Best WCBB Player of All Time: Breanna Stewart

[CocoHusky]

Go to the source, what would Geno say?

Geno has said that he doesn't know how 2 former National Player of the Year (Jen & Kara) not even make the top 10 all time for UCONN WCBB.

 

[eebmg]

Geno has said that he doesn't know how 2 former National Player of the Year (Jen & Kara) not even make the top 10 all time for UCONN WCBB.

In the old days, 1 NPOY may have sufficed but not now. Paige better get started early.

 

[Los24]

I did not read every comment but it seems many folks make this more complicated than it needs to be by comparing other players the great players played with. If you were starting a franchise and all the in questions great players were available coming fresh out of college who would you pick to start your team? That's it, all the other stuff doesn't matter....

 

[CTBballfan243]

For me it’s Taurasi, followed by Moore, and then Stewart. To me, Taurasi’s skill level, finesse, and a compete level set her head and shoulder above the rest. In addition, based on the eye test, she is by far the Greatest WBB player I have ever seen.

 

[reno tony]

I did not read every comment but it seems many folks make this more complicated than it needs to be by comparing other players the great players played with. If you were starting a franchise and all the in questions great players were available coming fresh out of college who would you pick to start your team? That's it, all the other stuff doesn't matter....

Are you trying to complicate this whole process with simplicity?

 

[Waquoit]

DT led a less than spectacular crew to 2 championships, while be the singular focal point of every single opponent.

You can't ignore the tie-breaker. As a frosh, Stewie led a team of pretenders to the NCAA title. As a frosh, DT shot her favored veteran team out of the Final Four. I know we like to pretend these things didn't happen on the Yard, but it did and shouldn't be forgotten if you are making a comparison.

 

[meyers7]

Anytime a debate of this nature comes up, there will NEVER be a consensus. The person that sees the glass half full is correct as is the person that sees it as half empty. Until we can all agree on a standard of measurement
to use a measuring fairly across the board, we will NEVER come anywhere close to agreeing who is top 4 (Mount Rushmore), top 10 or even top 25.

Because we all have a different standard of greatness, a different memories of who what when why and how. This is a debate that could last the entire length of the season.....and beyond. If someone has a different set of players that is different that yours, how can you call their list wrong?
It's all perception. Especially if you didn't see/remember an older player someone has listed.

Moriah Jefferson ( I love Mo. She is one of my all time favorites) came in at #10. How many of us would put her on the top 10 list? If we all posted who was on our respective Mount Rushmores, two players would be on every mount submitted, Taurasi and Moore. There would probably be 10-15 other players listed as the other two. My Mount Rushmore has 5 players on it.

In the SNY TV show that doggy posted, someone mentioned that they would like to know who Geno's top 10 players are, so would I.

We actually did a poll a year or 2 ago on UCONN top players. Ended up like so

1. Stewart
2. Taurasi
3. Moore
4. Bird
5. Charles
6. Lobo
7. Jefferson
8. Rizzotti
9. Sales
10. Abrosimova

Be interesting to do another one some time to see how/if KLS and Collier show/move up on the lists.

 

[j66kicker]

We actually did a poll a year or 2 ago on UCONN top players. Ended up like so

1. Stewart
2. Taurasi
3. Moore
4. Bird
5. Charles
6. Lobo
7. Jefferson
8. Rizzotti
9. Sales
10. Abrosimova

Be interesting to do another one some time to see how/if KLS and Collier show/move up on the lists.

A quickie way to do that is just ask who does KLS or Collier bump off this list. On my list, nobody. My first interview question for top 10 wannabes is, "What did you do to bring an NC to UConn?" "I played on Stewie's team when I was a freshman" is not a satisfactory answer.

 

[bballnut90]

A quickie way to do that is just ask who does KLS or Collier bump off this list. On my list, nobody. My first interview question for top 10 wannabes is, "What did you do to bring an NC to UConn?" "I played on Stewie's team when I was a freshman" is not a satisfactory answer.

I could see them nudging Sales or Abrosimova based on sheer production and the 4 Final Fours but it is hard to assess since they consistently came up short in the F4 over their careers.

I also think people sorely undervalue Jefferson and inflate Bird's UCONN career based mostly off post collegiate achievements. Both were great, but by almost all tangible measures Jefferson had the superior career IMO.

