Sports

UConn Women Not Looking Past Opposition in Final Four

Published

10 years ago

April 2, 2015

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley waves the net to fans after a women’s college basketball regional final game against Florida State in the NCAA Tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Sunday, March 29, 2015. South Carolina won 80-74. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

FRED GOODALL, AP Sports Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Four No. 1 seeds are in the Final Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament for only the third time, yet there’s still a distinctive feel it’s really two-time defending champion Connecticut’s title to lose. Notre Dame, South Carolina and Maryland merely are a distant best of the rest.

The coaches of the teams, beginning with UConn’s Geno Auriemma, say that’s simply not true.

The Huskies (36-1) may be playing on college basketball’s biggest stage for the eighth straight year and seeking a record 10th national title, but Auriemma said the best teams in the country are still standing, and all of them are capable of returning home with the championship trophy.

“We’re not going down there thinking that we’re so good that it doesn’t matter. … We don’t buy into this nonsense that we’re the only team that can win this thing, any more than I’m sure the rest of the country thinks Kentucky can’t lose in the men’s Final Four,” Auriemma said Wednesday on a conference call. “That’s not the case at all. Things happen in the Final Four that you just don’t expect.”

With All-American and two-time Final Four most outstanding player Brenna Stewart leading a talent-laden roster, UConn has won consecutive titles three times in program history. A 10th national crown would lift Auriemma into a tie with UCLA’s John Wooden for the most NCAA basketball championships.

But before the Huskies’ coronation, there’s a matter of beating Maryland (34-2) in Sunday’s semifinals and facing either Notre Dame (35-2) or South Carolina (34-2) on Tuesday night.

The Huskies beat Notre Dame by 18 in early December, trounced South Carolina 25 when the Gamecocks were unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in February, and have won 35 straight since suffering a two-point overtime loss at Stanford in November. Maryland hasn’t faced UConn this season.

If Terrapins coach Brenda Frese has the formula to end the Huskies’ reign, she’s not revealing it.

“It’s going to take a collective team effort. Obviously in that Stanford game, they did a tremendous job collectively as a team,” Frese said. “Defensively, they’re a great scoring team and you’ve got to be able to take some things away. And then you have to have your own team that’s gotta be able to keep pace in terms of being able to score.”

No team has had more success against UConn recently than former Big East rival Notre Dame and coach Muffet McGraw has the Irish in the Final Four for the fifth straight year.

The teams have faced each other 14 times over the past five seasons, with each winning seven.

McGraw understands why there’s a perception that there’s UConn — and then there’s everybody else. She just believes women’s college basketball has outgrown that scenario, even if the Huskies remain the most dominant program in the country.

“I think this is one of the best tournaments that we’ve had in terms of parity. I feel like there were so many great games,” McGraw said. “There were upsets. There were great games that the No. 1 seeds advanced. … I think that was great for TV.”

“I think we’re definitely heading in the same direction as the men. I think we had almost the same number of upsets on the first day as the men had,” she added. “And even though the top seeds advanced, which is unusual … it seems as though there’s definitely more parity and more excitement about the tournament.”

McGraw and the Irish will take on South Carolina, coached by Olympian and former WNBA star Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks are making their first Final Four appearance.

Regardless of who else makes the Final Four, Auriemma rejects the notion that UConn’s dominance has been bad for the sport.

To the contrary, he believes the attention the Huskies receive, and the standard they’ve set, have influenced more schools to commit to building strong programs capable of having success in the tournament.

“All the naysayers are going to say it’s bad. I’m sure half the people in women’s basketball want us to lose, maybe more than half,” Auriemma said. “Some maybe are just tired of it. Nothing we can do about that. … My players work just as hard, if not harder than anybody else.”

And he’s certainly not apologizing for being the favorites again.

“The good teams are going to be good all the time because they have the culture of winning. And, it’s up to everybody else to catch up,” Auriemma said.

“I think the catching up is happening. We’re not invincible. We’re not unbeatable. I just think that we’ve been on an amazing run,” he added. “And it’s going to end. Somebody’s going to knock us off, maybe this weekend. Who knows? We’ll have to start all over at some point to build it back up.”

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WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries Kick Off Season with Community Programs in Oakland

“The Golden State Valkyries are more than a team—they’re a movement,” said Oakland Interim-Mayor Kevin Jenkins. “Their touchdown in Oakland marks a new era of opportunity, inspiration, and equity in sports. This partnership reflects our city’s deep commitment to uplifting women, investing in youth, and building a community where every dream has a place to grow. We’re proud to welcome the Valkyries to The Town.”

Published

3 weeks ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

The Valkyries came to Oakland City Hall with a “Hoopbus.” Present were (from left to right): City Councilmembers Noel Gallo, Rebecca Kaplan, Zac Unger and Rowena Brown; Oakland Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, Valkyries President Jess Smith, a Valkyries team representative and Deputy Mayor LaNiece Jones. Photo courtesy Rebecca Kaplan’s office.

Team installs new nets at playgrounds, holds flag-raisings at City Halls in Oakland and S.F.

Special to The Post

The Golden State Valkyries brought the excitement of their inaugural season to every corner of the Bay Area with a full slate of community celebrations leading up to their historic home-opener against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday.

The week featured flag-raising ceremonies at city halls in Oakland and San Francisco, three “Violet Net” installation days at Oakland parks to encourage basketball play, fun “Hoopbus” takeovers at multiple schools presented by Kaiser Permanente, and player appearances.

