Who is the GOAT UConn woman's basketball player? - Poll | Page 4 | The Boneyard

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

Who is the GOAT UConn woman's basketball player?

  • Breanna Stewart

  • Diana Taurasi

  • Sue Bird

  • Rebecca Lobo

  • Maya Moore

  • Jen Rizzotti

  • Other

Results are only viewable after voting.
hoophuskee said:
Yes ND was a Giant that year. Name any other team that beat UCONN three times in which UCONN had 3 other all-americans on the team? Was Geno that lousy of a coach that he gets beat three straight times (4 if you count the prior year)? How come his all-americans didn't step up? Not to mention ND that year 1st team all-amercian. Diggins went 3rd in the draft.. The next year 1st team all-american McBride went 3rd. The next year 1st team all-american Loyd went 1st. Within that they had their center go 9th. What team in 2003 or 2004 in the NCAA's had that type of firepower that DT beat? What super players did Tenn have? IMO Diggins, McBride and Loyd were all super. Not as great as UCONN's all-tiem great players but certainly ahead of what Tenn has during 2003 and 2004.

Further, imo you don't need to win a title to be considered a Giant. What you call "miracle" -- I call "wins" that they "consistently did vs UCONN. ANd while I agree they flopped -- they did what they had to to get wins. Which imo is why they won- competitive grit. "Do what it takes."

DT never had to compete anything near with what Stewart had to go against in her jr and sr years. The other Giant you speak- Tenn - their best player imo couldn't hold a candle to Diggins, or McBride or Loyd.

As I mentioned before I love Dt - I lvoe Maya. I love Stewie. But as we heard Muffett say being interviewed during the finals vs UCONN when Stewie picked up a couple of quick fouls she said d"Now we can go inside." I love Dt -- but no team would ever say they when she was on the court. Rather at times they would try to expose her. OFC that wasn't going to work. But still Muffett's comment said it all.
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Pat Summit was happy to see Taurasi Graduate. Lost 7 of 8 games and last 2 for the NCs.
 
hoophuskee said:
Yes ND was a Giant that year. Name any other team that beat UCONN three times in which UCONN had 3 other all-americans on the team? Was Geno that lousy of a coach that he gets beat three straight times (4 if you count the prior year)? How come his all-americans didn't step up? Not to mention ND that year 1st team all-amercian. Diggins went 3rd in the draft.. The next year 1st team all-american McBride went 3rd. The next year 1st team all-american Loyd went 1st. Within that they had their center go 9th. What team in 2003 or 2004 in the NCAA's had that type of firepower that DT beat? What super players did Tenn have? IMO Diggins, McBride and Loyd were all super. Not as great as UCONN's all-tiem great players but certainly ahead of what Tenn has during 2003 and 2004.

Further, imo you don't need to win a title to be considered a Giant. What you call "miracle" -- I call "wins" that they "consistently did vs UCONN. ANd while I agree they flopped -- they did what they had to to get wins. Which imo is why they won- competitive grit. "Do what it takes."

DT never had to compete anything near with what Stewart had to go against in her jr and sr years. The other Giant you speak- Tenn - their best player imo couldn't hold a candle to Diggins, or McBride or Loyd.

As I mentioned before I love Dt - I lvoe Maya. I love Stewie. But as we heard Muffett say being interviewed during the finals vs UCONN when Stewie picked up a couple of quick fouls she said d"Now we can go inside." I love Dt -- but no team would ever say they when she was on the court. Rather at times they would try to expose her. OFC that wasn't going to work. But still Muffett's comment said it all.
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You seem to forget that UCONN lost EDD, Walker and McCormick to transfer in that time frame. That left UCONN short in the frontcourt, especially in Maya's senior year. That is exactly when ND's little run of miracles went down.

When players leave a college team, you don't just lose that player, you lose the player(s) that would have signed had the player that transfered not signed and unlike a pro team, you can't simply fill the void with a trade. Had those transfers not gone down, UCONN would have done to ND what they routinely did to ND (and routinely do again) and nobody would have thought the Floppers were such a juggernaut. ND gained their limited fame adainst UCONN in that stretch thanks to the transfer of an all-timer and 2 other solid frontcourt performers along with their ability to con referees. Were they good??? Yeah, they were good. Were they great??? Not in my opinion. Great teams win championships. As tremendous as Stewie is, no way does she win 4 straight if her freshman team lost not 1, but 2 All-Americans to career ending injuries and she was surrounded by the same talent level Taurasi was in her final 2 years.

Obviously, everyone has their own opinion and that's exactly what they are, opinions. You have yours and I have mine. You put stock in Muffet's opinion. I'll put stock in Geno's, since as we've heard numerous times.......DT is the greatest player he's ever coached.
 
Isn't it nice to be able to root for a program with these kinds of choices. Where would a KaraWolters stand at most schools. She was only the National POY and can't crack our top 5, maybe 10.
 
great discussion and it's like asking which of your children do you love most. you can love them differently, but you love them all. period.

