[81alum]

Preview:

More when we know our opponent, although we do know Arizona very well and UConn by reputation.  I would love--though I hardly expect--it to be a Pac 12 battle.  ESPN executives would have conniption fits and might pull the plug :P

With Arizona's win the Pac 12 will have its first national championship since Tara last did it in 1992.  Meanwhile, four ESPN executives fainted dead away.  There is no truth to the rumor that they are scheduling it for 11pm Pacific time to make room for a monster truck derby.

Tara gets to scout a familiar opponent.  Winning three times in a single season is not easy.  Arizona knows exactly what it needs to do to beat us--it just has not been able to so thus far.  All the pressure will be on us.  I think we are far more talented at most of the positions, but so was UConn, so we have to take Arizona very, very seriously indeed.

Following are this board's threads on our two previous games with Arizona this year.  Remember that last year they defeated us in our one game with them.

https://thecardboard.org/board/showthrea...#pid303653

https://thecardboard.org/board/showthrea...hlight=wbb

We missed them in the Pac 12 tournament, so we haven't played them since Feb 22.  Since that game, Arizona lost to ASU, beat WSU, and lost to UCLA in the conclusion of the regular season.  They beat Cal and lost to Oregon in the Pac 12 tournament.  So they were not looking like a very distinguished team coming into the NCAAs, going 2-4 beginning with our last game together.  But in the NCAAs they caught fire.  They beat lowly Stony Brook, had a tough game against BYU but did enough to get by them, then beat A&M and Indiana rather convincingly, before tonight's wire-to-wire lead over UConn.

In our last game against them, McDonald had 20 points and Cate Reese 12.  Lexie, Williams, Jones, and Brink were all in double figures for us.

How have they turned their season around so abruptly?  Massey has them at 6, (South Carolina was 5) so the computers think they are pretty good. 

Arizona is 13th nationally in team defense (we are 9th.)
Arizona is 35th nationally in field goal defense (we are 2nd.)

And it is with defense that they have fared so well.  What they did to UConn was unprecedented.  And they have turned up their defense significantly since we played them, so we can't afford to go in thinking this next game will be just like the last two.  Williams has not done well against Arizona.  Others will have to step up.

On offense, Arizona is limited.  McDonald is critical and therefore so will Wilson be.  Cate Reese has seldom given us problems, but she is their second leading scorer.  Baptiste and Sam Thomas have to be watched.

[81alum]

Preview:

More when we know our opponent, although we do know Arizona very well and UConn by reputation.  I would love--though I hardly expect--it to be a Pac 12 battle.  ESPN executives would have conniption fits and might pull the plug :P

With Arizona's win the Pac 12 will have its first national championship since Tara last did it in 1992.  Meanwhile, four ESPN executives fainted dead away.  There is no truth to the rumor that they are scheduling it for 11pm Pacific time to make room for a monster truck derby.

Tara gets to scout a familiar opponent.  Winning three times in a single season is not easy.  Arizona knows exactly what it needs to do to beat us--it just has not been able to so thus far.  All the pressure will be on us.  I think we are far more talented at most of the positions, but so was UConn, so we have to take Arizona very, very seriously indeed.

Following are this board's threads on our two previous games with Arizona this year.  Remember that last year they defeated us in our one game with them.

https://thecardboard.org/board/showthrea...#pid303653

https://thecardboard.org/board/showthrea...hlight=wbb

We missed them in the Pac 12 tournament, so we haven't played them since Feb 22.  Since that game, Arizona lost to ASU, beat WSU, and lost to UCLA in the conclusion of the regular season.  They beat Cal and lost to Oregon in the Pac 12 tournament.  So they were not looking like a very distinguished team coming into the NCAAs, going 2-4 beginning with our last game together.  But in the NCAAs they caught fire.  They beat lowly Stony Brook, had a tough game against BYU but did enough to get by them, then beat A&M and Indiana rather convincingly, before tonight's wire-to-wire lead over UConn.

In our last game against them, McDonald had 20 points and Cate Reese 12.  Lexie, Williams, Jones, and Brink were all in double figures for us.

