2024-25 NCAA Women's Basketball

BaseballJones

BaseballJones

slappy happy
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
26,801
Didn't see a WBB thread so I figured I'd start it. And yes, I'm going to start it with Paige Bueckers.

Two games in: 14-19 FG, 3-6 3ptFG, 4-5 FT, shooting 73.7% from the floor, averaging 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.5 steals, 0.5 blocks. Just 1 turnover in two games played.

She's a force of nature. I know the opponents weren't great but she looks like she can do anything she wants out there. Leave her alone for a split second and she'll bury the three, no problem. Or she can work around a ball screen and take that midrange pull-up jumper that she hits all the time. Clearly she can get to the rim at will. Or if you need a bucket and she's being guarded by someone her size or smaller (she's surprisingly strong at this point in her life...great job in the weight room), and she goes right to the block and scores easily from there. And if you foul her, she's certainly knocking down the free throws.

She's also a gifted passer and has become a legit really good defender. Plus an unparalleled floor/team leader. They have other good players, obviously, but she is the engine that makes it all go.

Best player in the country, even if others will end up with better points per game stats.
 
Sad Sam Jones

Sad Sam Jones

Member
SoSH Member
May 5, 2017
2,986
I was pretty salty about the way Ohio State choked in last season's tourney, but I'm finding it easy to get over in the early going this season… freshman Jaloni Cambridge scored 31 in her college debut last week and tonight transfer Chance Gray has career highs in 3's (9) and points (31)... this is more outside shooting than they had last year. They lost some leadership and defense with the departure of Jaycee Sheldon (who was just hired as staff during her WNBA off-season), but they aren't going to lose any scoring. With Ajae Petty transferring in they also have more size. Those three added to Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry are going to make this a fun team.
 
BaseballJones

BaseballJones

slappy happy
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
26,801
Big night in Storrs tonight as Geno goes for (and obviously should get, given the opponent) the all-time wins record. Gets me thinking about the all-time greats in UConn WBB history, and it's just a total who's who of women's basketball greatness. If I was to put together a 12-person all-time UConn team, it would be exceedingly difficult. So many great players to choose from.

UConn, under Geno, has had 26 players make at least one All-America team. 17 of those 26 made a first-team All-America team.

So let's just narrow this list down to the players who have made more than one first-team All-America team.

Maya Moore (4x)
Breanna Stewart (3x)
Diana Taurasi (2x)
Napheesa Collier (2x)
Katie Lou Samuelson (2x)
Kara Wolters (2x)
Paige Bueckers (2x) - maybe another coming this year

Now of this list, narrow it down to those that have won at least one AP POY award, and you get:

Kara Wolters (1x)
Diana Taurasi (1x)
Maya Moore (2x)
Breanna Stewart (3x)
Paige Bueckers (1x) - maybe another coming this year

So I guess that would be my all-time UConn starting five:

G - Bueckers (1x POY, 2x first team All-America)
G - Taurasi (1x POY, 2x first team All-America)
F - Moore (2x POY, 4x first team All-America)
F - Stewart (3x POY, 3x first team All-America)
C - Wolters (1x POY, 2x first team All-America)

But that leaves out:

Sue Bird (1x POY, 1x first team All-America, 2x All-America)
Jen Rizzoti (1x POY, 1x first team All-America, 2x All-America)
Tina Charles (1x POY, 1x first team All-America, 3x All-America)
Katie Lou Samuelson (2x first team All-America, 3x All-America)
Napheesa Collier (2x first team All-America, 3x All-America)
Stephanie Dolson (2x All-America)
Rebecca Lobo (1x POY, 1x first team All-America)
- other 2x All-Americans: Moriah Jefferson, Renee Montgomery, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Nykesha Sales, and Gabby Williams
- other 1x first team All-Americans: Shea Ralph, Megan Walker
- other All-Americans who won championships: Morgan Tuck (4 titles), Asjha Jones, Tiffany Hayes, Swin Cash (won multiple gold medals too), and Bria Hartley

I'd even be interested in that five above going up against this second unit:

G - Sue Bird
G - Katie Lou Samuelson
F - Napheesa Collier
F - Rebecca Lobo
C - Tina Charles

Based on accolades you'd have to go with that first group but this second group would stand a great chance to beat them in reality.
 
BaseballJones

BaseballJones

slappy happy
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
26,801
strek1 said:
The Geno/CD 40th celebration tonight is going to be great. 63 former players to attend and hopefully see Geno break the all time wins record:

https://www.courant.com/2024/11/20/star-studded-uconn-womens-basketball-alumni-roster-to-attend-geno-auriemmas-40th-anniversary-celebration/
Click to expand...
It really was awesome here in Gampel tonight. I know a bunch of the former and current players and chatted with several of the former players beforehand. The thing is this: they all talk about how tough it is to play for Geno, but they all LOVE the guy. Unabashedly. Even those who continually butted heads with him (I'm looking at you, Diana). He obviously goes about this the right way.
 
