National Championship Game - are we back in their heads?

[psconn]

I was left with an odd feeling after the big game... happy for sure, definitely relieved, but something did not feel right. Looking back and looking at the game again, it seemed to me that ND lacked the kind of FIRE we've seen from them in the past (Diggins/McBride). Exceptions maybe in Huffman and at times Reimer, but in general they looked like they were afraid to lose and down the stretch they appeared resigned to their fate. No fouls in the last minute... white flag? Post game presser- not a lot of emotion there either. As Stewart Scott would have said, Jewel was as cool as the other side of the pillow. Did they expect to lose?

On another track, for the first time we saw Stewie get really emotional after the game... I think a lot of that was relief, and a realization that what she and the team had endured Geno's in practices all season was over and the goal was accomplished. And it is huge. Maybe a sense of nearing the end of her time at UConn and the biggest challenge of all looming in front of them... an unprecedented 4-peat.

 

[UConnNick]

We have never left their heads. Even during the seasons we lost to them in the FF, they still lost in the champ. game every time, so it's not like they ever got completely over the hump. Part of the reason for that is probably due to them not being able to come back down to earth after beating us in the semis. That means that even during those seasons, we were still in their heads.

 

[mhshuskies]

With Muffett talking about how they didn't expect to be there was kind of saying they were just happy to be there, but didn't expect to win.

 

[Bayareahusky]

This was an interesting game...... Last year we played so well for all 40 minutes..... this year we did not play so great a game.... Breanna wasn't on her A game, KML was not bang on, though ND good defense contributed greatly to this..... and Morgan had a bad game......

But, whenever we do not play our best, our defense makes up for it..... yes they missed a couple of gimmes..... but all in all, we played a tight defense on them..... special kudos of course go to MoJeff and her all night blanket on Jewell.....

If our offense isn't hitting on all the cylinders.... at least our defense can keep us in the game.... i think of Exhibit A, the Stanford championship game in 2010..... we scored e12 points the entire 1st half, but what people forget is that we held them to 20, and gave us a chance to attack in the 2nd half which we did.....

so are we in their heads? maybe.... I thought Muffet prepped her team well, and got them loose..... and I believe rather than being in their minds psychologically, we just played an overall solid game.

 

[Huskies Rule]

This was an interesting game. Last year we played so well for all 40 minutes..... this year we did not play so great a game.... Breanna wasn't on her A game, KML was not bang on, though ND good defense contributed greatly to this..... and Morgan had a bad game.

But, whenever we do not play our best, our defense makes up for it..... yes they missed a couple of gimmes..... but all in all, we played a tight defense on them..... special kudos of course go to MoJeff and her all night blanket on Jewell.....

If our offense isn't hitting on all the cylinders.... at least our defense can keep us in the game.... i think of Exhibit A, the Stanford championship game in 2010..... we scored e12 points the entire 1st half, but what people forget is that we held them to 20, and gave us a chance to attack in the 2nd half which we did.....

so are we in their heads? maybe.... I thought Muffet prepped her team well, and got them loose..... and I believe rather than being in their minds psychologically, we just played an overall solid game.

SFHusky: - Breanna played fantastic, considering she rolled her ankle "nicely" as she called it- and I took nicely to mean BADLY. She was clearly not even close to 100% but there was no way she was going to sit the NC game. She is one helluva competitor and obviously felt the effects of that sorely rolled ankle. That she only took 8 shots tells you she wasn't comfortable moving and cutting on that ankle- it was really was hurting, but she still grabbed 15 rebounds and had 4 blocks!!
- Morgan admitted afterward that she was very nervous, uncharacteristic, but having missed last year's NC after surgery, I get it. But I would not call her game "bad." Her shot was really off, but she still had 5 rebounds and 7 assists- excellent!
- You are so right with regard to our defense. It was outstanding! Moriah shutting Loyd down completely in the 2nd half was HUGE, but our entire team played the kind of defense that separates them from the rest of the nation. Burke/O'Brien really pissed me off with their repeated compliments to ND's defense being able to hold UConn down, when in fact WE shut their butts down totally- 23 measly first half points, haha, what's up with that?
- Just shows how versatile this team is. We average 90 pts a game- we can kick ass in a scoring blitz or squash opponents with suffocating defense. Pick you poison, ND.
- Personally, while I do believe there is no question our back-to-back-to-back National Champs are "in their heads," I am 100% certain that GENO IS IN MUFFET'S HEAD, hopelessly, irreparably, irremediably STUCK. Yes, we are still "in their heads," and we never left.

 

[Wally East]

No fouls in the last minute... white flag?