How have they turned their season around so abruptly?  Massey has them at 6, (South Carolina was 5) so the computers think they are pretty good. 

Arizona is 13th nationally in team defense (we are 9th.)
Arizona is 35th nationally in field goal defense (we are 2nd.)

And it is with defense that they have fared so well.  What they did to UConn was unprecedented.  And they have turned up their defense significantly since we played them, so we can't afford to go in thinking this next game will be just like the last two.  Williams has not done well against Arizona.  Others will have to step up.

On offense, Arizona is limited.  McDonald is critical and therefore so will Wilson be.  Cate Reese has seldom given us problems, but she is their second leading scorer.  Baptiste and Sam Thomas have to be watched.

[PVTree]

Preview:

More when we know our opponent, although we do know Arizona very well and UConn by reputation.  I would love--though I hardly expect--it to be a Pac 12 battle.  ESPN executives would have conniption fits and might pull the plug :P

Hahaha...I can see ESPiN changing the championship game without Yukon to ESPiN+ and showing a miscellaneous cornhole match in its place.

[PVTree]

Preview:

More when we know our opponent, although we do know Arizona very well and UConn by reputation.  I would love--though I hardly expect--it to be a Pac 12 battle.  ESPN executives would have conniption fits and might pull the plug :P

Hahaha...I can see ESPiN changing the championship game without Yukon to ESPiN+ and showing a miscellaneous cornhole match in its place.

[Blue Hawk (Mizzou) Card]

Missy was named a Final Four official. She is sitting at the scorer's table for Az/UConn.

Does that mean she will work the championship game?

[Blue Hawk (Mizzou) Card]

Missy was named a Final Four official. She is sitting at the scorer's table for Az/UConn.

Does that mean she will work the championship game?

[qwerty49]

Preview:

More when we know our opponent, although we do know Arizona very well and UConn by reputation.  I would love--though I hardly expect--it to be a Pac 12 battle.  ESPN executives would have conniption fits and might pull the plug :P

Hahaha...I can see ESPiN changing the championship game without Yukon to ESPiN+ and showing a miscellaneous cornhole match in its place.

Yeah I’m so sorry they can’t hype UConn any more this weekend. And I’m just crushed their ratings East of the Mississippi will be abysmal. I’m waiting for them to move game time to 9am PDT on ESPNU.

[qwerty49]

Preview:

More when we know our opponent, although we do know Arizona very well and UConn by reputation.  I would love--though I hardly expect--it to be a Pac 12 battle.  ESPN executives would have conniption fits and might pull the plug :P

Hahaha...I can see ESPiN changing the championship game without Yukon to ESPiN+ and showing a miscellaneous cornhole match in its place.

Yeah I’m so sorry they can’t hype UConn any more this weekend. And I’m just crushed their ratings East of the Mississippi will be abysmal. I’m waiting for them to move game time to 9am PDT on ESPNU.

[82 Card]

Yeah I’m so sorry they can’t hype UConn any more this weekend. And I’m just crushed their ratings East of the Mississippi will be abysmal. I’m waiting for them to move game time to 9am PDT on ESPNU.

More likely 9PM PDT. Wouldn't want to waste a valuable noon eastern time slot.

[82 Card]

Yeah I’m so sorry they can’t hype UConn any more this weekend. And I’m just crushed their ratings East of the Mississippi will be abysmal. I’m waiting for them to move game time to 9am PDT on ESPNU.

More likely 9PM PDT. Wouldn't want to waste a valuable noon eastern time slot.

[martyup]

I predict a Covid outbreak in the Alamodome that results in the cancellation of the championship game.  ESPN will air the axe throwing championship of 2019.

[martyup]

I predict a Covid outbreak in the Alamodome that results in the cancellation of the championship game.  ESPN will air the axe throwing championship of 2019.

[BostonCard]

Worth noting that I will be on vacation... in Arizona this week end.

BC

[BostonCard]

Worth noting that I will be on vacation... in Arizona this week end.

BC

[81alum]

I've updated the preview to reflect Arizona as out opponent.

