Dawn in retrospect with comments and a question - what constitutes throwing players under the bus?

[Cuango]

I think, (amazingly) Dawn thought that last year’s dominant win over UConn in SC was a true turning point and that they were now going to dominate UConn as a matter of course. This was accentuated by the relative makeup’s of the two teams. She has this dominant force in Boston, a huge size and speed advantage as well and UConn is so young. I think she was completely shocked that they lost and was still in that disbelieving state of mind when she had her PC. I read somewhere that she had remarked that they (SC) didn’t need their “A” game to beat Connecticut. Now I didn’t actually hear her say that, but if she did, it speaks to her attitude toward Monday’s game and her shock at the result. I never really thought she was throwing her team under the bus, just that she was trying to blame it on anything but her coaching. I don’t care for her as I find her to be unrelentingly arrogant and pushy, but I do have great respect for what she has built in South Carolina. She and her program are going to be a formidable hurdle for the foreseeable future in women’s basketball and that is a good thing.

 

[TC22]

Just FYI the NCAA site lists the Wilson ball as the official ball. I was a bit surprised.

Well that right there tells me why Dawn uses it.

 

[cabbie191]

Cabbie191 - I appreciate your response as well. I did understand you were referring more to someone else's comment. My reaction is more to fact that this logic is used in general, not from you specifically. I should have noted that when replying.

And, like you, I've taken a lot of things for granted. Fortunately, I was raised somewhat "colour-blind" and didn't appreciate the challenges of being black until much later in life. My family and our friends were of various backgrounds (heck I know some basic Croatian phrases - go figure LOL). Sometimes it's been the reverse for me where I've had to fight the perception of not being "black enough".

There are cases/situations where someone's cultural background does impact how they speak or interpret things. I don't believe should be applicable in this situation. But it's also good to have these discussions because that is how we continue moving forward.

Cheers my friend.

Cheers back at you and thanks for the response.

if by chance any of those Croatian phrases are related to basketball, I hope you get a chance to meet Nika in person. Heck, I’m sure she’d be tickled pink to hear even a bit of her native language, even if the accent might be a bit off and the phrases aren’t full of basketball wisdom.

Some years back, I had a friend who was born and raised in rural China. She was an English teacher there but whose English wasn’t particularly great. She married a friend, an American doctor she met in an online chat room, and moved to Wisconsin where I live. I took Wenli to an ice cream shop and one of the motorcycle club members who were also there started speaking Mandarin - something he learned when in the military. Her face lit up the moment she recognized he was speaking in her language!

 

[JonathanXIV]

The home team decides what ball to use. Wilson is the official brand of the NCAA tournament.

Thank God! Otherwise I'm sure South Carolina would decline to participate in the tournament.

 

[shiverz45]

Maybe Nike should stick to shoes

Best Indoor & Outdoor Basketball Reviews (2021): Our Faves (ballersguide.net)

 

[RedStickHusky]

@cancontent has it right, Dawn doesn't need a condescending pass for her rough upbringing. She's as accountable to anyone else at the top of her very demanding profession. She coaches the U.S. national team.

• pinning the loss on Henderson's unforced turnovers or Boston's ill-timed step back would've been throwing them under the bus. She gave her team a 'not our fault' out. Probably more important to her than having UConn fans acknowledge her graciousness.
• when Geno wants his kids under a bus, he doesn't throw them, he drives the bus.

 

[chrissaran]

Then how when the "Wilson" ball is used, is UConn able to adapt and play well?

 

[HuskylnSC]

So I throw the question out there - what for you defines a coach's comment as throwing someone under the bus?

At the the 40 second mark of Dawn's post game presser and after she made the ridiculous ball comment she said, "... and our guards didn't adapt." That one phrase is when she threw her players under the bus. It was the ball that caused them to lose and her players inability or unwillingness to adapt. If instead of bringing up her players, she had said they should have practiced with the NIke ball that would have been classy. The comment is similar to Holly Warlick saying, "I tell them what to do but they don't do it." The foolishness of the ball comment stands by itself, but the ball comment is not throwing your team under the bus. It is identifying a coaches failure to prepare a team and instead of taking that blame she put it on her players that they did not adapt. That is throwing your players under the bus.

 

[itsasport]

Swerve time. Who decides what brand of basketball is used for each game?
Do conferences use different brands for their tournament?
Does the NCAA use different brands during the tournament?

Sorry @itsasport for my plagiarism of your post, I was typing this post when you posted yours.

Great minds think alike.

 

[j66kicker]

I don't think Dawn threw anyone under the bus. If you want to see a coach throw their team under a bus there are two that come to mind, they are Holly and Muffet, both are not coaching anymore.

Let’s not leave out the ultimate bus driver JPM!

 

[triaddukefan]

I think there’s some truth to that. She shines the spotlight of controversy on herself a little bit and lets the players off the hook (not that there’s really a “hook” - it was a 1 vs. 2 game on the road, not Virginia losing to UMBC in a 1-16 game).

Geno famously got himself in “hot water” with the quote about plenty of Duke grads working in restaurants prior to a big road game, and the Cameron Crazies were all over him. That sort of took some of the heat off his players, who went on to win that game (which was also 1 vs. 2 if I recall right). I still think that was on purpose - but maybe it was just Geno being Geno and it was a happy accident.

Let’s not leave out the ultimate bus driver JPM!

