[2006alum]

Maples was LOUD and the fans were engaged. What a great environment.

First game back since COVID (in part because back in the area for the first time since COVID). It definitely did seem more raucous that in the recent past, but this is also the first time we've been really good hosting in the post-season since the Ogwumike era. When I think about how much more active even our Cardboard threads are than they were during the (relative) lull of the Orrange/Bird/Karlie/McPhee/Smith/Carrington years, it's telling that winning brings the fans back.

What can you say about Lexie that hasn't already been said? I agree with Bill that this was the most complete performance I've ever seen in a Cardinal uniform. Pohlen had some standout games on offense but she never had Lexie's motor on defense. When the game was back and forth, it was Lexie who got those gutsy tie-ups, Lexie poking balls and getting steals, Lexie getting some devastating cuts (with major credit to Jones and Brink, who were so great at feeding her in the backdoor), Lexie hitting the treys from hand-offs from Belibi at the elbow. Which is just to say, as much as Lexie gutted us to the win, her teammates were also finding her and making it look easy on offense, and she is so versatile that she was taking everything she was getting on offense, and making it happen through guts on defense. It was the very best kind of hero ball. 

I didn't want to jinx it at halftime, but it felt like it was close only because of our own self-inflicted wounds. We were better on o-boards, on passing, and on fouls in the second half. Part of what I love about our team is we have so many players that can go off in any given game, that when we find that player, they give everyone else confidence and the whole team rises with them. This game, it was Lexie. 

Jones had another uneven game, and it's really easy to highlight her total whiff passes, but she herself has said she likes high risk high reward passing, and she had a few beauties to Lexie when the game was still very much in question.

Interesting how little we looked to score in the paint after Q1. Once Lexie started making great cuts, it seemed like we shifted from feeds inside. 

To me, the point when I felt like Lexie was going to be superwoman was at 12-11 when Lexie was inside and called on Jump to switch from the corner with her, did so, lost her defender, got the hand off from Belibi, hit a trey, then seconds later on defense poked the ball away from the guard, chased it down, hit the floor, passed it seated to Jones, and drew the foul. That was when I knew Lexie was not going to let us lose. I'm rewatching the game now and the commentators noted how much the crowd was responding to Lexie "doing the dirty work as one of the most underrated players in the country." truer words never spoken, and our section, at least, was on our feet cheering on that amazing sequence.

[2006alum]

Maples was LOUD and the fans were engaged. What a great environment.

First game back since COVID (in part because back in the area for the first time since COVID). It definitely did seem more raucous that in the recent past, but this is also the first time we've been really good hosting in the post-season since the Ogwumike era. When I think about how much more active even our Cardboard threads are than they were during the (relative) lull of the Orrange/Bird/Karlie/McPhee/Smith/Carrington years, it's telling that winning brings the fans back.

What can you say about Lexie that hasn't already been said? I agree with Bill that this was the most complete performance I've ever seen in a Cardinal uniform. Pohlen had some standout games on offense but she never had Lexie's motor on defense. When the game was back and forth, it was Lexie who got those gutsy tie-ups, Lexie poking balls and getting steals, Lexie getting some devastating cuts (with major credit to Jones and Brink, who were so great at feeding her in the backdoor), Lexie hitting the treys from hand-offs from Belibi at the elbow. Which is just to say, as much as Lexie gutted us to the win, her teammates were also finding her and making it look easy on offense, and she is so versatile that she was taking everything she was getting on offense, and making it happen through guts on defense. It was the very best kind of hero ball. 

I didn't want to jinx it at halftime, but it felt like it was close only because of our own self-inflicted wounds. We were better on o-boards, on passing, and on fouls in the second half. Part of what I love about our team is we have so many players that can go off in any given game, that when we find that player, they give everyone else confidence and the whole team rises with them. This game, it was Lexie. 

Jones had another uneven game, and it's really easy to highlight her total whiff passes, but she herself has said she likes high risk high reward passing, and she had a few beauties to Lexie when the game was still very much in question.

Interesting how little we looked to score in the paint after Q1. Once Lexie started making great cuts, it seemed like we shifted from feeds inside. 

To me, the point when I felt like Lexie was going to be superwoman was at 12-11 when Lexie was inside and called on Jump to switch from the corner with her, did so, lost her defender, got the hand off from Belibi, hit a trey, then seconds later on defense poked the ball away from the guard, chased it down, hit the floor, passed it seated to Jones, and drew the foul. That was when I knew Lexie was not going to let us lose. I'm rewatching the game now and the commentators noted how much the crowd was responding to Lexie "doing the dirty work as one of the most underrated players in the country." truer words never spoken, and our section, at least, was on our feet cheering on that amazing sequence.