Wrong call, wrong time!

[cferraro04]

Wrong time to make that call. Now for all the purists who would claim there is no wrong time...I would say that a referee must understand the moment. With three seconds left, a kid is going to have to force up a quick shot. It either goes in or it doesn't. The players get to decide the outcome of the game it should not be left up to the referees. If the shot goes in then UConn pulls off the upset if it doesn't then Iowa becomes a team of destiny...that should be the script. From the context provided here, that foul call on AE was one of the worst calls in college sports history. They robbed UConn of a fair chance to win. The was a full-on ratings FIX to get Caitlin to the finals.
I call BS. Lastly, a call of that nature unfairly places the player it is called on in a position where they blame themselves for the loss.

It was a great game and it is too bad it will be remembered for the call instead of the great play of the players. 5 years from now everyone will remember that AE got called for an illegal screen costing UConn a chance to get to the finals. No one will remember who the foul was committed on except the players from Iowa. If there ever was a time for a no-call play-on moment this was it.

 

[Centerstream]

Wrong time to make that call. Now for all the purists who would claim there is no wrong time...I would say that a referee must understand the moment. With three seconds left, a kid is going to have to force up a quick shot. It either goes in or it doesn't. The players get to decide the outcome of the game it should not be left up to the referees. If the shot goes in then UConn pulls off the upset if it doesn't then Iowa becomes a team of destiny...that should be the script. From the context provided here, that foul call on AE was one of the worst calls in college sports history. They robbed UConn of a fair chance to win. The was a full-on ratings FIX to get Caitlin to the finals.
I call BS. Lastly, a call of that nature unfairly places the player it is called on in a position where they blame themselves for the loss.

It was a great game and it is too bad it will be remembered for the call instead of the great play of the players. 5 years from now everyone will remember that AE got called for an illegal screen costing UConn a chance to get to the finals. No one will remember who the foul was committed on except the players from Iowa. If there ever was a time for a no-call play-on moment this was it.

Telling it like it is!!!! Bravo.

 

[EricLA]

+100 Charlie. People who are saying "but it was a foul" - just stupid. How about the play where Clark forearm shivered KK out of the way on an offensive drive... no call. IF you are going to call that (the foul on Liya), then both teams should have had all their starters foul out by half time.

 

[Veteran]

Excellent comment cferraro04. The bottom line is simple. Was the entire game called that way or not? And if not, which it wasn't, then let the players play.

There won't be an official asterisk in the record books on this game, but the asterisk will always be there none the less. Especially if Iowa wins tomorrow.

It was a real black eye for the NCAA, and they sure didn't need any more black eyes than they'd already accumulated for things like the 3-point line PR fiasco. I'm not holding my breath that the NCAA has finally learned its lesson, but I'm hoping they will find a way to prove me wrong over the coming seasons. Some upper management changes might be a very good place to start.

 

[Viet Vet]

Wrong time to make that call. Now for all the purists who would claim there is no wrong time...I would say that a referee must understand the moment. With three seconds left, a kid is going to have to force up a quick shot. It either goes in or it doesn't. The players get to decide the outcome of the game it should not be left up to the referees. If the shot goes in then UConn pulls off the upset if it doesn't then Iowa becomes a team of destiny...that should be the script. From the context provided here, that foul call on AE was one of the worst calls in college sports history. They robbed UConn of a fair chance to win. The was a full-on ratings FIX to get Caitlin to the finals.
I call BS. Lastly, a call of that nature unfairly places the player it is called on in a position where they blame themselves for the loss.

It was a great game and it is too bad it will be remembered for the call instead of the great play of the players. 5 years from now everyone will remember that AE got called for an illegal screen costing UConn a chance to get to the finals. No one will remember who the foul was committed on except the players from Iowa. If there ever was a time for a no-call play-on moment this was it.

Yes, “the players get to decide the outcome of the game”. Are you suggesting the Iowa defender isn’t entitled to help decide the outcome of the game by being prevented from guarding her opponent around an illegal screen because the infraction occurred at the end of the game? The “Let them play” mantra applies to the defense too.

UConn was not “robbed” by that call. The Iowa defender would have been robbed by a no-call.

Full disclosure: I am a UConn alumnus, UConn fan, played college ball for Digger Phelps, and was a basketball official.

