This one's for the girls: NCAAW Tournament Elite-8 and on

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
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I enjoy watching the better women's teams play, but the problem is that there is such a clear difference between the top teams and everyone else that it's not really worth watching the first few rounds, because there are so few upsets.

Well this year there were zero upsets. It's #1 vs #2 in all 4 regions, tomorrow and monday. But the good news is, all 7 games here on out will be well worth watching.

Best one might be first:

Sun 3/31, 12:00pm: #1 Louisville vs #2 UConn in Albany. This is a grudge match par excellance, because Louisville dealt the Huskies their 2nd and most recent loss of the season (by 9 points, in Louisville). Despite having 3 losses on the year to UConn's 2, the Louisville Cardinals were given the 1 seed (but UConn stayed in their home region). Meanwhile, UConn was actually down heading into the 4th quarter of their most recent match, before kicking it up several notches to win by 8. Should be close, and it's going to have a great atmosphere.

Sun 3/31, 2:00pm: #1 MS State vs #2 Oregon in Portland OR. Oregon narrowly missed out on a 1-seed. MS State, meanwhile, took one of their only two losses on the season at Oregon back in December. MSST famously ended UConn's 111-game win streak in the Final Four 2 years ago. Going in as effectively a home game for the Ducks, this should be another crazy atmosphere.

Mon 4/1, 7:00pm: #1 Baylor vs #2 Iowa in Greensboro NC. I don't know much about the Iowa team this year, but Baylor plays some beautiful ball and are deservedly the #1 overall seed.

Mon 4/1, 9:00pm: #1 Notre Dame vs #2 Stanford in Chicago. A clash of storied women's programs, in what will play much like a home game for the defending national champions (ND). Notre Dame has absurd talent but has been inconsistent, leading to 3 losses on the year, two of them nearly inexplicable (and the third, a home loss to UConn by 18).

With the Men's final four being played Saturday night followed by the championship game on Monday 4/8, the Women will be back at it Friday night (fast turnaround) with title game Sunday night, which I think beats the older format of Sunday-to-Tuesday.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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Some high quality ball this first half, only difference is UConn is making more shots. As evidenced by the men's results last night with the exception of Purdue coughing it up, it seems like those worse seeds can really play the disrespect card. Seems like with the parity on the men's side and now with the better seeds on the women's side, that mental chip means a little more.
 

InstaFace

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Samuelson has her usual classy footwork on offense, bit she's getting worked on defense. Late rotation on the block call, beaten off screens repeatedly, a foul on a help Desk, plus she missed a layup. Collier is carrying them.
 

yeahlunchbox

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Rumor is UConn assistant Shea Ralph could be a finalist for the head position at URI. I'm sure URI is interested in her, I'm just not sure if that is reciprocated on her part.
 

InstaFace

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How have Geno's assistants done when they've left the nest? I honestly don't know. The only name I know is Chris Dailey, who arrived with him in 1985 and is basically work-married to Geno in terms of how inseparable they are.
 

InstaFace

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I thought ND was going to choke when they were down double digits in the 3rd, but they just flipped a switch, Ogunbowale most of all. Very disciplined team, they could easily take down UConn in the Final 4.

It's funny to me how the top women's teams don't use their bench at all when the games get Real Real. ND had a total of 13 bench minutes in their regional final, UConn had 8 (for Samuelson when she got her 4th foul early in the 3Q). I guess there's no such thing as running a team off the floor and getting their starters gassed?
 

RedOctober3829

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deep inside Guido territory
Tennessee has a ton of interest in hiring Kellie (Jollie) Harper as their next head coach. The former Vols player is currently the head coach at Missouri State and led them to the Sweet 16 as an 11 seed. She'd be an outstanding hire.
 

Senator Donut

post-Domer
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anyone not watching ND-UConn is missing a classic.
That was extremely entertaining (but I’m biased). It seemed like the lead changed on about a dozen straight possessions starting at about four minutes left. Samuelson and Arike were both unstoppable in the second half.
 

SoxFanInCali

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California. Duh.
The UConn seniors only lost 5 games in 4 years, but only won the title once, in their freshman year. 3 straight outs in the national semis.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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I didn't have a real rooting interest in this game but found myself cheering hard for Baylor after Cox went out. Just an unbelievable, intense, roller-coaster ride of a basketball game. The last two Final Fours in women's hoops have been absolutely off the charts. I know a lot of guys who like basketball don't like women's basketball, but I don't get how any basketball fan couldn't like this. Riveting stuff.
 

