wait, i think i've seen this one already
Sadly, this UConn womens' basketball season is starting to remind me of another year. It's not a perfect match, but I'll try to explain.
I'm talking about the 2000-01 Huskies, a team coming fresh off a national championship, returning every significant player from that roster, and adding the most hyped freshman in years in Diana Taurasi to the mix. That 00-01 roster included seniors Shea Ralph, Svetlana Abrosimova and Kelly Schumacher (who was very underrated, by the way). It had juniors Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Asjha Jones and Tamika Williams (the best class in womens' hoops history), and it had Taurasi. I admit, I can't remember the specifics of who the role players were on that team. But this was a group that had at least seven potential all-American players at various points in their careers, the core of which had proven they could win it all.
Now, the obvious glaring difference, right off the bat, is that this year's group has proven nothing. None have even made the final four. But the talent level, though not nearly as good, is still through the roof, and I would estimate is the second most talented group UConn has ever had, after that group. You have the wunderkind freshman in Maya Moore, you have the savvy and tough point guard in Montgomery. You don't have the all-Americans, but you have the balance to win it all.
That 00-01 team came out of the gates firing, dominating through November and December, but eventually fate caught up to it. Shea Ralph's career ended with a second ACL tear. Eventually, Abrosimova would get hurt as well, in the final weeks of the season. The team that entered the tournament was a facsimile of the one that started it, and while Bird brought the miracle to win the Big East tournament title, in the Final Four, the team blew a huge first-half lead to Notre Dame with Taurasi, thrust into the leading role too early, shooting woefully. Every UConn fan knows that story.
Now, back to this year. Things are rolling along, the team looks unstoppable. And then....
Kalana Greene gets hurt, damaging their defensive pressure. Now, Mel Thomas is done for the season, and her career, with an ACL tear. (On a side note, did anybody notice that Thomas walked off the court on her own after that injury? Is she the toughest person ever? I have never in my life seen anybody so much as stand up after an ACL tear.)
Add to that the lingering injuries to Brittany Hunter, who is never a guarantee to play any given game. And what happens? Well, the luxury of having Charde Houston come off the bench is gone, and Moore is fast becoming the primary go-to player for scoring. She's the only reliable shooter from outside, the most likely one to be able to give Hunter and Tina Charles room to work inside. But she's still only a freshman, like Taurasi was.
If Hunter isn't on the court, UConn doesn't have much chance at winning a national title. They are still one of the top five teams in the country, if not the second best. But winning consecutive games in the tournament against top competition is asking too much. We saw against Syracuse what not having Hunter does to this team, if the opponent knows how to take advantage of it (slow it down, control the ball, eliminate turnovers). And without Thomas, UConn never would have been in that game.
It's a shame to see Thomas' career come to an end this early. I predicted she would approach 200 3-pointers made this year alone (clearly an absurd number), but we'll now just have to see if the WNBA gives her a chance.
It may be even sadder to see this team's chances at glory go up in flames due to injury. But that's part of the game. Just look around the mens' Big East.
The good news: What happened following the 2000-01 season? Bird, Cash, Jones, Williams, and Taurasi turned into the real greatest team ever, and Taurasi led the team to two more titles after that with a cast of role players alongside. With Moore, Montgomery, Charles, Swanier, Greene and the highly anticipated arrival of Elena Delle Donne, the Huskies look to be in great shape for the next two to four years at least.
I'm talking about the 2000-01 Huskies, a team coming fresh off a national championship, returning every significant player from that roster, and adding the most hyped freshman in years in Diana Taurasi to the mix. That 00-01 roster included seniors Shea Ralph, Svetlana Abrosimova and Kelly Schumacher (who was very underrated, by the way). It had juniors Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Asjha Jones and Tamika Williams (the best class in womens' hoops history), and it had Taurasi. I admit, I can't remember the specifics of who the role players were on that team. But this was a group that had at least seven potential all-American players at various points in their careers, the core of which had proven they could win it all.
Now, the obvious glaring difference, right off the bat, is that this year's group has proven nothing. None have even made the final four. But the talent level, though not nearly as good, is still through the roof, and I would estimate is the second most talented group UConn has ever had, after that group. You have the wunderkind freshman in Maya Moore, you have the savvy and tough point guard in Montgomery. You don't have the all-Americans, but you have the balance to win it all.
That 00-01 team came out of the gates firing, dominating through November and December, but eventually fate caught up to it. Shea Ralph's career ended with a second ACL tear. Eventually, Abrosimova would get hurt as well, in the final weeks of the season. The team that entered the tournament was a facsimile of the one that started it, and while Bird brought the miracle to win the Big East tournament title, in the Final Four, the team blew a huge first-half lead to Notre Dame with Taurasi, thrust into the leading role too early, shooting woefully. Every UConn fan knows that story.
Now, back to this year. Things are rolling along, the team looks unstoppable. And then....
Kalana Greene gets hurt, damaging their defensive pressure. Now, Mel Thomas is done for the season, and her career, with an ACL tear. (On a side note, did anybody notice that Thomas walked off the court on her own after that injury? Is she the toughest person ever? I have never in my life seen anybody so much as stand up after an ACL tear.)
Add to that the lingering injuries to Brittany Hunter, who is never a guarantee to play any given game. And what happens? Well, the luxury of having Charde Houston come off the bench is gone, and Moore is fast becoming the primary go-to player for scoring. She's the only reliable shooter from outside, the most likely one to be able to give Hunter and Tina Charles room to work inside. But she's still only a freshman, like Taurasi was.
If Hunter isn't on the court, UConn doesn't have much chance at winning a national title. They are still one of the top five teams in the country, if not the second best. But winning consecutive games in the tournament against top competition is asking too much. We saw against Syracuse what not having Hunter does to this team, if the opponent knows how to take advantage of it (slow it down, control the ball, eliminate turnovers). And without Thomas, UConn never would have been in that game.
It's a shame to see Thomas' career come to an end this early. I predicted she would approach 200 3-pointers made this year alone (clearly an absurd number), but we'll now just have to see if the WNBA gives her a chance.
It may be even sadder to see this team's chances at glory go up in flames due to injury. But that's part of the game. Just look around the mens' Big East.
The good news: What happened following the 2000-01 season? Bird, Cash, Jones, Williams, and Taurasi turned into the real greatest team ever, and Taurasi led the team to two more titles after that with a cast of role players alongside. With Moore, Montgomery, Charles, Swanier, Greene and the highly anticipated arrival of Elena Delle Donne, the Huskies look to be in great shape for the next two to four years at least.
Labels: NCAA basketball
posted by Ryan Pipke at
3:07 PM
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