[81alum]

I've updated the preview to reflect Arizona as out opponent.

[martyup]

Arizona walking on air after beating heavily favored UCONN.  Then, it dawns on them that they have to play Stanford on Sunday.

[martyup]

Arizona walking on air after beating heavily favored UCONN.  Then, it dawns on them that they have to play Stanford on Sunday.

[chimera]

I hope that UA played their best game and come back to earth a bit for Sunday.  But as long as Stanford has the bigger number on the scoreboard I don't care how it looks.

[chimera]

I hope that UA played their best game and come back to earth a bit for Sunday.  But as long as Stanford has the bigger number on the scoreboard I don't care how it looks.

[martyup]

Anna and Ki know how to play McDonald.  Our bigs can dominate in the paint.  I just hope we relax and play our game.

[martyup]

Anna and Ki know how to play McDonald.  Our bigs can dominate in the paint.  I just hope we relax and play our game.

[Goose]

Arizona will be ready on Sunday. The past means nothing. Expectations mean nothing. They believe that because they won tonight when everybody but them thought there was no chance. Hopefully Stanford will start well on Sunday, because the best way to shut down a team that is playing over their head is to convince them that is the case.

[Goose]

Arizona will be ready on Sunday. The past means nothing. Expectations mean nothing. They believe that because they won tonight when everybody but them thought there was no chance. Hopefully Stanford will start well on Sunday, because the best way to shut down a team that is playing over their head is to convince them that is the case.

[martyup]

Trust Tara.  She will bring it home.

[martyup]

Trust Tara.  She will bring it home.

[PVTree]

As I see it, we have much better players at every position, except for Aari. Contain her (less than 20 points), and this game will be ours. 

I can't see Reese having a big game against Brink. Thomas has the potential of also having a big game, but I'm expecting that it won't be enough.

[PVTree]

As I see it, we have much better players at every position, except for Aari. Contain her (less than 20 points), and this game will be ours. 

I can't see Reese having a big game against Brink. Thomas has the potential of also having a big game, but I'm expecting that it won't be enough.

[magnus]

On Sportscenter, Neil Everett made Rebecca Lobo reluctantly say "Pac 12, the Conference of Champions".

Lobo can't be happy about that. 

But UConn haters probably found it funny.  Heh.

[magnus]

On Sportscenter, Neil Everett made Rebecca Lobo reluctantly say "Pac 12, the Conference of Champions".

Lobo can't be happy about that. 

But UConn haters probably found it funny.  Heh.

[akiddoc]

On Sportscenter, Neil Everett made Rebecca Lobo reluctantly say "Pac 12, the Conference of Champions".

Lobo can't be happy about that. 

But UConn haters probably found it funny.  Heh.

Probably a bet behind that.

[akiddoc]

On Sportscenter, Neil Everett made Rebecca Lobo reluctantly say "Pac 12, the Conference of Champions".

Lobo can't be happy about that. 

But UConn haters probably found it funny.  Heh.

Probably a bet behind that.

[fullmetal]

Arizona used their physicality and speed to never let UConn get comfortable.  Expect them to try the same against Stanford, who looked a bit shaky against L'ville's speed and a little bit of South Carolina's physicality.  Stanford's beaten all comers this year though, so...here we go!

[fullmetal]

Arizona used their physicality and speed to never let UConn get comfortable.  Expect them to try the same against Stanford, who looked a bit shaky against L'ville's speed and a little bit of South Carolina's physicality.  Stanford's beaten all comers this year though, so...here we go!

[81alum]

Arizona used their physicality and speed to never let UConn get comfortable.  Expect them to try the same against Stanford, who looked a bit shaky against L'ville's speed and a little bit of South Carolina's physicality.  Stanford's beaten all comers this year though, so...here we go!

Geno's and Christyn William's press conference was revealing.  "Arizona took us out of our offense" is what they both basically said.  How did they do it? 

"They had great ball pressure, we got flustered, and it wasn't like anything we had seen before this season, and we just couldn't get enough flow offensively."  "They had great ball pressure, they picked up full court all game, and they trapped the ball screens, and that is something that we haven't really seen throughout the season."  Williams.

