we had the game under control until Stef got into foul trouble. Then Notre Dame drove the lane at will using their flip and flop technique. Maya put up 36 in a losing effort but got little help.

Maya never missed a collegiate game and was instrumental in most of the 150 wins. She never lost in the State of Connecticut.

Milford Husky, I love your opinions because in most cases, they're a mirror image of my own. Maya was just so efficient and the only reason that people think Diana is, has to do with DT being the chest pounding strutting person that she was. In actual performance, I think Maya is the GOAT and it isn't THAT CLOSE!

 

[Buzzyboy]

I'd go with Stewart if you're analyzing college career....3x POY as the centerpiece of 3 of the most dominant teams of all time. Her freshman year was choppy until she hit her stride and cruised in the NCAAs. Her senior year she was as polished and dominant as anyone I've seen play collegiately. She also was a one woman wrecking crew defensively and offensively was unstoppable from anywhere. She never had to put a team on her back like DT/Maya, but her results and resume are unmatched by anyone in NCAA history. 4x champion, 3x NCAA POY, 2 undefeated seasons and 4x Final Four MOP (even though it probably should be 3 with Jefferson getting robbed in 2015).

You are right, Jefferson did get robbed. She was fantastic. Stewart, after the first ten games of her freshman year, was mediocre, at best, until she got to the postseason. Then, she really played like a seasoned player and deserved her MOP for the tournament. Maya was exceptional throughout her entire time in Storrs and her stats could have easily been so much better if she had the ego that DT had (has). The no show of DT in the semi-finals during her freshman year should disqualify her. A truly awful performance. I do know one bad game shouldn't hurt her legacy and she was an exceptional Huskie but Maya is THE ONE!