jon abbey

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I didn't have a real rooting interest in this game but found myself cheering hard for Baylor after Cox went out. Just an unbelievable, intense, roller-coaster ride of a basketball game. The last two Final Fours in women's hoops have been absolutely off the charts. I know a lot of guys who like basketball don't like women's basketball, but I don't get how any basketball fan couldn't like this. Riveting stuff.
Yeah, I never watch women's basketball except the Final Fours in recent years, and agreed they have been great. I was rooting for Baylor before, but much harder after Cox went out (with a 12 point lead), because that would have been a shitty way to lose. Congrats to them!!
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
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I didn't have a real rooting interest in this game but found myself cheering hard for Baylor after Cox went out. Just an unbelievable, intense, roller-coaster ride of a basketball game. The last two Final Fours in women's hoops have been absolutely off the charts. I know a lot of guys who like basketball don't like women's basketball, but I don't get how any basketball fan couldn't like this. Riveting stuff.
I would watch, but I don't like these institutions this year. (Uconn, SBCC, Baylor, Nike)
 
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InstaFace

The Ultimate One
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I would watch, but I don't like these institutions. (Uconn, SBCC, Baylor, Nike)
Do you watch the last few mens' rounds regardless of whether you like the institution?

Also, there are plenty of other top teams out there that are competitive with the most storied programs at this point. MSST came within a buzzer-beater of winning the title last year, and Stanford, Louisville and a handful of others are capable of beating anyone too. It didn't use to be the case, but in the last few years there are usually 8-10 teams that have a real shot at the title.

I was rooting for Baylor too, and I was kinda glad Ogunbowale missed one at the end there because I would not have fancied overtime. That said, you can't miss that first one and then not intentionally miss the 2nd and try to get the rebound.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

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Do you watch the last few mens' rounds regardless of whether you like the institution?

Also, there are plenty of other top teams out there that are competitive with the most storied programs at this point. MSST came within a buzzer-beater of winning the title last year, and Stanford, Louisville and a handful of others are capable of beating anyone too. It didn't use to be the case, but in the last few years there are usually 8-10 teams that have a real shot at the title.

I was rooting for Baylor too, and I was kinda glad Ogunbowale missed one at the end there because I would not have fancied overtime. That said, you can't miss that first one and then not intentionally miss the 2nd and try to get the rebound.
She was trying to intentionally miss the 2nd but it went in, Duke style.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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I didn't have a real rooting interest in this game but found myself cheering hard for Baylor after Cox went out. Just an unbelievable, intense, roller-coaster ride of a basketball game. The last two Final Fours in women's hoops have been absolutely off the charts. I know a lot of guys who like basketball don't like women's basketball, but I don't get how any basketball fan couldn't like this. Riveting stuff.
Basketball-wise I'd probably root for Baylor, but just can't get past the off-court/off-field issues with that school: between Dave Bliss, Art Briles, even Mulkey herself with telling Brittany Griner to keep her sexuality in the closet. I practically want that university or at least the athletic department to burn to the ground, so a little difficult to root for their teams. YMMV with being able to separate the on and off-field...

Great quality of play though, at least starting Elite Eight onward. Once the early rounds reflect a better level of parity my hours spent between the men's and women's tournaments will be equivalent.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Yeah, I hear you. On the basketball front, gone are the days of UConn dominance. Other programs have really improved and now there are a half-dozen team that could legitimately win it all every year. That's good for women's basketball. It was good that UConn was dominant too because it forced everyone to raise their game - which they did.
 

Humphrey

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Yeah, I hear you. On the basketball front, gone are the days of UConn dominance. Other programs have really improved and now there are a half-dozen team that could legitimately win it all every year. That's good for women's basketball. It was good that UConn was dominant too because it forced everyone to raise their game - which they did.
Yes, hopefully history is well on the way to repeating itself on the ladies' side with UConn playing the role of UCLA in the 60s/early 70s.
 

InstaFace

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She was trying to intentionally miss the 2nd but it went in, Duke style.
right, or Marcus Smart style, if you're being charitable. But still, "you can't" do that in that situation. You miss the first one? Physical execution error. It happens. But it's simply not that hard to intentionally miss a free throw (without committing a violation in doing so), failing to do that is a mental mistake and far less excusable at that point.

Sabrina Ionescu is a stone cold killer.
She's apparently returning to Oregon for her senior season rather than becoming the #1 overall pick in the WNBA draft. Must be getting some real good money from Oregon. Though given WNBA rookie salaries ($53k for #1 pick) maybe it doesn't have to be all that good. WNBA pays its players ~25% of league revenue, whereas the NBA of course pays 50% of revenue to players.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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She's apparently returning to Oregon for her senior season rather than becoming the #1 overall pick in the WNBA draft. Must be getting some real good money from Oregon. Though given WNBA rookie salaries ($53k for #1 pick) maybe it doesn't have to be all that good. WNBA pays its players ~25% of league revenue, whereas the NBA of course pays 50% of revenue to players.
True, but she could make big bucks overseas. In Russia or China, maybe half a million a year. Obviously that's minuscule compared to NBA stars, but half a million for half a year's work is nothing to sneeze at.