Geno was much less specific, he refused to blame the loss on officiating although the reporters certainly noticed that more than 40 fouls were called, and Geno indicated that this usually favors the more aggressive team since "Arizona made the officials think about whether to call a foul or not on every possession." 

From this I think we need to think that Arizona might play us quite differently than they did the last two games we played against them.  Our offense is actually quite a lot like UConn's--a so-called rhythm offense that depends upon player movement, passing, and screens over individual players creating for themselves.  Arizona will certainly try to disrupt us, just as Dawn Staley said her team needed to do, and cutting off passing lanes, trapping screens, playing so physically that refs are forced to think about calls on every play--all that is designed to ruin "flow" and "rhythm."  I don't recall them being quite so disruptive that last two times we played them, but their morale is sky-high, they will place no pressure on themselves, and they did beat us a year ago.

In my view, getting out to an early lead and hitting some treys early in the game could make things much easier.  Our players will be able to use a confidence boost early in the game and it would not be bad to sow seeds of doubt in our opponent that things are going to go the same way they did the last two times we played.  In their hearts, Arizona knows we have beaten them twice, and it will be hard for them to come back from an early deficit if we are so fortunate as to grab a lead.

I think the earlier observations that McDonald did not have her best games against us are apt--even though she scored 20 in the last game.  Wilson helped keep her under control but McDonald does seem to be playing better offense now than over a month ago.  It reminds me a little of our games against Kelsey Plum--you know you are going to give up a lot of points, but can we make the opponent so one-dimensional that even a great player cannot beat you?

Also, our own Williams has had a couple of less than perfect nights shooting the ball--her red-hot shooting has cooled off.  If she gets it back, great, but given that McDonald will be defending her I doubt that it will happen tomorrow.  Our scoring is going to have to come from others.  I do think we should have a gigantic advantage inside, but to prevent Arizona from sagging and clogging the paint we will need some viable three point shooting from people other than Williams.  Prectel, Lexie, Wilson, Brink, and even Jones need to hit treys.

[81alum]

Arizona used their physicality and speed to never let UConn get comfortable.  Expect them to try the same against Stanford, who looked a bit shaky against L'ville's speed and a little bit of South Carolina's physicality.  Stanford's beaten all comers this year though, so...here we go!

Geno's and Christyn William's press conference was revealing.  "Arizona took us out of our offense" is what they both basically said.  How did they do it? 

"They had great ball pressure, we got flustered, and it wasn't like anything we had seen before this season, and we just couldn't get enough flow offensively."  "They had great ball pressure, they picked up full court all game, and they trapped the ball screens, and that is something that we haven't really seen throughout the season."  Williams.

Geno was much less specific, he refused to blame the loss on officiating although the reporters certainly noticed that more than 40 fouls were called, and Geno indicated that this usually favors the more aggressive team since "Arizona made the officials think about whether to call a foul or not on every possession." 

From this I think we need to think that Arizona might play us quite differently than they did the last two games we played against them.  Our offense is actually quite a lot like UConn's--a so-called rhythm offense that depends upon player movement, passing, and screens over individual players creating for themselves.  Arizona will certainly try to disrupt us, just as Dawn Staley said her team needed to do, and cutting off passing lanes, trapping screens, playing so physically that refs are forced to think about calls on every play--all that is designed to ruin "flow" and "rhythm."  I don't recall them being quite so disruptive that last two times we played them, but their morale is sky-high, they will place no pressure on themselves, and they did beat us a year ago.

In my view, getting out to an early lead and hitting some treys early in the game could make things much easier.  Our players will be able to use a confidence boost early in the game and it would not be bad to sow seeds of doubt in our opponent that things are going to go the same way they did the last two times we played.  In their hearts, Arizona knows we have beaten them twice, and it will be hard for them to come back from an early deficit if we are so fortunate as to grab a lead.