Hey now... no need to bring up Duke in this thread

 

[TC22]

At the the 40 second mark of Dawn's post game presser and after she made the ridiculous ball comment she said, "... and our guards didn't adapt." That one phrase is when she threw her players under the bus. It was the ball that caused them to lose and her players inability or unwillingness to adapt. If instead of bringing up her players, she had said they should have practiced with the NIke ball that would have been classy. The comment is similar to Holly Warlick saying, "I tell them what to do but they don't do it." The foolishness of the ball comment stands by itself, but the ball comment is not throwing your team under the bus. It is identifying a coaches failure to prepare a team and instead of taking that blame she put it on her players that they did not adapt. That is throwing your players under the bus.

Kinda like when Geno calls his players dummies. He should prepare them so they aren’t so dumb. Calling your players dummies is throwing them under the bus. Similar to Holly saying I tell them what to do but they don’t do it. By what you are saying there either Geno recruits dumb players, throws his players under the bus by calling them dummies, or fails to coach them in certain situations so they know what to do. ??‍♀️

 

[TC22]

I think, (amazingly) Dawn thought that last year’s dominant win over UConn in SC was a true turning point and that they were now going to dominate UConn as a matter of course. This was accentuated by the relative makeup’s of the two teams. She has this dominant force in Boston, a huge size and speed advantage as well and UConn is so young. I think she was completely shocked that they lost and was still in that disbelieving state of mind when she had her PC. I read somewhere that she had remarked that they (SC) didn’t need their “A” game to beat Connecticut. Now I didn’t actually hear her say that, but if she did, it speaks to her attitude toward Monday’s game and her shock at the result. I never really thought she was throwing her team under the bus, just that she was trying to blame it on anything but her coaching. I don’t care for her as I find her to be unrelentingly arrogant and pushy, but I do have great respect for what she has built in South Carolina. She and her program are going to be a formidable hurdle for the foreseeable future in women’s basketball and that is a good thing.

Dawn said we didn’t have to play perfect basketball to win. Never said we didn’t need our A game and she certainly didn’t think we had turned the corner. What she said was that we have the players now to compete. That we didn’t have to play perfect. And she was correct. Had we made one of the 4 shots we got at the end of the game or made 1 more free throw we would have won. And everybody that watched the game knows we didn’t play a perfect game.

 

[Biff]

Let’s not leave out the ultimate bus driver JPM!

Circa 2014

 

[Blueballer]

Maybe Nike should stick to shoes

Best Indoor & Outdoor Basketball Reviews (2021): Our Faves (ballersguide.net)

Your link says "2021" The article says "2019"

 

[cbraarj]

I don't think Dawn threw anyone under the bus. If you want to see a coach throw their team under a bus there are two that come to mind, they are Holly and Muffet, both are not coaching anymore.

McCallie at Duke.

 

[JimGunther]

My take away from her presser (in addition to a WTF regarding the ball observation) - after such a hard-fought battle -that could have gone either way - there was no way she was going to say "Congrats - my guys played tough but we'll be back" .. Kind of ungracious but, typical Dawn.

 

[eebmg]

Maybe Dawn is doing Aja Wilson a solid.

 

[ucbart]

Circa 2014

View attachment 64501

@CamrnCrz1974

 

[HuskylnSC]

Kinda like when Geno calls his players dummies. He should prepare them so they aren’t so dumb. Calling your players dummies is throwing them under the bus. Similar to Holly saying I tell them what to do but they don’t do it. By what you are saying there either Geno recruits dumb players, throws his players under the bus by calling them dummies, or fails to coach them in certain situations so they know what to do. ??‍♀️

Out of context response. Question - 'What is the reason you lost the game?' Answer - My players didn't adapt. That Geno calls all his players dummies is hyperbole. Are all his players intellectually challenged. No. Can Napheesa guard a chair? Probably. Is KLS next offensive rebound he first, No. The next time stewie gets in a defensive stance it will be her first. Did Geno ever have another international player after Svetlana? Dawn's context was to blame her players for the loss of a game. Geno is Philly street style motivation. Your comparisons do not work in the comparative context of Geno's voluminous statements to one of Dawn.

 

[HuskylnSC]

Maybe Nike should stick to shoes

Best Indoor & Outdoor Basketball Reviews (2021): Our Faves (ballersguide.net)

Definitely! I can remember when Tiger was contractually forced to play Nike. Mickelson when asked why tiger wasn't winning as much replied, "It's amazing he does as well as he does because of the poor equipment he has to use." every time I would find a Nike ball, I would hit it deeper into the woods.

 

[Martin]

Regarding being a black female coach: I'd argue that it's an advantage likely to attract black athletes in a place like Columbia. I always wonder why kids go to certain schools, what in particular attracts them. Here in Maryland we have DC, which is a black cultural bastion. It's a good place to feel connected, to enjoy culture, to meet prospective partners. I'm pretty sure it's not Brenda. (snark) Some schools have a great academic rep (Stanford) and some a big-time sports tradition (ND). UConn has Geno.

Once a kid from another part of the country visits UConn and tries east coast pizza for the first time they’re hooked and they don’t want to leave.
I miss east coast pizza!

 

[Skeets]

Once a kid from another part of the country visits UConn and tries east coast pizza for the first time they’re hooked and they don’t want to leave.
I miss east coast pizza!

I agree. Chicago pizza sucks.

 

[CL82]

Maybe we could invite her here!

(Train wreck into a pile of poop)

 

[JonathanXIV]

Once a kid from another part of the country visits UConn and tries east coast pizza for the first time they’re hooked and they don’t want to leave.
I miss east coast pizza!

Specifically, Connecticut pizza. More specifically, New Haven pizza.