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Connecticut Looking for One More Special Moment Connecticut Looking for One More Special Moment
(about 1 hour later)
On the eve of the Women’s Final Four, Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma was paid what sounded like the highest compliment a coach could receive from a peer and an opponent.On the eve of the Women’s Final Four, Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma was paid what sounded like the highest compliment a coach could receive from a peer and an opponent.
“I’ll be honest, if I were to watch a basketball game, I’ve told people, I would rather watch UConn than anybody — men or women,” the Oregon State women’s basketball coach, Scott Rueck, said. “The way they transition, the way they share the basketball, the way they defend. I think they set a high bar in every way.” “I’ll be honest: If I were to watch a basketball game, I’ve told people, I would rather watch UConn than anybody — men or women,” the Oregon State women’s basketball coach, Scott Rueck, said. “The way they transition, the way they share the basketball, the way they defend — I think they set a high bar in every way.”
Granted, this subjective testimonial came from a coach who would become Auriemma’s and unbeaten Connecticut’s semifinal victim the next day. That victory set up Tuesday night’s national championship clash against the would-be anarchists from Syracuse. Granted, this subjective testimonial came from a coach who became the semifinal victim of Auriemma and unbeaten Connecticut the next day. That victory set up Tuesday night’s national championship clash against the would-be anarchists from Syracuse.
Rueck weighed in before Villanova stunned North Carolina at the buzzer in the men’s title game Monday night in a classic final sure to bolster the testosterone in those who have asserted that the women’s game has for too long been little more than Connecticut and a whole lot of teams merely fulfilling the statistical mandates of Title IX. Rueck weighed in before Villanova stunned North Carolina at the buzzer in the men’s title game Monday night, a classic final sure to increase the testosterone levels in those who have asserted that the women’s game has for too long been little more than Connecticut and a whole lot of teams merely fulfilling the statistical mandates of Title IX.
But read what Rueck said closely and ask yourself about whom you have heard that before? On the N.B.A. level, that would be Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs, who since the late 1990s and through five championships have been deified for sharing, transitioning, defending — completing the checklist of team-first categories that make the basketball purists want to kneel at the River Walk altar. But read what Rueck said closely, and ask yourself about whom you have heard that before. On the N.B.A. level, that would be Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs, who since the late 1990s and through five championships have been deified for sharing, transitioning, defending — completing the checklist of team-first categories that make the basketball purists want to kneel at the River Walk altar.
That said, within evolutionary boundaries, even Phil Jackson may at this point be willing to concede that there always will and must be challenges to the establishment status quo, the notions of what is the so-called right, or most effective, way to play.That said, within evolutionary boundaries, even Phil Jackson may at this point be willing to concede that there always will and must be challenges to the establishment status quo, the notions of what is the so-called right, or most effective, way to play.
And without question, because this ultimately is about entertainment, what can be the most fun to watch. And without question, because this is ultimately about entertainment, what can be the most fun to watch.
Given Tuesday night’s stakes, altering stylistic perceptions was secondary to the upstart and nothing-to-lose ambitions of Syracuse and its 10th-year coach, Quentin Hillsman, in presenting the challenge of his caution-to-the-wind team to Connecticut and the North Syracuse home girl Breanna Stewart’s compelling bid for a Division I women’s record fourth consecutive national title. Given Tuesday night’s stakes, altering stylistic perceptions was secondary to the upstart and nothing-to-lose ambitions of Syracuse and its 10th-year coach, Quentin Hillsman, in presenting the challenge of his caution-to-the-wind team to Connecticut and the North Syracuse home girl Breanna Stewart, who was making a compelling bid for a fourth consecutive national title, which would be a Division I women’s record.
After Syracuse improved on its season-long 29.8 3-point shooting percentage by making 26 of 63 (almost 40 percent) in its two previous tournament games, against Tennessee and Washington, there was a touch of Spurs-Golden State Warriors in the pregame air with Syracuse’s multifaceted point guard, Alexis Peterson, and the shoot-it-from-anywhere Brianna Butler in the roles of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. After Syracuse improved on its season-long 29.8 3-point shooting percentage by making 26 of 63 (almost 40 percent) in its two previous tournament games, against Tennessee and Washington, there was a touch of Spurs-Golden State Warriors in the pregame air, with Syracuse’s multifaceted point guard, Alexis Peterson, and the shoot-it-from-anywhere Brianna Butler in the roles of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
“During the regular season, they took a lot and they missed a lot of them,” Auriemma said of the Orange’s 3-point history. “But that’s the beauty of the N.C.A.A. tournament. You only have to make them for three weekends. And since the first weekend, they’ve been making them.” “During the regular season, they took a lot, and they missed a lot of them,” Auriemma said of the Orange’s 3-point history. “But that’s the beauty of the N.C.A.A. tournament. You only have to make them for three weekends. And since the first weekend, they’ve been making them.”