I think the earlier observations that McDonald did not have her best games against us are apt--even though she scored 20 in the last game.  Wilson helped keep her under control but McDonald does seem to be playing better offense now than over a month ago.  It reminds me a little of our games against Kelsey Plum--you know you are going to give up a lot of points, but can we make the opponent so one-dimensional that even a great player cannot beat you?

Also, our own Williams has had a couple of less than perfect nights shooting the ball--her red-hot shooting has cooled off.  If she gets it back, great, but given that McDonald will be defending her I doubt that it will happen tomorrow.  Our scoring is going to have to come from others.  I do think we should have a gigantic advantage inside, but to prevent Arizona from sagging and clogging the paint we will need some viable three point shooting from people other than Williams.  Prectel, Lexie, Wilson, Brink, and even Jones need to hit treys.

[PVTree]

One big difference will be that Stanford has more ball handlers than Yukon. It's easier to pressure when you know the other team just has 2 people who can bring the ball up court consistently.

Anna, Kiana, Haley are very comfortable bringing the ball up. Lexie can also do it when needed. Even Cam can bring it up vs. a big guarding her.

I don't think Zona would have the same success against Stanford if pressuring the ball is their strategy. They will just be susceptible to layups on their end.

I think that their strategy should be to pack the paint and see if our outside shots are falling. On their end, they need Aari to put on her cape again. Besides her, I don't see much team speed so our players should be able to stay with all the other Kitty Kats.

[PVTree]

One big difference will be that Stanford has more ball handlers than Yukon. It's easier to pressure when you know the other team just has 2 people who can bring the ball up court consistently.

Anna, Kiana, Haley are very comfortable bringing the ball up. Lexie can also do it when needed. Even Cam can bring it up vs. a big guarding her.

I don't think Zona would have the same success against Stanford if pressuring the ball is their strategy. They will just be susceptible to layups on their end.

I think that their strategy should be to pack the paint and see if our outside shots are falling. On their end, they need Aari to put on her cape again. Besides her, I don't see much team speed so our players should be able to stay with all the other Kitty Kats.

[Goose]

In my view, getting out to an early lead and hitting some treys early in the game could make things much easier.  Our players will be able to use a confidence boost early in the game and it would not be bad to sow seeds of doubt in our opponent that things are going to go the same way they did the last two times we played.

I agree with this concept. Getting out to a lead would help us a lot. It is always easier to play from ahead. Any doubt we can create in Arizona's collective mind would also be good. I do hope the officials send the message early in the first quarter that they will not tolerate "maul ball". Hard play, physical play yes, maul ball, no. I don't think either team wants a rugby scrum, but for Stanford it increases the probability of no Brink late in the game and widens the probability distribution of possible outcomes.

In their hearts, Arizona knows we have beaten them twice, and it will be hard for them to come back from an early deficit if we are so fortunate as to grab a lead.

I don't agree here. I am sure the coach is telling the team right now to fight to the end. They have seen Stanford let off the gas in other games. We almost lost our last game on the last play after leading the vast majority of the game. Arizona isn't going to quit IMHO. This is the last game of the year. They will leave it out on the floor.

[Goose]

In my view, getting out to an early lead and hitting some treys early in the game could make things much easier.  Our players will be able to use a confidence boost early in the game and it would not be bad to sow seeds of doubt in our opponent that things are going to go the same way they did the last two times we played.

I agree with this concept. Getting out to a lead would help us a lot. It is always easier to play from ahead. Any doubt we can create in Arizona's collective mind would also be good. I do hope the officials send the message early in the first quarter that they will not tolerate "maul ball". Hard play, physical play yes, maul ball, no. I don't think either team wants a rugby scrum, but for Stanford it increases the probability of no Brink late in the game and widens the probability distribution of possible outcomes.

In their hearts, Arizona knows we have beaten them twice, and it will be hard for them to come back from an early deficit if we are so fortunate as to grab a lead.

I don't agree here. I am sure the coach is telling the team right now to fight to the end. They have seen Stanford let off the gas in other games. We almost lost our last game on the last play after leading the vast majority of the game. Arizona isn't going to quit IMHO. This is the last game of the year. They will leave it out on the floor.