RSS Feeds
Could Connecticut's streak actually be bad for women's basketball?
Last night the University of Connecticut won its second consecutive NCAA National Championship, defeating Stanford in a come-from-behind win, 53-47.
An impressive feat, no doubt, but what makes it even more impressive is the fact that the Huskies completed their second straight undefeated season, finishing 39-0 for the 2009-10 campaign, and extending their unbeaten streak to 78-0.
78 games?
On the surface, the streak seems nothing short of amazing. That kind of dominance can only be compared to other Connecticut teams of the recent past (from 2001-2003, the Huskies had a 70 game winning streak) and of course the big one, the beacon of domination that shines throughout the basketball world, the UCLA men's teams of the 1970s.
Coached by legendary teacher John Wooden, the Bruins of the early '70s won 88 straight games- the longest streak by any collegiate basketball team.
UCLA had players like Lew Alcindor (who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Bill Walton, who both later became NBA legends.
The Bruins forced other teams to get better, which in turn changed the entire landscape of NCAA basketball.
One could argue that UCLA's streak was a turning point in the history of the game that required every team to train harder and get better.
Connecticut's streak is similar- but only if the rest of the teams around the country continue to get better. And they don't seem to be doing that.
Sure, Standford came close to beating the Huskies last night, but the Cardinals still faltered.
The Huskies could be giving the women's game the shot in the arm it has needed for years, to make it more competitive and fun to watch, but, again, that's only if all the other Division I teams rise to the occasion and get better. NCAA women's basketball has a small audience as it is. That audience isn't going to want to watch the same team win every single game they play for much longer.
We can compare the women's game to the men's all day, but in the end, the two are immensely different.
Parity is the key to success for any sports organization, and the NCAA is no different.
UCLA's era of perfection forced everyone else to improve, undeniably changing the game for the better.
If the NCAA hopes to bolster interest in the women's game, it needs to ensure that Connecticut's does the same thing.
An impressive feat, no doubt, but what makes it even more impressive is the fact that the Huskies completed their second straight undefeated season, finishing 39-0 for the 2009-10 campaign, and extending their unbeaten streak to 78-0.
78 games?
On the surface, the streak seems nothing short of amazing. That kind of dominance can only be compared to other Connecticut teams of the recent past (from 2001-2003, the Huskies had a 70 game winning streak) and of course the big one, the beacon of domination that shines throughout the basketball world, the UCLA men's teams of the 1970s.
Coached by legendary teacher John Wooden, the Bruins of the early '70s won 88 straight games- the longest streak by any collegiate basketball team.
UCLA had players like Lew Alcindor (who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Bill Walton, who both later became NBA legends.
The Bruins forced other teams to get better, which in turn changed the entire landscape of NCAA basketball.
One could argue that UCLA's streak was a turning point in the history of the game that required every team to train harder and get better.
Connecticut's streak is similar- but only if the rest of the teams around the country continue to get better. And they don't seem to be doing that.
Sure, Standford came close to beating the Huskies last night, but the Cardinals still faltered.
The Huskies could be giving the women's game the shot in the arm it has needed for years, to make it more competitive and fun to watch, but, again, that's only if all the other Division I teams rise to the occasion and get better. NCAA women's basketball has a small audience as it is. That audience isn't going to want to watch the same team win every single game they play for much longer.
We can compare the women's game to the men's all day, but in the end, the two are immensely different.
Parity is the key to success for any sports organization, and the NCAA is no different.
UCLA's era of perfection forced everyone else to improve, undeniably changing the game for the better.
If the NCAA hopes to bolster interest in the women's game, it needs to ensure that Connecticut's does the same thing.
posted by Mike at
8:45 AM
2 Comments:
The UConn women’s basketball team has been on an unbelievable run for two years! I think this is great for women's college basketball because it will inspire every school to enter the season trying to finish undefeated. The way UConn played in the first half versus Stanford, however, made me believe that their winning streak would come to an end. I can’t wait until next season to see just how much longer their streak will last.
12 points in the first half from the greatest basketball team on the planet? Where's the remote?
Anyway, the NCAA is going to expand the men's tournament next year to 90-plus teams. It will make the regular season irrelevant, but will make it much tougher on teams like Michigan State, Duke and the like to get to the Final Four every year. It's too bad. This year was one of the most exciting tournaments in college basketball history and they are going to change it.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home