 

[j66kicker]

I could see them nudging Sales or Abrosimova based on sheer production and the 4 Final Fours but it is hard to assess since they consistently came up short in the F4 over their careers.

I also think people sorely undervalue Jefferson and inflate Bird's UCONN career based mostly off post collegiate achievements. Both were great, but by almost all tangible measures Jefferson had the superior career IMO.

Geno said once, "Stars make the play to win the game." That's what Abrosimova did (he said it about her specifically), not to mention Bird who was a cold-blooded killer at the buzzer. And our first NC vs. Tennessee doesn't happen without freshman Sales taking over and keeping us in the game most of the whole first half while our "stars" were on the bench with foul trouble. No way those 2 get bumped off my list by KLS or Collier. "Production" is fine, but show me the money.

 

[intlzncster]

You can't ignore the tie-breaker. As a frosh, Stewie led a team of pretenders to the NCAA title. As a frosh, DT shot her favored veteran team out of the Final Four. I know we like to pretend these things didn't happen on the Yard, but it did and shouldn't be forgotten if you are making a comparison.

A team of pretenders? A team that featured upper classmen like Dolson, Faris, Hartley and Doty? Not to mention super soph KML. That characterization invalidates your point alone.

Yes, D had one bad game in the FF. Mind you, that was after the loss of some severe talent late season and ingame that totally changed the dynamic of the team on the fly.

But DTs accomplishments Jr/Sr year outweigh and outshine that. It's not even close. Some of the greatest work I've seen in WCBB.

 

[eebmg]

Geno said once, "Stars make the play to win the game." That's what Abrosimova did (he said it about her specifically), not to mention Bird who was a cold-blooded killer at the buzzer. And our first NC vs. Tennessee doesn't happen without freshman Sales taking over and keeping us in the game most of the whole first half while our "stars" were on the bench with foul trouble. No way those 2 get bumped off my list by KLS or Collier. "Production" is fine, but show me the money.

Pheesa in particular had strong FF elimination games (except her sophmore season) so she is hardly to blame. It is hard if you are not the primary ball handler to 'take' over a game on the offensive end. I think Pheesa has also seperated herself from Lou a bit (especially if a running memory of how their 1st season in the WNBA can affect opinion) and I would put her in front of Abrosimova and Sales.

 

[Waquoit]

A team of pretenders? A team that featured upper classmen like Dolson, Faris, Hartley and Doty? Not to mention super soph KML. That characterization invalidates your point alone.

Not my term. It came from an (in)famous headline at the time. Plus, that team really didn't do squat against the varsity all season until Stewie kicked it up several notches late.

But DTs accomplishments Jr/Sr year outweigh and outshine that. It's not even close. Some of the greatest work I've seen in WCBB.

True. I love DT but it's not like she didn't have any players. Kelly Schumacher was immense in the FF. And she had a better WNBA career than KML and Tuck put together. And while Mo Jeff was great, I think others get more credit than they really deserve because Stewie was such a team player.

 

[Zanzman]

I have a hard time not picking taurasi with what she did her junior and senior year

 

[intlzncster]

Not my term. It came from an (in)famous headline at the time. Plus, that team really didn't do squat against the varsity all season until Stewie kicked it up several notches late.

True. I love DT but it's not like she didn't have any players. Kelly Schumacher was immense in the FF. And she had a better WNBA career than KML and Tuck put together. And while Mo Jeff was great, I think others get more credit than they really deserve because Stewie was such a team player.

Fair, I'm not trying to denigrate Breanna either. She was a god in college. And the most decorated WCBB athlete ever. For good reason.

I just personally throw my hat in the ring with DT. I've a hard time finding a player who elevated as many players' games as she did.

 

[Waquoit]

I have a hard time not picking taurasi with what she did her junior and senior year

Me, too. And I'm still picking Stewie. Like intlz alluded to, the problem with these arguments is that makes it seem that you don't think the other (in my case DT) is great. Both players transcend stats with their team play.

 

[baggerbob]

A quickie way to do that is just ask who does KLS or Collier bump off this list. On my list, nobody. My first interview question for top 10 wannabes is, "What did you do to bring an NC to UConn?" "I played on Stewie's team when I was a freshman" is not a satisfactory answer.