I don't get why people are surprised by this. I didn't understand why the commentators harped on this. It was a 10-point lead with a minute to go. You are not making up 10 points in a minute, fouling or otherwise. You just aren't. You'd have to get the ball four times and make three three-pointers and a two or two threes and two twos while holding UConn to zero points.

Not fouling was just not making the end of the game ugly and endless while not changing the end result.

 

[Bayareahusky]

oh yeah wasn't saying breanna played badly..... just went from her interview in which she was not happy with her performance I have seen her play better....... yes yes..... i am not criticizing ..... we are on the same team!!!!

and I have seen Morgan play so so so much better..... saw at least 3 or 4 uncharacteristic Morgan plays in the first half alone.....

just trying to be objective..... and think I touched a nerve with you somehow..... so i will go along with what you say

 

[2Husky]

I had felt kind of odd after the game too, I had attributed it to some mild confusion about the outcome. "We're only up 10 do we still win? We haven't gotten to 70 yet, can you win with less?" The team didn't look their normal self for much of the game ( credit ND defense), it was a win that a normal team would have not the really impressive margins we had all season. But it is still a great win.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

The only reason we lost 7 of 11 to ND was UCONN players gave ND way too much credit and made uncharacteristic mistakes late in games and waited for the refs to make their pro-ND flop/drive calls! The Huskies of today don't consider ND a rival or a threat and we won't be seeing ND beating the Huskies again for a long, long time! It wasn't what ND did to UCONN it was what UCONN did to UCONN!

 

[Rocket009]

I don't get why people are surprised by this. I didn't understand why the commentators harped on this. It was a 10-point lead with a minute to go. You are not making up 10 points in a minute, fouling or otherwise. You just aren't. You'd have to get the ball four times and make three three-pointers and a two or two threes and two twos while holding UConn to zero points.

Not fouling was just not making the end of the game ugly and endless while not changing the end result.

Or perhaps Muffet had some money against UCONN. The spread was 17 - and they covered. If they foul, that could have blown it.

 

[nd2tty]

Anyone notice the strange disconnect between Muffet in the pre-NC game presser (all "we have overachieved", love being the underdog, all positive) and Muffet in the post-NC game presser (while she acknowledged that they were (before Loyd declared) well set up for next year, she seemed very annoyed, frustrated, pissed off even...jumping all over reports for not asking clear questions, short with her answers)?

 

[huskeynut]

Anyone notice the strange disconnect between Muffet in the pre-NC game presser (all "we have overachieved", love being the underdog, all positive) and Muffet in the post-NC game presser (while she acknowledged that they were (before Loyd declared) well set up for next year, she seemed very annoyed, frustrated, pissed off even...jumping all over reports for not asking clear questions, short with her answers)?

During the second half, Holly Rowe reported that Muffet was really pissed at her team for not playing defense. That could be the reason she was annoyed in the post-game presser.

Are we in ND's head? Yes. Five straight final fours and nothing to show for it. Three straight losses to UCONN in the last three years gets to you.

BTW, I don't remember once during the game when the announcers mentioned that this was UCONN's 8th straight final four.

 

[Huskies Rule]

During the second half, Holly Rowe reported that Muffet was really pissed at her team for not playing defense.

Are we in ND's head? Yes. Five straight final fours and nothing to show for it. Three straight losses to UCONN in the last three years gets to you.

REALLY, MUFFET? Your team held the #1 offense in WCBB to 31 points in the first half; 63 points for the game !!! That, coach Muffet, is outstanding defense. UConn averaged better than 89 ppg for the year and better than 86 ppg for the six NCAA Tournament games. You did not lose because your kids didn't play great defense- they did! You lost because UConn's defense was even better than yours, and you had no answer to that. [And because we have Moriah and Stewie and Geno and you don't.]

 

[herby123]

Notre Dame taught Geno that getting to the foul line was the only way to beat Uconn.
You see how few fouls are called on us now that his players recognize that strategy.
Also, muffet's defensive plan is based on: let a player or two be free and double the post. (Kia Nurse and Moriah) Lucky for us our players responded. That was the main reason our post points were low and the three point shots made such an impact.

 

[Huskies Rule]

Yes, Notre Dame has played us competitively of late, winning 7 of 12. And man oh man, those TV announcers Burke and O'Brien absolutely love reminding the audience of that fact at least a zillion times every game. But 4 of those seven losses were just regular season Big East games, and one was in the Big East Tournament (painful but not fatal). The two FF semi losses in 2011 and 2012, however, hurt bad, and although ND could not finish the deal and win either NC it did prevent UConn from accomplishing a feat seeming so impossible, so transcendently historic, one that no team in WCBB will NEVER EVER accomplish: Winning 7 consecutive National Championships. [So, yes, I do dislike ND- just as they fear us.]