 

[hoophuskee]

What the lawyers refuse to acknowledge is that this is a game. It is not a court of law. Th most important things within the game are competition and entertainment. If there is an infraction that has extremely little impact, you have to remove yourself as a courtroom lawyer and allow the play to play out.

Paige is arguably the 2nd bets wcbb player (whether some think 1 or 3 or 4 or 5 not relevant but she is among the top.). This is a game of extreme importance in terms of competition and entertainment - and we as fans were robbed of if the former POY could take down the current POY on one shot. It's the soul of the game. The soul of sports competition. Two super players going head-to-head and it came down to a last shot. It's the reason why you follow sports to a degree, isn't it?

Adn yet we were robbed by a non-impact call that would have had no bearing on the play. The defender was being Paige anyway. The pick was too minimal in terms of impact to make that call. In the last seconds a player stays in the lane maybe a little more. Or a player carries the ball. Or a player bumps another to get an advantage for a rebound. This is the flow of last seconds. But to make it worse- UCONN gets called for 4 of these while Iowa gets none. We get robbed as fans and yet it also feels like UCONN was targeted in which the defender put on a histrionic acting job to sell the call. - and did I hear right, this defender never held Paige once in the game? Yet we are going to call a minimal moving pick in the last seconds?

Are you kidding?

 

[CONN78SEJ]

+100 Charlie. People who are saying "but it was a foul" - just stupid. How about the play where Clark forearm shivered KK out of the way on an offensive drive... no call. IF you are going to call that (the foul on Liya), then both teams should have had all their starters foul out by half time.

Well said Eric, I couldn’t believe that no call, Clark extended her arm and pushed KK out of the way and she went flying. Vegas has been ruling the NFL and the NBA for years now. It’s why I haven’t watched an NFL or NBA game from start to finish in 20 years. As it says on all NFL tickets “this game is purely for entertainment purposes only”. The only team pro sport with mass attendance numbers that Vegas can’t control is still and will always be baseball, simply because of the nature of the game.

 

[hoophuskee]

Yes, “the players get to decide the outcome of the game”. Are you suggesting the Iowa defender isn’t entitled to help decide the outcome of the game by being prevented from guarding her opponent around an illegal screen because the infraction occurred at the end of the game? The “Let them play” mantra applies to the defense too.

UConn was not “robbed” by that call. The Iowa defender would have been robbed by a no-call.

Full disclosure: I am a UConn alumnus, UConn fan, played college ball for Digger Phelps, and was a basketball official.

But the player was behind Paige. She was trailing.

 

[78AlwaysHappy]

Gee, nobody asked the NCAA about any calls made during the game.

 

[willtalk]

What the lawyers refuse to acknowledge is that this is a game. It is not a court of law. Th most important things within the game are competition and entertainment. If there is an infraction that has extremely little impact, you have to remove yourself as a courtroom lawyer and allow the play to play out.

Paige is arguably the 2nd bets wcbb player (whether some think 1 or 3 or 4 or 5 not relevant but she is among the top.). This is a game of extreme importance in terms of competition and entertainment - and we as fans were robbed of if the former POY could take down the current POY on one shot. It's the soul of the game. The soul of sports competition. Two super players going head-to-head and it came down to a last shot. It's the reason why you follow sports to a degree, isn't it?

Adn yet we were robbed by a non-impact call that would have had no bearing on the play. The defender was being Paige anyway. The pick was too minimal in terms of impact to make that call. In the last seconds a player stays in the lane maybe a little more. Or a player carries the ball. Or a player bumps another to get an advantage for a rebound. This is the flow of last seconds. But to make it worse- UCONN gets called for 4 of these while Iowa gets none. We get robbed as fans and yet it also feels like UCONN was targeted in which the defender put on a histrionic acting job to sell the call. - and did I hear right, this defender never held Paige once in the game? Yet we are going to call a minimal moving pick in the last seconds?

Are you kidding?

You are obviously a product of an attitude of the game that has been promoted by the NBA since they began broadcasting on TV. They began to promote the players and not the game. The way the game was called became situational rather than by the actual rules. The stars being promoted were then constantly given an advantage in respect to calls. The idea that a player had to earn calls became common place. This also eventually drifted into the idea that officials should not call fouls that decide the game. Why? Because they needed to cater to the fans.

