(03-03-2023, 10:40 PM)MV72018 Wrote:(03-03-2023, 09:18 PM)BosCard Wrote: The tournament will decide this season. Either we will redeem ourselves and get to the Final Four or more. Or we will lose in the Sweet Sixteen and it will be a toilet bowl season relative to the potential of this team.
Finally, someone talking sense here rather than seeing things through relentlessly rose-colored glasses. I've been saying all year that Jones has been playing lackluster O too often. (Tonight she was not only 5 for 15 but only had 3 assists.) It finall caught up with us. In addition, Tara's coaching in Q4 left much to be desired. To put it bluntly, she got her clock cleaned by the UCLA coach. No flexibility, no well designed strategy, adjustments, or key plays in crunch time. Same old, same old. Yes, Tata has won 3 NATIs, which is laudable, but the game has changed and, as far as I can see, she hasn't changed that much. Our team is relatively SLOW and UNATHLETIC compared to our elite opponents, including UCLA. We've relied on size and three-point shooting. No one since Wiggins to take it to the hoop and finish or dish. Haley seems overrated to me. To make it in the WNBA she will need to develop a shot she can make reliably. Acrobatic layups and rebounds won't be enough, and passes to back door cutters will take her only so far in the WNBA.
Nevertheles, it was still a good season. Maybe now Tara will make changes, skills of available players permitting, that will allow us to make a deep run in the Dance. Otherwise an early exit looms. Perhaps it will prove a good thing in the long run for us to have lost this game. Perhaps that will shake things up and make the coaches see the need for serious changes, in recruiting if not with this squad in upcoming games. Most importantly, kudos and congrats to what seems to be a wonderful, intelligent, and endearing group of teammates.
I thought 4th quarter Stanford coaching was pretty bad. I didn't see any meaningful defensive changes other than putting Agnes in to help on the perimeter which made no difference. Why not try a few possession of zone, throw on a press (anything to break up a team's rhythm). We never do that. Tara can be too inflexible in her ways. When something is working GREAT, when it's not working anymore. ADJUST
I do get the sense it's been a frustrating season for the coaches trying to put the pieces together. But, that's why they get paid the big bucks is to figure it out and to gel and blend talent that they recruited. We've almost regressed over the course of the season collectively, which is unheard of for a Tara coached team.
I was not at the game but watched on Pac12 network. Maybe I'm mistaken but it almost looked like late in the game Brink was on the verge of tears.The camera zoomed in on her when we were down late. Brink is the one player that really really really plays like she wants it bad. She's a winner and winning clearly matters to her. I don't necessarily get that same sense that it matters as much to some other upperclassman. I know everyone wants to win but to some winning matters more than anything. But that's just my observation. I also think Brink is going to be an excellent pro for many years because of that attitude and desire.
http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=184189
postgame quotes