Me, too. And I'm still picking Stewie. Like intlz alluded to, the problem with these arguments is that makes it seem that you don't think the other (in my case DT) is great. Both players transcend stats with their team play.

The thing about Stewie is her defence, which everyone took for granted, yet was never player of the year. But her 1st year in the WNBA she was 2nd behind Sylvia for defensive player of the year. None of her teammates who won the college awards are on any of the defensive lists.

 

[CocoHusky]

The thing about Stewie is her defence, which everyone took for granted, yet was never player of the year. But her 1st year in the WNBA she was 2nd behind Sylvia for defensive player of the year. None of her teammates who won the college awards are on any of the defensive lists.

Stewie was indeed a terrific defender however, at no time in her 4 years at UCONN would she have been considered the team's best defender.

12-13 Faris, Dolson,Tuck
13-14 Jefferson, Stokes
14-15 Stokes,Jefferson, Nurse, Tuck
15-16 Jefferson, Nurse, Tuck

 

[bantamlaker]

True. I love DT but it's not like she didn't have any players. Kelly Schumacher was immense in the FF. And she had a better WNBA career than KML and Tuck put together. And while Mo Jeff was great, I think others get more credit than they really deserve because Stewie was such a team player.

Just want to set the facts straight. Schumacher’s great finals game with 9 blocks came in 2000 against Tennessee. She had a good game with 17 boards in the 2001 semi-final loss to ND. Kelly graduated in 2001 so that was the only final four game she played with DT. She wasn’t around to help DT in her 3 consecutive championships.

 

[CocoHusky]

True. I love DT but it's not like she didn't have any players. Kelly Schumacher was immense in the FF. And she had a better WNBA career than KML and Tuck put together. And while Mo Jeff was great, I think others get more credit than they really deserve because Stewie was such a team player.

Scope of this is performance in WCBB. Schumacher might have had a better WNBA career but surely she did not give DT as much "college" help as Morgan and Moriah ( both AA) gave to Stewie.

 

[JonathanXIV]

You can't ignore the tie-breaker. As a frosh, Stewie led a team of pretenders to the NCAA title. As a frosh, DT shot her favored veteran team out of the Final Four. I know we like to pretend these things didn't happen on the Yard, but it did and shouldn't be forgotten if you are making a comparison.

A team of pretenders? Really?

 

[FridaFriend]

I would like to put in a vote for Maya Moore for the greatest. She is in the top ten in UCONN history in five categories: Points (1); Rebounds (2); Assists (8); Steals (4); and Blocks (8). Stewart only exceeds her record in Blocks (1) and Taurasi has more assists (2). She and Tina Charles led the team to two consecutive undefeated seasons and the 90 game winning streak as well.

 

[meyers7]

A quickie way to do that is just ask who does KLS or Collier bump off this list. On my list, nobody. My first interview question for top 10 wannabes is, "What did you do to bring an NC to UConn?" "I played on Stewie's team when I was a freshman" is not a satisfactory answer.

Yea, I was more thinking in the 10-20 range, where they'd end up. Collier had some great numbers. I'd think she'd make the top 15 and be close to the top 10.

But of course Collier and KLS's biggest drawback is they were not able to bring home a NC of their own.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Even better! How many 3-times All-American can say they don't get any consideration for the top 15 at their school. None?

What is interesting is that most of the players were NOT 3x All-Americans. Thus, implicitly, we are rating players based on their highest points, not on a full career.

Huskies who were 3x All-Americans (I believe): Sveta, Diana, Maya (4x), Stewie, and Lou. Kaleena and perhaps Bria might have been 3x All-Americans if not for injuries.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I would like to put in a vote for Maya Moore for the greatest. She is in the top ten in UCONN history in five categories: Points (1); Rebounds (2); Assists (8); Steals (4); and Blocks (8). Stewart only exceeds her record in Blocks (1) and Taurasi has more assists (2). She and Tina Charles led the team to two consecutive undefeated seasons and the 90 game winning streak as well.

Maya had arguably the best collegiate career of anyone. She couldn't get her team to championships as a freshman or senior, but she was a consensus All-American 4 times and finished 2nd, 1st, 2nd, and 1st in the AP POY voting. No one else finished in the top 2 in POY voting 4x! She was edged out by only Candace Parker and Tina Charles, who were not exactly flukes.