Brian Stewart, Breanna’s father, noticed something else about Hillsman’s team when he took a short ride from his home to watch the Orange play in Syracuse during the tournament’s first weekend (after which they went to Sioux Falls, S.D., and knocked off the region’s top seed, South Carolina).Brian Stewart, Breanna’s father, noticed something else about Hillsman’s team when he took a short ride from his home to watch the Orange play in Syracuse during the tournament’s first weekend (after which they went to Sioux Falls, S.D., and knocked off the region’s top seed, South Carolina).
“They’re hot, they’ve got momentum and the great thing about Syracuse that you can see is that they are having fun,” he said. “That’s dangerous and that’s cool.” “They’re hot, they’ve got momentum, and the great thing about Syracuse that you can see is that they are having fun,” he said. “That’s dangerous, and that’s cool.”
Cool in a sense that his daughter, the best player in the college game for three years running, grew up with emotional ties to the Syracuse program and its coaches; became close friends while playing club ball with one of Hillsman’s core players, the Newark native Brittney Sykes; and might have wound up a mayoral candidate had she remained in that upstate New York city and won even one national title for the home team. Cool in a sense that his daughter, the best player in the college game for three years running, grew up with emotional ties to the Syracuse program and its coaches; became close friends while playing club ball with one of Hillsman’s core players, the Newark native Brittney Sykes; and might have wound up a mayoral candidate had she remained in Syracuse and won even one national title for the home team.
She would have stayed, Auriemma argued, “if she was a guy playing high school ball there.”She would have stayed, Auriemma argued, “if she was a guy playing high school ball there.”
Stewart instead paid a couple of visits to Storrs, Conn., where Auriemma does not have to introduce his program anywhere in the country, overburden himself to sell it and certainly not grovel to anyone. Stewart instead paid a couple of visits to Storrs, Conn., from which Auriemma does not have to introduce his program anywhere in the country or overburden himself to sell it and certainly does not have to grovel to anyone.
He recently said his “heart goes out” to coaches “when you have to, like, embarrass yourself to get a kid.” He continued, with some hesitation: “The stories I hear make me want to — about what some of these kids put coaches through during the recruiting process.” He recently said his “heart goes out” to coaches “when you have to, like, embarrass yourself to get a kid.” He continued, with some hesitation, “The stories I hear make me want to — about what some of these kids put coaches through during the recruiting process.”
That has been the upside for Auriemma, who was trying Tuesday night for his 11th national title, or one more than John Wooden claimed at U.C.L.A. in setting the men’s record.That has been the upside for Auriemma, who was trying Tuesday night for his 11th national title, or one more than John Wooden claimed at U.C.L.A. in setting the men’s record.
Most basketball people — even those wrongheadedly claiming Connecticut’s dominance has hurt the women’s game — would acknowledge that Auriemma’s teams are exceedingly well coached.Most basketball people — even those wrongheadedly claiming Connecticut’s dominance has hurt the women’s game — would acknowledge that Auriemma’s teams are exceedingly well coached.
But it’s also true that his current team could have the first three players chosen in the W.N.B.A. draft in Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck, which is why Auriemma has to occasionally lecture those who think losing five games (heading into Tuesday night) over the last four years has been achieved with relative ease. But it’s also true that his current team could have the first three players chosen in the W.N.B.A. draft in Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck, which is why Auriemma has to occasionally lecture those who think losing only five games (heading into Tuesday night) over the last four years has been achieved with relative ease.
Not the point, said Brian Stewart, a basketball fan and Y.M.C.A. gym rat long before his daughter began stretching to 6-foot-4. Not the point, said Brian Stewart, a basketball fan and Y.M.C.A. gym rat long before his daughter began stretching to 6 feet 4.
“How many teams with other players that good could handle having a Breanna Stewart on their team, getting so much attention, and never have to deal with any animosity?” he said.“How many teams with other players that good could handle having a Breanna Stewart on their team, getting so much attention, and never have to deal with any animosity?” he said.
If you ask to interview Brian Stewart, his wife, Heather, is invariably present to weigh in as well.If you ask to interview Brian Stewart, his wife, Heather, is invariably present to weigh in as well.
“They get great players, but they don’t get all the great players,” she said. “It’s what they do with those players and personalities to work together.”“They get great players, but they don’t get all the great players,” she said. “It’s what they do with those players and personalities to work together.”
As the mother of the star, she said that’s what she would most miss — the togetherness, the teamwork — about the college game as Breanna embarks on her professional and, in all likelihood, Olympic careers. “I’ve been taking every moment slowly, to absorb and appreciate it all,” Heather Stewart said. As the mother of the star, she said that was what she would most miss — the togetherness, the teamwork — about the college game as Breanna embarked on her professional and, in all likelihood, Olympic careers. “I’ve been taking every moment slowly, to absorb and appreciate it all,” Heather Stewart said.
That the last game was against Syracuse — what were the odds, she said in the hours before the final? — made it that much more of a storybook ending. That the last game was against Syracuse — what were the odds, she said in the hours before the final — made it that much more of a storybook ending.
But as Brian Stewart added: “I’m excited that Syracuse made it. The emotions are good for them — only to a point.”But as Brian Stewart added: “I’m excited that Syracuse made it. The emotions are good for them — only to a point.”