Still, while UCONN WINNING 5 of the last 7 National Championships is an unparalleled achievement, ND LOSING 4 of the last 5 National Championship games must surely be enough to not only put UConn "back in their heads" (we never really left) but to absolutely explode them and to warrant keeping an eye on Muffet.

 

[CocoHusky]

IMO I don't think UCONN is in ND head anymore than ND was in UCONN head when ND beat UCONN 5 of 7 or what ever the heck it was.
I just think these players know more than we want to give them credit for. Before this game started ND players are thinking if we play our best game and UCONN plays an average game, UCONN wins . Once the game starts the players are very busy thinking about making the next play or the last play, not the last time we played this team which could have been several months ago.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Yes, Notre Dame has played us competitively of late, winning 7 of 12. And man oh man, those TV announcers Burke and O'Brien absolutely love reminding the audience of that fact at least a zillion times every game. But 4 of those seven losses were just regular season Big East games, and one was in the Big East Tournament (painful but not fatal). The two FF semi losses in 2011 and 2012, however, hurt bad, and although ND could not finish the deal and win either NC it did prevent UConn from accomplishing a feat seeming so impossible, so transcendently historic, one that no team in WCBB will NEVER EVER accomplish: Winning 7 consecutive National Championships. [So, yes, I do dislike ND- just as they fear us.]

Still, while UCONN WINNING 5 of the last 7 National Championships is an unparalleled achievement, ND LOSING 4 of the last 5 National Championship games must surely be enough to not only put UConn "back in their heads" (we never really left) but to absolutely explode them and to warrant keeping an eye on Muffet.

"ND LOSING 4 of the last 5 National Championship games"

I like Muffet. But it's a good thing for her that she won it all in 2001. Otherwise, she'd be known as the "Marv Levy" of WCBB.

 

[alexrgct]

If anything, ND has lost five straight NC games, as the 2013 national semi between UConn and ND was, for all intents and purposes, the national championship game.

Meanwhile, I'd say ND is in *my* head, as I'd vomit if UConn had to play them yet again in one of the final two rounds of the NCAA tourney.

 

[Oldbones]

I think that the "cosmic tumblers" were all in place for Notre Dame for a very short window (2011-2013): A bunch of solid ND upperclasswomen catching a young, but quickly improving, and soon to be champion many times again, UConn team, and finding just the right amount of talent and histrionics to deny UConn some Big East hardware and probably one National Championship(2011).

But to what end?

Paraphrasing Mark 8:36, "What profit some Irishwomen to beat UConn and lose the trophy anyway?"

 

[EricLA]

I don't know about "in their heads". Last year they could use the excuse of "well we lost Achonwa 2 games before the finals". This year UCONN was a heavy favorite and ND barely escaped SC to get to the final game, where they competed better than most UCONN fans expected.

I just think it's a great rivalry and that if anything, ND probably feels like their time will come.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I stayed in Tampa for the Championship Game and I thought ND gave up too soon and too easily. I don't know if that means you're in their heads, but they looked beaten before the game started. I also have to commend your fans for turning out in such large numbers so far from home.

 

[CocoHusky]

I stayed in Tampa for the Championship Game and I thought ND gave up too soon and too easily. I don't know if that means you're in their heads, but they looked beaten before the game started. I also have to commend your fans for turning out in such large numbers so far from home.

I have to ask. How does a team look beaten before the game started?

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I have to ask. How does a team look beaten before the game started?

Body language, lack of excitement.

 

[Henry]

I think it is more that they are out of our heads. UCONN players and Geno would never take Notre Dame lightly but he probably feels that they no longer have the players who used to give us fits.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

Honestly if you were to go back and watch some of the games that Notre Dame won over UCONN they were close games... one in triple overtime. But also, and I know people hate it when it is mentioned......, but also look at how the game was officiated. Skylar Diggins was the queen of the flop. This was also used by countless others on the team. My favorite was Madison Cable in the 2014 championship game when she shot the three, came down, then fell to the ground acting like she had been hit and there was no foul. For a while the refs fell for it. Then in the 2013 Final Four they stopped calling the flops as fouls. They started to allow the players to play basketball.... and when that happens what should happen was allowed to happen (if you follow that... good)..... When the refs allow the player to play the team that deserves to win, wins. That is what UCONN did. They won! and have kept winning since... 4-0.

But seriously think back to the close games... rewatch the 2014 final and watch Notre Dame flop around like fish.

I think we were always in their heads.... it was just that we were not as good at acting as they were.