Your second paragraph is an example of catering to fans desires. So the fans needed to see the former player of the year take down the previous player of the year. Why? Because the fans want it to be so says a UConn Husky fan who is totally objective and has no dog in the race. How much is the anti Clark sentiment fueled by her surpassing Paige in the medias eyes.

So lets take a pole before every game and see what the fans want and call the game so that they have the outcome that they prefer. Do you suggest that we go the way of the WWF?

What has been often posted is that the fix was in because the NCAA wanted Clark in the finals. Well was the fix in when UConn was put into a bracket with teams that lacked dominate post play. A situation made to order for UConn to avoid teams that would present the most problems for them. Even Iowa was such a team. Never the less my hat is off to UConn for getting this far even if they were in an advantageous bracket for them. You still have to play good teams and play good ball.

By the way, the NBA becoming what it has become is the reason I quit following them and switched over to womens basketball. It used to be devoid of such media PR garbage that has now also creeped into the game. I must admit that my interest in womens college basketball has wained considerably almost to the point of just quitting interest all together.

 

[cferraro04]

The defense rests.....

 

[The deacon]

The defense rests.....

Charlie, sorry, but if this guy is your best witness, the defense needs a rest...

 

[hoophuskee]

Your second paragraph is an example of catering to fans desires. So the fans needed to see the former player of the year take down the previous player of the year. Why? Because the fans want it to be so says a UConn Husky fan who is totally objective and has no dog in the race. How much is the anti Clark sentiment fueled by her surpassing Paige in the medias eyes.

If the game isn’t for the fans, then who is it for?

IMO opinion your opinion just highlights why the game has suffered previously. That the refs interject themselves too much into the game sometimes. The players are a big part of the game. While the refs should not be too much.

And not all NBA is bad. The WNBA would love to achieve what the NBA is achieving. Haven’t they set out to try to achieve this? The NBA had Wilt vs Russell. Bird vs Magic. The Bird vs Magic turned around the NBA. They aren’t “The Game” but “Major Components Within The Game.”

I’m a movie buff fan but as I am older I find I don’t like more of the newer movies that come out. While I’ve had discussion with younger family and friends about movies many like the type of action movies I would have liked when I was younger but I dislike now with the CGI among other things. But many others love it. So, I don’t go the movies as much. I’ve had to step aside.

The thrust of my post was the subject of this thread was one play – one call (ie "Wrong Call . . . Wrong Time). One 9 second time in which I spoke we as fans were robbed of. Not “the game” that you speak. But that “one moment within the game" that affected teh game. And imo I’m agreeing with a certain large number of people which I feel wanted to see what would transpire in that moment, for those that feel the game isn’t for the fans and they are okay with interjection in the manner this was played out, well imo those type of fans – maybe they need to just step aside? That'sntowhat teh sport is trying todo, is it? They want to push the player along with the team, don't they?

Because there’s a reason why either questions were asked this year for example of Geno and last year of Dawn regarding their superstars Paige and Aliyah Boston, - and why Iowa is so popular – it’s because of the fascinating players and importance thereof from those players within the game. Not the refs nor the lawyers. That’s why we have the ratings that we currently have – it’s highlighted by the player’s within the game that the fans and media want to see and know more of.

As a result, no poll is needed. All we ask is logic be used.

 

[Pharos]

I think I might have become curious enough to want to read the WCBB rules book. The description for referees about how to decide how much pushing and shoving is ok in the paint when an offense player is posting up... vs... the description for how to evaluate what happens when an offense player picks a defense player. Somehow these situations are regarded differently. I should read about it.

 

[CL82]

Yes, “the players get to decide the outcome of the game”. Are you suggesting the Iowa defender isn’t entitled to help decide the outcome of the game by being prevented from guarding her opponent around an illegal screen because the infraction occurred at the end of the game? The “Let them play” mantra applies to the defense too.

UConn was not “robbed” by that call. The Iowa defender would have been robbed by a no-call.

Full disclosure: I am a UConn alumnus, UConn fan, played college ball for Digger Phelps, and was a basketball official.

I would agree with that statement, if every single call was called during the game. If that were true basketball would look a lot different. Since judgment calls are made on every single play, often deciding not to call fouls, then it's fair to criticize the decision to call a foul on a screen, with three seconds left in a one point final four game.

 

[Skeets]

Yes, “the players get to decide the outcome of the game”. Are you suggesting the Iowa defender isn’t entitled to help decide the outcome of the game by being prevented from guarding her opponent around an illegal screen because the infraction occurred at the end of the game? The “Let them play” mantra applies to the defense too.

