01-06-2015, 06:51 AM
There has been some speculation about just how difficult this year will be, given the graduation of the last of the Ogwumikes and a team that looks to be without an established star who will obviously become a WNBA player. The last time our team has faced anything like this was in the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 seasons.
After 1997-98 we graduated Folkl, Olympia Scott, Vanessa Nygaard, and Heather Owen, leaving an even bigger transition than the one we are facing now.
In 1998-99 we were led by Lindsey Yamasaki, Carolyn Moos, Regan Freuen, and Milena Flores. Jamie Carey came in 1999-2000. All these players were good players, but none of them were the superstars that Powell--Wiggins--Appel--Nneka--Chiney proved to be in a continuous line from 2000-2014. Since the Nicole Powell era began in 2000-2001, it might be useful to review how the 98-99 and 99-2000 seasons went.
In 98-99, we were 18-12 overall. Our preseason when we were adjusting to all the new starters was brutal. We lost our first three games of the year and went on to lose to Santa Clara and Colorado (who was not in our conference.) The trip to Tennessee was particularly brutal. We lost there 98-62 in a game that makes this year's loss look palatable. In conference we lost to four different Pac-10 teams--but none of them twice. Oregon and UCLA shared the conference title that year. There was no conference tournament. We made it to the NCAAs with an 18 win season, but for the first time in 11 years we had to go on the road for the first round. We lost in the first round to Maine.
In 1999-2000 we were 7-3 in the preseason, losing to Tennessee much more respectably 79-73 at home. In conference play we had five losses--again, to no one twice. Again we did not win the Pac 10--Oregon did. We made it to the NCAAs with 20 wins and had to go on the road to Georgia. We won our first round game against Michigan in overtime, and lost in the second round against home team Georgia 83-64.
In Nicole's freshman year (2000-2001) we were 19-11. We shared the Pac 10 title with Arizona State and Washington, despite losing 6 conference games, beginning an unbroken streak until now of winning the regular season Pac 10/12. We made it the the NCAAs, won one game, and then lost to Oklahoma in the second round.Â
In 2001-2002 it was Nicole's sophomore year and she had adjusted. We were back in form, going 32-3, being undefeated in Pac 10 play. We did lose to Tennessee who played a lot of Kara Lawson. We did lose to Arizona State in the first Pac 10 WBB tournament which was our second loss of the year. We hosted the first two rounds of the NCAAs and slaughtered our foes. In the sweet 16, we were sent to Boise to play Colorado. We lost narrowly after a number of controversial calls by--you guessed it--referee Missy Barlow.Â
But times never again reverted to the depths of the 1998-2000 stretch--a time with a lot of young players, the graduation of our stars, and the rise of new competition. I think we have many of the same issues today. Hopefully we can do better than 18 wins, but we will know a great deal more in a month's time.
After 1997-98 we graduated Folkl, Olympia Scott, Vanessa Nygaard, and Heather Owen, leaving an even bigger transition than the one we are facing now.
In 1998-99 we were led by Lindsey Yamasaki, Carolyn Moos, Regan Freuen, and Milena Flores. Jamie Carey came in 1999-2000. All these players were good players, but none of them were the superstars that Powell--Wiggins--Appel--Nneka--Chiney proved to be in a continuous line from 2000-2014. Since the Nicole Powell era began in 2000-2001, it might be useful to review how the 98-99 and 99-2000 seasons went.
In 98-99, we were 18-12 overall. Our preseason when we were adjusting to all the new starters was brutal. We lost our first three games of the year and went on to lose to Santa Clara and Colorado (who was not in our conference.) The trip to Tennessee was particularly brutal. We lost there 98-62 in a game that makes this year's loss look palatable. In conference we lost to four different Pac-10 teams--but none of them twice. Oregon and UCLA shared the conference title that year. There was no conference tournament. We made it to the NCAAs with an 18 win season, but for the first time in 11 years we had to go on the road for the first round. We lost in the first round to Maine.
In 1999-2000 we were 7-3 in the preseason, losing to Tennessee much more respectably 79-73 at home. In conference play we had five losses--again, to no one twice. Again we did not win the Pac 10--Oregon did. We made it to the NCAAs with 20 wins and had to go on the road to Georgia. We won our first round game against Michigan in overtime, and lost in the second round against home team Georgia 83-64.
In Nicole's freshman year (2000-2001) we were 19-11. We shared the Pac 10 title with Arizona State and Washington, despite losing 6 conference games, beginning an unbroken streak until now of winning the regular season Pac 10/12. We made it the the NCAAs, won one game, and then lost to Oklahoma in the second round.Â
In 2001-2002 it was Nicole's sophomore year and she had adjusted. We were back in form, going 32-3, being undefeated in Pac 10 play. We did lose to Tennessee who played a lot of Kara Lawson. We did lose to Arizona State in the first Pac 10 WBB tournament which was our second loss of the year. We hosted the first two rounds of the NCAAs and slaughtered our foes. In the sweet 16, we were sent to Boise to play Colorado. We lost narrowly after a number of controversial calls by--you guessed it--referee Missy Barlow.Â
But times never again reverted to the depths of the 1998-2000 stretch--a time with a lot of young players, the graduation of our stars, and the rise of new competition. I think we have many of the same issues today. Hopefully we can do better than 18 wins, but we will know a great deal more in a month's time.