#3 UCONN -VS- #1 IOWA = NCAA - F.F. on 04.05.2024

Ok, here we are in a familiar place. I’m feeling good about our chances so all together now let’s get ready to rumbbbbbbbbblllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Both ESPN and Massey modeling showed UConn prevailing in a majority of outcomes, 60.5% of ESPN's and 56% of Massey's, based on each team's season-to-date performance. The bookies say Iowa by 3.5 points, up from an opening line of 2.5 points. All of those numbers put this game in the too-close-to-call category in my estimation.

I consider this to be another pick 'em game just like USC. If we get contributions from everybody like we did against the Trojans and if we can hold Clark to around her season average of 32, I like our chances. Would be nice, however, if we did not experience the same foul trouble this time. Early foul trouble makes the rest of the game extra stressful for the wife and I...

Absolutely. When Iowa got up by 9 four minutes into the fourth I thought the end was near, but UConn came back to within one on Nika's 3 at 0:49. So close. This is my favorite team to date. 

Yes, the team overachieved this season in the face of so many injuries. And yet the loss still stings. We contained Clark like we had to and we did get contributions from everybody but we still lost. We also needed Paige to be Paige but sadly, she was mortal last night. She simply missed shots she normally makes.

Let me quickly add that I am not pinning the loss on Paige. She is a human being and as such her performance is subject to variation. Even all-world scorer Clark was mortal last night and held to only about 2/3 of her scoring average. But Paige scored 10 points below her tournament scoring average and we lost by just 2. That math is not hard. And before I get pillaried for even saying that, let me add that Geno himself has also opined that Paige was not herself in that game (see link at end). He thinks it was something physical.

In addition to Paige's good but not Paige-good numbers, I wonder how it is we got whistled for 18 fouls in that game whereas Iowa was only whistled for 9. There was one play in particular where both Aaliyah and Nika were knocked to the ground by Iowa players behind them vying for a rebound yet no foul was called. Everyone wanted a SC-Iowa rematch. How convenient that they got it, eh? I know it is not cool to harp about the refs after a loss but hard not to with such a gross foul disparity.

That is about it for picking over the bones of last night's heartbreaking loss where the refs denied us an opportunity by making a bullshit 50-50 call with 4 seconds remaining in a 1-point game. In my mind, the foul must be OBVIOUS for that call to be made. It did not look anywhere near obvious to me! But let's turn our attention to next season, shall we?

Did you see the list of players leaving after this year? South Carolina losses Cardoza, Iowa loses Clark, LSU loses Reese and Van Lith, Stanford loses Brink, Ohio State loses Sheldon, UCLA loses Osborne, USC loses three grad student starters, Utah loses Pili. So many teams are losing their best player next year...but not us! We are losing our defensive stopper and a strong post presence but not our best player. I feel we have enough depth at guard to accommodate Nika's departure but Aaliyah is leaving shoes to fill that might be too big for any single post player. But between Brady, Patterson, El Alfy, Aubrey and inbound Sara Strong, maybe we can replace Aaliyah's numbers by committee.

www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story?id=39885346&_slug_=uconn-paige-bueckers-more-selfish-auriemma-says