It’s on. The rematch that most fans of women’s college basketball were probably hoping for will take place tonight when Stanford takes on Connecticut in the national championship game.
This isn’t a David and Goliath story, but the fact that the No. 2 team in the nation and No. 1 seed Cardinal (36-1, 18-0 Pac-10) will be the definite underdog going into this contest says everything about the undefeated and undisputed No.1 UConn Huskies (38-0, 16-0 Big East).
The all-time series between these two teams from opposite sides of the country is tied at 5-5, but it is the recent history that will be in the minds of the players stepping out onto the court. By that measure the score is 3-1 in the Huskies’ favor, and they hold a two-game win streak over the Cardinal.
Were it not for Connecticut, Stanford would have had a perfect season. The single road loss in Storrs, Conn., is the only blemish on a record-breaking season that has given the Card both its highest number of wins, 36, and longest winning streak, 27, in school history. Since Jan. 18, 2009, the team has lost to just one school: UConn.
The last time the Huskies dropped a game was two years ago against Stanford, and it was a crucial one. If the Cardinal had not knocked them out of the Final Four in 2007, the Huskies could very well be chasing their third straight NCAA title.
Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma knows that his team, a group that has blown most teams clear out of the water at every stage this year, is seen as the bad guys. He is not afraid to reinforce this opinion with his words.
“Let me tell you something,” he said. “If we’re still undefeated next year at the end of December, then you know what? I’m not going to come back afterward.”
“It will be pointless,” he continued. “I will just lose all respect for everybody coaching college basketball in this country.”
Those words came in response to a question about how his team will cope after graduating five seniors, but they are sure to add fuel to the media fire.
The Connecticut team certainly looks to be a formidable opponent on paper. Two of its players, senior center Tina Charles and junior forward Maya Moore, were named to the State Farm All-America Basketball Team this week, and Moore also became only the third player in history to win the State Farm Wade Trophy for a second time. Charles was also awarded the Naismith College Player of the Year.
Stanford, however, is not far behind on accolades. The Card joined UConn as the only other school to have two players named to the State Farm All-America team – senior center Jayne Appel and sophomore forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike. Before Moore impressed the crowds at the Alamodome Sunday night with 34 points and 12 rebounds, Ogwumike had already finished her day’s work, scoring an NCAA semifinal record of 38 points and grabbing 16 rebounds.
The performances of all five Cardinal starters will be a key factor in whether head coach Tara VanDerveer’s team can stop the Huskies’ domination of this tournament. UConn had its closest game yet in its Final Four defeat of Baylor, but still won by 20 points.
Offensively, Stanford also needs to execute more successfully to reach its full potential. Ogwumike’s record aside, the Cardinal shot poorly in the semifinal win over Oklahoma and the team cannot afford to repeatedly miss from good shooting positions if it is to defeat the Huskies.
The Cardinal showed a glimpse back in December that perhaps it can compete with, and defeat, the unanimous top team in the country. That game ended 80-68 in UConn’s favor, but Stanford held a narrow lead at halftime and had succeeded up to that point at keeping the Huskies in check.
Both groups of players have played a lot of games since, however, and these are not the same teams that faced each other over three months ago. If any team can prevent the Huskies from earning their second straight title it will be the Cardinal, and, if Stanford comes away victorious, the revenge will be very sweet.
The final game of the season will take place at 5:30 p.m. PST from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Tex.