UConn and Notre Dame become the first undefeated teams to meet in a championship game in NCAA Division I history.
The injury of Achonwa in the Elite 8 is heartbreaking. ND was my pick to win the NC prior to her loss. They are the one team that seems to play UCONN tough, and more often than not in recent years come out on top. During the past four seasons, and the Irish' run of four consecutive FF's, they've played the Huskies 12 times, and boast a 7-5 record. In NCAA tourney action during the same timeframe they hold a 2-1 edge. Their dominance this season came as a bit of a surprise to me; I expected them to be very good, but with Diggins gone, I certainly didn't think we'd see them make an undefeated run to the NCAA title game. They still looked very good vs. Maryland even without Achonwa, but handling UCONN without her is going to be tough. Interestingly the Irish were without Natalie for their first four contests this year, including a 19 pt win vs. Big 10 co-champion Michigan State; in those four matchups Reimer, Wright, Braker and Nelson combined to average 36 pts, 22 rbs and 3 blks per game. But, other than MSU, these results came against weak competition, and as good as they might be without her, overall Natalie has been key to the Irish' success this season. And she had been particularly dominant down the stretch. It sucks for ND because I really think they've been building to this game for the past four years. Four straight FF's, three title games, and now an undefeated season....and then to lose your undisputed floor leader two games shy of a NC...incredibly tough break for ND, and really hate to see that happen. But I'll still be pulling for the Irish, and hope they manage to make a contest out of it.
ND was my pick at the start of the tournament and seeing how they played against MD without her make me feel a little less uneasy about keeping that pick. We have to remember that a few of the kids stepping in to fill the void were McDonalds All Americans so they're more than capible in their own right. Natalie is still able to be the vocal leader from the bench that she has been for them all year. I think that ND is going to be too explosive on the perimeter. They also seem to be the only school in recent years not named Baylor that is able to get Uconn in foul trouble and with them only going 7 deep that wouldnt help Uconns cause.
I'm in Nashville enjoying the F4. Seeing ND up close I believe they will give UCONN a run for their money. Their offense is smooth and they can hold their own in the defense column. McBride stepped up big and was on point last night. If she can keep that going and Jewel Lloyd steps up and can shake whoever is assigned to defend her I think they can win. They must score!!! Period point blank. They have to score at least 40+ 1st half and at least that much in the 2nd half to win. SCORE SCORE SCORE!! My biggest concern is UCONN is very patient on offense. If the 3rd, 4th pass doesn't work to score they are still patient and consistent on the 9th and 10th pass to score. That is what ND will need to defend. They will need to stay patient and discipline and defend thru the first 5 or 6 passes into the 9th and 10th pass. That's what rattles teams who play UCONN. It's important to defend them for 30 seconds solid and then maybe even another 30 seconds. Excited to see the game tomorrow. I want a competitive game.
can't wait for this one. re the injury, you have to play through them. Texas certainly has had plenty of experience with injuries as have most schools. That's why experienced depth is so important. I'm pulling for UConn although I will not be disappointed if ND wins.
Two undefeated teams but one of them is assumed to be way better than the other based on previous seasons and already being penciled in as the champs. Reminds me of Texas-USC in football...
Stat, based on past games between the two, one would have to think that ND has the advantage. They certainly are not scared when they step on the floor against the Huskies. I like Stewart's game. In some ways, she reminds of Tim Duncan--very solid fundamentally, never stops competing, solid shooter, good rebounder, team player. Since Texas is not in this game, I am rooting for UConn but expect this to be a nailbiter with both teams capable of winning it. Tipoff in less than 2 hours.
Muffet McGraw, Geno Auriemma: These two plain don’t like each other This should be a fun game to watch.
that's a fun game to watch. Brianna Turner will give ND a scoring & rebounding threat inside who can stretch the D out to the 3pt line. They are lacking that tonight. I think ND has surprised UConn with their ability to get into the passing lanes. Really like the way that Stewart is playing.
I guess there's UConn, then a stept below ND, then the rest of the top ten trailing those two. They are making it look easy vs ND in the second half.
I didn't have a dog in this fight, but I was hoping for a better game. I'm too lazy to look it up, but isn't this the second time UConn has won both the men's and women's titles in the same season?
This game exemplifies why women's basketball has a difficult time gaining traction when it comes to attracting new/more/different fans. It's the same old, same old year in, year out. I admire UCONN and I'm amazed at their dominance in this sport, but it doesn't do a whole lot in the way of creating suspense around who's going to win. We were at the Finals in New Orleans last year and there wasn't much excitement unless you were a UCONN fan. Very different from the Men's side. Who would have guessed seeds 7 and 8 would play for the championship? I was pulling for Notre Dame mainly because it gives me a chance to say Muffet over and over. Let's hope there's some new blood in the finals next year. At, some year soon, Texas.
