Just like I thought it was fate that both the McNeese Cowboys and Cowgirls would make the NCAAs, I thought the stars were aligned for UConn. 2004 was the year both the UConn men and women won the national championship, a rare feat in itself. In 2009, both teams made it to the final four. The men lost in the semifinals and the women went on to win the national championship.
This time, it's the Lady Huskies that are packing their bags and heading back to Storrs as Notre Dame shocked them with a 72-63 loss last night. What people have to remember is that any team, on any given day can lose. Many people thought that Stanford and UConn would play in a rematch for the national title (UConn's only loss this season was to the Cardinals). But again, the tournament is all about the upset. Texas A@M, the team who faced McNeese State in the first round, also pulled off a stunning victory. For the second time in NCAA history, both one seeds are out.
I look at it like this: Notre Dame was the better team last night, and they deserve to play in the Championship Game. The Lady Huskies have been synonymous with women's basketball. People were paying attention to the game, because for quite some time, 90 straight games to be exact, UConn was unbeatable.
It's sad to see Maya Moore's journey end here. I've been lucky enough to interview and see her play many many times. She is a class act all th e way around and perhaps the greatest women's college basketball player this game has and will ever see.
All season long you've heard critics say, "Who is better, Moore or Taurasi?" Taurasi ended her career with three national titles, Moore leaves the college game with two. Why make the comparison at all? Just let it be. You have two legendary players, equally talented in their own right. Let's just leave it at that.
It's been a great ride for the UConn women, but their road has come to an end. The spotlight is now on the men. 40 minutes left...how will it end?
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