The casual pass by Shoni Schimmel came at the 12:54 mark, her team leading 14-12.
An incredulous Bria Hartley would accept the gift, dashing unmolested down court to tie the score. It would be all downhill from there, UConn scoring the next 17 points. The Huskies would win their eighth national women’s national championship with unbelievable ease.
The dreamers would collide face first into reality in the end, the Cardinals losing their 12th consecutive game to UConn, the championship game resembling all the derailments in the past between the teams. The 93-60 thumping the most decisive in NCAA women’s championship game history.
The surprising thing is that the box score indicated only 17 Cardinal turnovers. As admirable as the run was in the tournament was, the final showing was embarrassing.
Who’s to say what would have been possible had Monique Reid been at full strength, and Tia Gibbs, Asia Taylor and Shawnta Dyer had not been injured. And had this team embraced the discipline and toughness they displayed until the final game of the tournament a little earlier during the season.
Wow, Charlie. Pretty harsh for a supposedly Card-friendly site. First of all, I think that Jeff Walz and his team would take offense at your use of the word “fantasy” in the headline. I know that I did. And what was “embarrassing” about getting beaten by a team with superior talent that, by the way, managed to hit 13 of 26 threes? If this team had “embraced…a little earlier” what would have been different? Sure, they would have had a few more regular-season wins, but who cares about that at the end of the day? This year, like most, Walz had them playing their best ball at the only time of the year that really matters. They totally overachieved. Walz could have milked the shot clock and limited the number of possessions, and might have lost by only 15 or so, but his team kept playing the way they needed to play, and got blown out. Call that “embarrassing” if you want…I was in NOLA and don’t feel embarrassed at all.
Can’t disagree with anything you say Mike but I never got over that careless pass by Shoni, something the team was hampered by all season long. Hopefully, they enter next season as focused as they played during most of this year’s tournament.