In total, 90 violet nets were installed on 45 basketball courts across 34 public parks throughout Oakland this week. A list of the parks receiving violet nets can be found at Valkyries.com.

About the Golden State Valkyries

The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, were announced as the 13th WNBA franchise on Oct. 5, 2023. According to Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike.

This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce. Tipping off during the 2025 WNBA season, the team is headquartered in Oakland and will play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco. For Golden State Valkyries’ assets, including team logos, visit valkyries.com.

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McClymonds High Names School Gym for Star Graduate, Basketball Legend Bill Russell

William “Bill” Felton Russell was born on Feb. 12, 1934, and died on July 31, 2022. He achieved fame as a U.S. professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career.

Published

4 months ago

February 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Bill Russell and Brian McGhee in McClymonds High School Gym, 2011. Photo courtesy of Brian McGhee.

By Ken Epstein

West Oakland’s McClymonds High School, “the School of Champions,” this week named the school’s gymnasium in honor of one of its most famous graduates, basketball legend Bill Russell (class of ’52).

Russell is widely known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In 2011, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civil honor, from President Barack Obama for Russell’s contributions to basketball and the Civil Rights Movement.

The McClymonds’ naming ceremony was held on Wednesday, the same day as Russell’s birthday. Oakland leader Bill Patterson, a longtime friend of Russell’s, was scheduled to cut the ribbon at the reopening of the gym, which had been closed for several months for renovation. Russell’s daughter Karen was scheduled to attend the ribbon cutting.

Russell’s name and signature are now printed on the gymnasium floor.

Patterson was working at DeFremery Park when he met Russell. “I befriended him as a boy and during his years at University of San Francisco” said Patterson. “We stayed friends for the rest of his life.”

Said McClymonds Principal Darielle Davis, herself a McClymonds graduate, “We are excited to honor Bill Russell for his sports accolades and because he broke color barriers. He is part of our legacy, and legacy is really important at McClymonds.”

Brian McGhee, community schools manager at McClymonds and former football player at UC Berkeley, said that Russell meant a lot to him and others at the school. “He was a beacon of light and hope for West Oakland,” he said. “He did a lot for sports and for civil rights.”

Starting in 2018, Ben “Coach” Tapscott worked with Patterson and other McClymonds grads, community members, and former coaches to encourage the Oakland Board of Education to endorse the naming of the school gym, which finally happened recently.

“We worked hard to make this happen,” said Tapscott. “He’s an important part of McClymond’s history, along with a lot of other famous graduates,” he said.

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OPINION: Politics, Football and Identity in Trump’s America

If you haven’t noticed, all Americans are engaged in an even bigger game that means so much more than the Super Bowl. Our democracy is falling apart.

Published

4 months ago

February 17, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Emil Guillermo

Two Filipino American stories made headlines recently.

First, Nikko Remigio, the Filipino and African American kick returner for the Kansas City Chiefs, did not win Super Bowl LIX.

The other, Alameda’s Rob Bonta said no to running for governor. I don’t blame him. It’s not like a mass of people wanted him to run.

But I did.

Whenever there is a Filipino American in a place you don’t expect, I’m rooting for that person.

As California’s Attorney General, Bonta is probably the most active defender among Blue States pushing back against Trump’s Extreme-Right agenda.

I’d like to Bonta run for California’s top job, but he’s better off waiting in line. The Democrats need a spot for Kamala Harris, and Bonta not running obliges the hierarchy.

History can wait. Bonta’s just 52.

Harris has held off speculation of her next move, saying she just moved back to the state. But it seems governor is the path for her.

For now, Bonta needs to continue taking the fight to Trump in the courts.

Football and Identity Politics

My dad, whose birthday would have been Super Bowl weekend, came to the US in 1928 as a colonized Filipino, an “American National,” where he couldn’t be a citizen, vote, own property or even marry the person he wanted.

Not if they were White.

Still, he believed in America. He never gave up.

Sort of like Nikko Remigio.

My dad would have loved Nikko.

If you haven’t noticed, all Americans are engaged in an even bigger game that means so much more than the Super Bowl. Our democracy is falling apart.

You want to get passionate about Eagles and Chiefs?

Let’s be passionate about our Founding Fathers, too.

Nikko didn’t change the game. He touched it three times and provided more yards than all of KC’s running backs.

That’s all I needed to see.

He’s our Filipino guy.

Detractors may call it “identity politics.”

People don’t seem to understand the fight for visibility. To be recognized. To be seen. It’s all wrapped up in the big idea of Civil Rights.

I was nowhere near as good as Nikko when I played. But when you are blessed to play football, you play your hardest.

For me, that was when I was 12 and 13 playing Pop Warner football in San Francisco. I was MVP for my team as a running back.

But I was ashamed of my dad. He wasn’t like the other dads. And I remember going to the team banquet to retrieve my trophy alone.

I didn’t realize it probably meant more to him than I thought.

I wish I had shared my MVP moment with him like Nikko shared his joy with his dad, Mark, born in Seattle to two Filipino immigrants, and his mom, whose mixture of Black and White made Nikko the picture of diversity.

Filipino American and Black and White at the Super Bowl.

But don’t forget, there is one game bigger.

The Super Bowl for Democracy. We’re battling for it every day Trump pushes a cockamamie idea that shakes the foundation of our Democracy.

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist and commentator. Watch his micro-talk show “Emil Amok’s Takeout/What Does an Asian American Think?” on www.YouTube.com/emilamok1 Or join him on http://www.patreon.com/emilamok