BaseballJones

BaseballJones

slappy happy
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
26,801
Oh and by the way.... 1,217 college wins is not happening again. Ever. (Except for every game from here on out that Geno wins as he keeps setting the record higher.) The only one I can see having even a whiff of a chance is Dawn Staley. But she's already 54, and has been coaching for 24 years. She's at 616 wins, or about half of Geno. So if Geno stopped today, I could see her possibly reaching that in another 20 years (she'd be in her mid-70s by then though). The problem she faces is that Geno keeps winning, pushing that number ever higher. Mulkey has won a TON, but she's 8 years older than Staley and she's "only" got 728 wins.

This record is Geno's and it always will be his.
 
BaseballJones

BaseballJones

slappy happy
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
26,801
Player of the Year race

Bueckers: 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.8 steals, 0.3 blocks, 60.4% FG, 42.1% 3-ptFG, 80.0% FT, 47.0 PER, 1.6 WS
Watkins: 21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 3.8 steals, 3.0 blocks, 42.0% FG, 21.7% 3-ptFG, 79.3% FT, 33.6 PER, 1.3 WS
 
BaseballJones

BaseballJones

slappy happy
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
26,801
South Carolina gets absolutely pasted yesterday by #5 UCLA. Will be interesting to see if UConn moves up to #1, or if UCLA leapfrogs everyone and moves to #1. Normally that would seem a bit crazy, but they just laid the wood to South Carolina, so maybe that's enough to vault them all the way to #1?

I bet it's:
1. UConn
2. UCLA
3. USC
4. Texas
5. Notre Dame
6. South Carolina

It's tough. On the one hand, other than South Carolina, nobody ahead of UCLA lost, so how can they move ahead of teams ranked over them who haven't lost yet? On the other hand, UCLA just dismantled South Carolina, which nobody has done since March 31, 2023.
 
riboflav

riboflav

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 20, 2006
11,226
NOVA
All these good games this week and most are on Ballertv and Flosports, (including LSU being down double digits right now to UW) not TV. It's maddening.
 
riboflav

riboflav

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 20, 2006
11,226
NOVA
BaseballJones said:
South Carolina gets absolutely pasted yesterday by #5 UCLA. Will be interesting to see if UConn moves up to #1, or if UCLA leapfrogs everyone and moves to #1. Normally that would seem a bit crazy, but they just laid the wood to South Carolina, so maybe that's enough to vault them all the way to #1?

I bet it's:
1. UConn
2. UCLA
3. USC
4. Texas
5. Notre Dame
6. South Carolina

It's tough. On the one hand, other than South Carolina, nobody ahead of UCLA lost, so how can they move ahead of teams ranked over them who haven't lost yet? On the other hand, UCLA just dismantled South Carolina, which nobody has done since March 31, 2023.
Click to expand...
USC lost by 13 to ND on Sat.
 
OCST

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
SoSH Member
Jan 10, 2004
25,485
The 718
Just picked up tix to see UConn at St John’s, at Carnesecca Arena on campus, in January. St John’s is 6-0 but flying under the radar so far.
 
BaseballJones

BaseballJones

slappy happy
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
26,801
Ale Xander said:
They have one more win and more importantly beat the previous #1 by 15

This should not be a surprise
Click to expand...
It is a bit of a surprise. A lot of people going into the season thought UConn was the best team in the country (if healthy). They've crushed everyone so far and Paige looks ridiculously good. Obviously a huge win by UCLA that UConn can't match at this point, but you don't normally leapfrog a team like UConn like this.

Not a big deal, but I'm a little surprised. I thought it would be #1 UConn, #2 UCLA.
 
BaseballJones

BaseballJones

slappy happy
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
26,801
UConn takes it to #18 Ole Miss, 73-60. Bueckers stellar again: 11-17 FG, 2-4 from three, 29 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block

She's now at:

52-83 (62.7%) FG, 13-28 (46.4%) from three, 15-18 (83.3%) FT, 22.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals per game

Ridiculous efficiency on a good number of FG attempts (nearly 14 per game).
 
Sad Sam Jones

Sad Sam Jones

Member
SoSH Member
May 5, 2017
2,986
The Buckeyes are wrapping up the tune-up portion of their season this afternoon and will improve to 7-0 before they take the next week off and then host #19 Illinois in their first real test. They've done exactly what they should so far though. Even with PotY candidate Cotie McMahon for the past four games due to a foot injury, there were no hiccups, winning all those games by at least 23 points (and by as much as 64). In their first 6 games, they had 6 different leading scorers.

It's just a better designed roster with legit front court defense in transfer Ajae Petty and Finnish freshman Elsa Lemmila, while transfer Chance Gray and freshman Ava Watson give them better 3-point threats than they had last year. Jaloni Cambridge has looked like the best freshman in the B1G as she's been billed. It's like they went out and got transfers to immediately address their weaknesses but also brought in freshmen at each of those spots who are already worthy of major minutes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom