PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM: UConn coach Geno Auriemma got carried away -- by emotions and by his team members -- on Sunday after the Huskies beat Tennessee 71-52 to win their second NCAA title.
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Player of the day
Shea Ralph has had a brilliant season, but Kelly Schumacher was key Sunday. The 6-foot-5 junior made it a block party, setting an NCAA title-game record with nine blocked shots, including six in the first half as the Huskies headed into the locker room with a 12-point lead. She also went 3-for-3 from the field and grabbed five rebounds.
Food for thought
How bad of a blowout might it have been if UConn guard Sue Bird hadn't shot 25 percent (2-for-8) from the field?
Stat of the day
Before Sunday's game, Semeka Randall was averaging 21 points per game against the Huskies. But the junior All-American was just 1-for-11 from the field, and scored just six points in the title game. She also committed six turnovers. When asked what the game taught her, Randall said, "I learned you need to grow up and handle adversity."
Stat of the day, II
Prior to Sunday, Tennessee's worst loss in a national championship game was a nine-point defeat, to USC in 1984. UConn beat the Lady Vols by 19 points.
Better on the sidelines
UConn coach Geno Auriemma has found his place on the court. It just took him awhile. "A lot of guys who were coaching when I was playing used to tell me I'd never be any good as a player," he said after Sunday's win. "They were right. But I turned out to be the coach of a championship team."
Going to the dogs
All four of Tennessee's losses this season came against teams which have dogs as mascots -- the UConn Huskies, the Georgia Lady Bulldogs and the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters (whose mascot is a bulldog).
Changing faces
We all know which team Kara Lawson was rooting for last night, but five years ago, when Tennessee and Connecticut last met in an NCAA title game, Lawson wasn't pulling for the orange and white. "The first (Tennessee game) I remember watching was the 1995 championship," Lawson recalled. "Ironically, I was cheering for UConn. I wasn't much of a Tennessee fan growing up. I was a UVA fan."
Unexpected rout
Apparently not many folks expected a 19-point blowout. Of the 32,337 users who voted in an ESPN.com poll, 50.9 percent correctly predicted UConn to win the national championship. The other 15,874 users picked Tennessee to walk away with its seventh title.
In the crowd
In addition to Boyz II Men, who sang the national anthem, Bill Cosby attended Sunday's title game. Several former players from both programs -- including Chamique Holdsclaw and Rebecca Lobo -- also were in attendance.
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Victory wasn't in the cards
even if Vols had their Ace
 | | Even with Ace, the result may have been the same. | |
Shea Ralph turned in a great performance, Ace Clement turned her ankle. And Sunday's NCAA title game turned into a 19-point rout. Truth is, it could have been that way even if neither of those things had happened, writes ESPN.com's Mechelle Voepel. Although the game might not have been as lopsided with Ace on the court, UConn was clearly the best team in the country. After all, only a team this good turns Stacy Hansmeyer into "Rudy."
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QUESTION OF THE DAY:
How much of a factor was Ace Clement's absence? |
Ann Meyers: Losing Ace Clement had to hurt emotionally, especially when you lose a starter like that, and I'm sure everybody was caught up in it. But even if Tennessee had Chamique Holdsclaw out there tonight, I don't think it would have made a difference. Connecticut was on. The Huskies proved they are the No. 1 team. They just started out so quick and fast that it set the tempo of the game defensively. The Lady Vols didn't know what hit them.
Mechelle Voepel: I think it hurt Tennessee a great deal. Kristen isn't just a good player, she's also a real emotional leader for the Lady Vols. And you can't lose somebody like that -- a player who has started every game this season -- on game day and not have it make a big impact on your team. Do I think they would have won with her? No, but it certainly would have made for a better game.
Jay Bilas: It might have been a distraction. It certainly affected Summitt's lineup capability. But there's no way she makes up for a 19-point difference in this game.
Robin Roberts: Tennessee is too classy of a program to let it affect them. I don't think anything could have helped. Ace does bring a certain enthusiasm to the court, and after seeing the way she played Friday, I'm sure it would have had some effect. But you cannot blame the loss on the fact Ace was not in the game. Tennessee was never in control, much like the Georgia game earlier this season. The Lady Vols were never in it, and never seemed in sync.
Michele Tafoya: I thought Clement's absence would have motivated Tennessee to come out and play that much harder. I'm very surprised that the Lady Vols got so taken aback and put on their heels.
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TOURNAMENT CHALLENGE
Nearly 50,000 folks joined the women's Tournament Challenge. And as we roll out an updated version of the Tournament Dish throughout the women's NCAA Tournament, we'll continue to provide an inside look at how the users filled out their brackets:
• 17,501 users predicted a Tennessee-Connecticut final
• 21,141 brackets -- 43.7 percent -- had the Huskies as national champs
• 9,983 users picked Tennessee to win the NCAA title
Click here to check your bracket.
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ESPN BRACKETS
Six of the seven entries in our own Women's Tournament Challenge group picked a UConn-Tennessee final, but ESPN analyst Vera Jones walked away with the best ballot. To see how we did, log on to the Challenge main page, then check out the Featured Group ESPN Experts for our predictions for the NCAA Tournament. |
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