04-03-2012, 02:25 PM
Love our team and definitely feel privileged and proud to have watched and cheered Nneka. She is amazing in so many different ways that it really would take a book to even begin to describe her profound impact. We yelled as hard as we could trying to help the team win, especially for Nneka.
I think the game plan was brilliant and it worked, perhaps better than any other team to have faced Baylor, but then it was up to our players to execute and to the referees. We didn't hit the 3s we needed and were capable of. Just our average (which was the lowest in years or ever) and we could have won. But the big X factor is the referees. We never know how they are going to call the game.
After going through the Pac12 and first 4 games of the NCAAs getting literally beat up as the refs let teams (especially shorter teams like Hampton, West Virginia, and South Carolina) play extremely physical - pushing, shaving and grabbing - games AGAINST us - it seemed to me that ONE referee, the blond ponytail - decided single handedly that she wasn't going to let us play physically with Brittney and Baylor. Tara was much too classy to say it - all she said was that the foul calling "was different." But watch any other Final Four game - the ND/UConn game or any of the men's games and you'll see a different game.
I don't think you want the referees, especially one single ref, to affect the outcome, but she did. The game was very close but both Chiney and Nneka get into fouls trouble and it alters their play. Chiney became a non-factor in the second half and then was gone completely. In the Final Four, do you want the Pac12 defensive player of the year out of the game against Brittney Griner? Let them play.
Of course you cannot control the refereeing and we need to adjust and if we hit our 3s we could overcome the refs but when we're in the Final Four the difference between going home and being crowned the national champion can be and is as small a difference as that.
Random thoughts:
Don't think Amber seemed her usual self. Tara said Amber was tired. Might have been the altitude - don't know but she didn't move the way she had been moving, especially against their press. We've handled everyone's press all year - until Baylor. Next year Jasmine and Alex will give us options, depth, speed, quickness, ball handling, etc. that would have made a difference this year.
Boothe played Brittney well. Tara didn't have much time to get Sarah ready and integrated and at times it didn't seem like she could but she was played really well. Don't know if she'll return next year but I would live to see her play like she did her freshman year (or better) before she finishes her career here.
Jos was the big X factor. Fronting Griner was very effective and the key to our game plan, but even though she's been on fire outside the arc and was hitting in practice and warmups it just wasn't there during the game. I predict she will have a fire burning this off season again and next year she'll have a monster year. Does she move inside or stay on the wing? I say inside to her natural position with the ability to go outside and hit the 3. She'll be a tough matchup.
In the first half the offense went through Chiney at the high post and she was making killer passes. I can't wait to see how her game develops and grows. Nneka has made a big impact upon the leadership foundation that Chiney will continue to develop and enrich. I love this team.
I think it took Toni awhile to recover from last year's injury against St Johns - the incident that I believe cost us the NC. But, I don't think Toni got back to the level of fearlessness and play that she was at her peak last year. I'm looking forward to her getting back to full Toni.
After losing Jeanette and Kayla, it was going to be a challenge to get back to the FF but this team did it. Losing Nneka seems like an even tougher challenge, but the foundation is there - the will, the hard work, the togetherness, and belief. See you in New Orleans!
I think the game plan was brilliant and it worked, perhaps better than any other team to have faced Baylor, but then it was up to our players to execute and to the referees. We didn't hit the 3s we needed and were capable of. Just our average (which was the lowest in years or ever) and we could have won. But the big X factor is the referees. We never know how they are going to call the game.
After going through the Pac12 and first 4 games of the NCAAs getting literally beat up as the refs let teams (especially shorter teams like Hampton, West Virginia, and South Carolina) play extremely physical - pushing, shaving and grabbing - games AGAINST us - it seemed to me that ONE referee, the blond ponytail - decided single handedly that she wasn't going to let us play physically with Brittney and Baylor. Tara was much too classy to say it - all she said was that the foul calling "was different." But watch any other Final Four game - the ND/UConn game or any of the men's games and you'll see a different game.
I don't think you want the referees, especially one single ref, to affect the outcome, but she did. The game was very close but both Chiney and Nneka get into fouls trouble and it alters their play. Chiney became a non-factor in the second half and then was gone completely. In the Final Four, do you want the Pac12 defensive player of the year out of the game against Brittney Griner? Let them play.
Of course you cannot control the refereeing and we need to adjust and if we hit our 3s we could overcome the refs but when we're in the Final Four the difference between going home and being crowned the national champion can be and is as small a difference as that.
Random thoughts:
Don't think Amber seemed her usual self. Tara said Amber was tired. Might have been the altitude - don't know but she didn't move the way she had been moving, especially against their press. We've handled everyone's press all year - until Baylor. Next year Jasmine and Alex will give us options, depth, speed, quickness, ball handling, etc. that would have made a difference this year.
Boothe played Brittney well. Tara didn't have much time to get Sarah ready and integrated and at times it didn't seem like she could but she was played really well. Don't know if she'll return next year but I would live to see her play like she did her freshman year (or better) before she finishes her career here.
Jos was the big X factor. Fronting Griner was very effective and the key to our game plan, but even though she's been on fire outside the arc and was hitting in practice and warmups it just wasn't there during the game. I predict she will have a fire burning this off season again and next year she'll have a monster year. Does she move inside or stay on the wing? I say inside to her natural position with the ability to go outside and hit the 3. She'll be a tough matchup.
In the first half the offense went through Chiney at the high post and she was making killer passes. I can't wait to see how her game develops and grows. Nneka has made a big impact upon the leadership foundation that Chiney will continue to develop and enrich. I love this team.
I think it took Toni awhile to recover from last year's injury against St Johns - the incident that I believe cost us the NC. But, I don't think Toni got back to the level of fearlessness and play that she was at her peak last year. I'm looking forward to her getting back to full Toni.
After losing Jeanette and Kayla, it was going to be a challenge to get back to the FF but this team did it. Losing Nneka seems like an even tougher challenge, but the foundation is there - the will, the hard work, the togetherness, and belief. See you in New Orleans!