UConn was not “robbed” by that call. The Iowa defender would have been robbed by a no-call.

Full disclosure: I am a UConn alumnus, UConn fan, played college ball for Digger Phelps, and was a basketball official.

Your full disclosure does absolutely nothing to establish that your point of view is correct. Interesting that you felt the need to add that with your post. I'm unimpressed. Was I supposed to be impressed?

 

[oldude]

Former Villanova coach Jay Wright, who knows a thing or two about playing in the FF, focused on an unwritten rule among referees as to whether or not there was an “advantage” gained. He suggests that late in the game, at a critical time, there was no advantage gained by UConn. Hence, the foul should not have been whistled.

 

[Rowdy831]

I thought the play call was worse than the officials call. Every defender was on that side of the court and Paige had no chance of getting off a decent look. With 10 seconds left they should have went down the center and made Iowa play defense on everyone. With that said the team played hard and when Paige and AE both get outplayed by their counterpart in a game they aren't going to win. To me it looked like Nika was the only veteran who came to win that day.

 

[snowkot]

Charlie, sorry, but if this guy is your best witness, the defense needs a rest...

This guy is brilliant and absolutely spot on.

I thought the play call was worse....

Last minute play calls to win/lose a game in an NCAA tourament. Hmmm... Saniya Chong down the lane, Gabby Williams fadeaway from the side, Charde Houston short side jumper...

Watching the play, if Bueckers doesn't shoot, almost certain she finds Edwards wide open for corner of the key jumper, as both the screened player and Edwards' defender moved to Bueckers. Odds of her making that shot are another thing. Either way, wow, what a moment...

 

[martyn]

Wrong time to make that call. Now for all the purists who would claim there is no wrong time...I would say that a referee must understand the moment. With three seconds left, a kid is going to have to force up a quick shot. It either goes in or it doesn't. The players get to decide the outcome of the game it should not be left up to the referees. If the shot goes in then UConn pulls off the upset if it doesn't then Iowa becomes a team of destiny...that should be the script. From the context provided here, that foul call on AE was one of the worst calls in college sports history. They robbed UConn of a fair chance to win. The was a full-on ratings FIX to get Caitlin to the finals.
I call BS. Lastly, a call of that nature unfairly places the player it is called on in a position where they blame themselves for the loss.

It was a great game and it is too bad it will be remembered for the call instead of the great play of the players. 5 years from now everyone will remember that AE got called for an illegal screen costing UConn a chance to get to the finals. No one will remember who the foul was committed on except the players from Iowa. If there ever was a time for a no-call play-on moment this was it.

Wrong nudge wrong time. Edwards knew the fatal risk she was taking. It was nuts but she took it just the same.

 

[Bald Husky]

I think Geno was pissed at Aaliyah, not the call. She has been called for a moving screen dozens of times during her career, but to be sure she didn't do it on the last play of her career, she should have stayed extra still- but she didn't. Aaliyah is an all American and I love her, but to lose focus on that play was inexcusable.

 

[hoophuskee]

I think Geno was pissed at Aaliyah, not the call. She has been called for a moving screen dozens of times during her career, but to be sure she didn't do it on the last play of her career, she should have stayed extra still- but she didn't. Aaliyah is an all American and I love her, but to lose focus on that play was inexcusable.

I don't agree. There is a reason in the postgame he spoke of 4 moving picks on his team vs zero on teh other and another coment about how often you could calls fouls if you want to.

 

[Oldschoolbb]

Nope and nope.

 

[KCD]

I thought the play call was worse than the officials call. Every defender was on that side of the court and Paige had no chance of getting off a decent look. With 10 seconds left they should have went down the center and made Iowa play defense on everyone. With that said the team played hard and when Paige and AE both get outplayed by their counterpart in a game they aren't going to win. To me it looked like Nika was the only veteran who came to win that day.

Either Paige gets off a shot or she passes to a wide open AE (since her defender went to Paige). If only Paige was a good passer with good court vision. I trust her to make the right play if she was given the chance.

 

[Bald Husky]

I don't agree. There is a reason in the postgame he spoke of 4 moving picks on his team vs zero on teh other and another coment about how often you could calls fouls if you want to.

Yes, but that's not the point. Last play of the game, don't make mistakes and do anything questionable.