In a very, very close call, obviously, for me the one I love watching the most (admittedly not the OP's question) is Maya. She is sheer elegance. She's the platonic ideal of what a basketball player should look and play like.
 
dbmill said:
Kerry Bascom. Sigh. certainly Geno's first great player at UConn, but how soon they forget how to spell her name right.
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Mea culpa
 
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Bottom line, there are at least 3 players from this storied program that a compelling arguement can be made for the top slot. When you add that to the notion that UCONN's top 10+ players, also happen to rank in the upper echelon of WBB players period, that is quite an embarrassment of riches.
 
cbraarj said:
Pat Summit was happy to see Taurasi Graduate. Lost 7 of 8 games and last 2 for the NCs.
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The entire league that was competing for titles were happy to see DT graduate, weren't they? And the same with Maya and Stewie?
 
geneticrex said:
You seem to forget that UCONN lost EDD, Walker and McCormick to transfer in that time frame. That left UCONN short in the frontcourt, especially in Maya's senior year. That is exactly when ND's little run of miracles went down.

When players leave a college team, you don't just lose that player, you lose the player(s) that would have signed had the player that transfered not signed and unlike a pro team, you can't simply fill the void with a trade. Had those transfers not gone down, UCONN would have done to ND what they routinely did to ND (and routinely do again) and nobody would have thought the Floppers were such a juggernaut. ND gained their limited fame adainst UCONN in that stretch thanks to the transfer of an all-timer and 2 other solid frontcourt performers along with their ability to con referees. Were they good??? Yeah, they were good. Were they great??? Not in my opinion. Great teams win championships. As tremendous as Stewie is, no way does she win 4 straight if her freshman team lost not 1, but 2 All-Americans to career ending injuries and she was surrounded by the same talent level Taurasi was in her final 2 years.

Obviously, everyone has their own opinion and that's exactly what they are, opinions. You have yours and I have mine. You put stock in Muffet's opinion. I'll put stock in Geno's, since as we've heard numerous times..DT is the greatest player he's ever coached.
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They only beat UCONN's Maya once. I'm referring to them beating Dolson, KML and Hartley three straight times. ND beat a team with three all-Americans coached by Geno - beat them three consecutive times. Two times at UCONN.

I don't get your "what if point" about EDD. ND beat UCONN's three all-Americans. I don't understand why you bring up:"what if" when it comes to EDD. UCONN had three all-American caliber players when they went at it with ND in Stewie's frosh year. How many more all-American caliber players did UCONN need in order to win just 1 game out of 3?

Further UCONN won the championship the year we had the three all-American caliber players in Dolson, KML and Hartley. Once Geno turned the offense over to the freshman Stewart instead of the other three all-American caliber players that couldn't get it done, UCONN won. In other words, Stewart raised herself above all the all-Americans on her team and ofc the great player in Diggins.

And I don't agree with "only great teams win championships." Though I do agree with anyone that would say in order to be the greatest you have to at least win a title. And ofc I believe you can’t be defeated to be the best. Anyhow when you mention Geno quote he said DT was best—he also included the 00-01 team amongst his great teams I believe. Yet they didn’t win it all. We don’t agree they belong, correct? And I through Lakers and Celts teams of the 80's were great. One had to lose.

As for DT-- I'd be interested to hear Geno's entire comment on DT and when he said it. I do remember after the 2002 season Geno was asked which of his teams he thought greater the 1995 team or 2002 and he either backed off or leaned toward the 1995 team at the time because of the height. I think most of us would think 01-02 is better. So how much stock are you going to put on his comment when I easily reference other things that we don’t agree with Geno on. He has personal relationships with all these players which may factor in.

As far as Stewie not winning without the two all-Americans – I agree and also disagree. But disagree with using the 00-01 as any relevant factor. That team lost two “wing-type” players. DT could play the positions – obviously DT and Stewie play different positions. DT is a natural wing so she could fill the void. The team was built differently. Now instead if you give Stewie an elite pg such as a junior in MoJeff (to offset the luxury Dt had playing with Bird), then give Stewie Kelly Schumacher, then give her three wing caliber players that are upperclassmen at the talent level of Swin, Jones and Tamika—then yes yes yes absolutely Stewie would go to the ff with that type of team and talent in her frosh year as great as she was.
 
CL82 said:
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.
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it shouldnt if we're only suppose to focus on their UConn career
 
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DaddyChoc said:
it shouldnt if we're only suppose to focus on their UConn career
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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.
 
intlzncster said:
Oh I know. I put an enormous weight on who DT won her last two Championships with.
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It's not like she played with nothing. Her center was a 1st round draft pick and had a 9 year pro career.
 
Waquoit said:
It's not like she played with nothing. Her center was a 1st round draft pick and had a 9 year pro career.
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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.
 
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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.
 
Waquoit said:
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.
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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.
 
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Waquoit said:
It's not like she played with nothing. Her center was a 1st round draft pick and had a 9 year pro career.
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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.).
 
intlzncster said:
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.
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(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.
 
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hoophuskee said:
(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.
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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.
 
intlzncster said:
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.
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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.
 
Waquoit said:
No. it wouldn't. Not even close.
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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!
 
Waquoit said:
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.
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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!
 
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cbraarj said:
Geno started talking about Kerry when asked that question as the audience said Taurasi. Geno said Dee and Kerry. Yes it would!
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Geno thought so much of Kerry he gave her scoring record to someone else.
 
UcMiami said:
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.
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Well said. 4 years of MVP performance and BOTH defensive and offensive dominance.
 
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.
 
cbraarj said:
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!
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Is this a joke?
 
cbraarj said:
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!
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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.
 
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.
 
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