Women's Final Four Musings: Connecticut Coronation Or Not

By Mel Greenberg

Connecticut's drive for complete perfection runs into the same roadblock in the national semifinals Sunday night in St. Louis the Huskies ran into a year ago when Stanford pulled an 82-73 upset in Tampa, Fla.

At the time, UConn had suffered but one defeat, a 73-71 loss at Rutgers.

But now Connecticut has arrived at the Scottrade Center with a clean 37-0 slate compiled with scoring differentials of no less than 10 points. The Huskies have two previous unbeaten championships in their history, including the 2002 contingent that many think still might be better overall than the current group despite the presence of three all-Americans in sophomore Maya Moore, who is sweeping all the player of the year awards; Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery.

"I've told this team that bunch would beat them by 30 points," Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma related to how he has tried to keep his current star level-headed as the wins and accolations have piled up.

Stanford (33-4) has improved as the season moved along and although the Cardinal have not seen as heavy a dose of strong opposition as the Huskies have faced, coach Tara VanDerveer's team is still a worthy participant as the race for the NCAA title narrows down to the final three games.

The earlier matchup has Louisville (33-4) meeting Oklahoma (32-4) to complete a doubleheader with two Big East teams.

Both sides are downplaying a revenge motivation on the UConn bench.

"It's a new year, we're a new team and so are they," Huskies junior substitute forward Kaili McClaren said during yesterday's media sessions.

A year ago, Stanford lost the next night to Tennessee in the title game followed the next day by senior guard Candice Wiggins being selected third in the WNBA draft by Minnesota.

"I feel both teams are extremely different," Stanford's Jayne Appel said. "Not only in the style of play but the players who have a big impact on the team.

"It's not so much a big rematch as it is just the names matching up again."

The Louisville-Oklahoma matchup features two post players likely to go quickly in next Thursday's WNBA draft: The Cardinals' senior forward Angel McCoughtry, who might be the overall number one pick by the Atlanta Dream; and Sooners center Courtney Paris, who had promised to return her scholarship if Oklahoma doesn't win the title.

Courtney's twin sister Ashley is also likely to go in the WNBA's first round.

Louisville coach Jeff Walz was an assistant at Maryland in 2006 when the Terrapins won the title in Boston.

"You know, it takes time when a new coach comes in to funnel the program in what he wants us to do," McCoughtry spoke of the last two seasons under Walz. "But we all believed it. That's why I think we're so successful within two years."

Oklahoma was the runnerup to Connecticut's 2002 powerhouse.

Sooners coach Sherri Coale spoke of the value of a previous experience as a Final Four participant.

"Everything changes as you go, but I do think it's helpful to be able to prepare just for what the media is like, the open practice, the way you're pulled in different directions and how you have to at the end of the day return to your bubble andc so the work you're called here to do. So I think it's been helpful to have been here before."

Personal Hardware

More postseason awards were announced Saturday.

The Associated Press gave Auriemma and Moore its respective coach and player of the yeard award.

Moore also picked up the State Farm Wade Trophy from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)

That announcement was made in conjunction with the 10-member State Farm/WBCA  All-America Team:

Jayne Appel - Stanford

DeWanna Bonner - Auburn

Tina Charles - Connecticut

Marissa Coleman - Maryland

Jantel Lavender - Ohio State

Angel McCoughtry - Louisville

Renee Montgomery - Connecticut

Maya Moore - Connecticut

Courtney Paris - Oklahoma

Kristi Toliver - Maryland

All but Charles made the previously announced 11-member United States Basketball Writers' Association team, which also had Duke's Chante Black and California's Ashley Walker.

 Coaching Searches

Two names being mentioned for the vacancy at Penn are Drexel associate head coach Amy Mallon and Holy Family's Mike McLaughlin.

Mallon is known to have interviewed according to several persons familiar with the search while McLaughlin's status is unclear.

Detroit Shock assistant Cheryl Reeve, a former La Salle star, has been mentioned in connection with the vacancy at Rhode Island as has former Boston College coach Cathy Inglese.

A major topic of conversation in the WBCA headquarters hotel lobby is the lack of action to date at North Carolina State regarding the successor to Hall of Fame coach Kay Yow, who died in January after a lengthy battle against breast cancer.

Interim coach Stephanie Glance, a longtime assistant to Yow, is the popular choice among the masses to get the job on a permanent basis but athletic director Lee Fowler has been conducting a nationwide search besides considering Glance's candidacy.

No names have surfaced, and, many believe that anyone prominent in the women's game is holding back, believing Glance deserves the job.

-- More to come late in the day.

-- Mel