The women’s college basketball world was still buzzing this week about Notre Dame’s 92-76 upset of No. 1 Connecticut on Monday.
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And many coaches agree on a couple of things: that the Irish win was good for the sport, and thateven coach Geno Auriemma’s Connecticut team will eventually benefit from the loss that snapped its 30-game winning streak.
“Geno will use this loss to make his team better,” said Northwestern coach June Olkowski. “Losing this game was probably the best thing that could have happened to UConn.”
Before the loss, Auriemma told Irish coach Muffet McGraw, “The best thing that can happen for women’s basketball and for your program is that your team wins.”
“It will be good for UConn too,” said Olkwoski, “which I think Geno knew that when he made that comment.”
Coach Theresa Grentz, whose Illinois team will battle Purdue for the Big Ten leadership Sunday, explained why she thought Notre Dame’s victory was a popular one across the country.
“Fans like to see the No. 1 team beaten,” Grentz said. “And back in 1974, when UCLA’s men’s team had its record 88-game streak broken, remember that Digger Phelps’ team did it at Notre Dame too.”
“I thought UConn was going to go undefeated,” said Michigan coach Sue Guevara. “So strong. So deep. So talented. “My first thought was, `Thank goodness for Notre Dame.'”
Ohio State coach Beth Burns didn’t have time to watch Monday’s Connecticut-Notre Dame showdown on TV. She was in the gym trying to teach basketball basics to the volleyball player and the soccer goalie who recently have joined a Buckeyes team that had been reduced to six bodies because of season-ending injuries to six others.
“Some people thought that the No. 1 team was UConn, and the No. 2 team was UConn’s second team,” Burns said. “But life is fragile. Who thought that Tamika Catchings at Tennessee would go down with a knee injury?
“What stood about the Notre Dame-UConn game for us is that Kelley Siemon of Notre Dame played so well with a broken hand.”
Notre Dame’s victory not only provided hope for hunters, said Kristie Curry of No. 6-ranked Big Ten leader Purdue. “It also provided a warning to the hunted. It showed how much parity we have. Eventually, UConn was going to lose. It was a great lesson for our kids. It showed you can’t take anything for granted.”
The enthusiasm and intensity of the capacity crowd in the nationally televised game gave women’s basketball a huge boost, several coaches agreed. Olkowski said the crowd provided “an awesome, magnetic atmosphere.”
“It was great to see that kind of enthusism,” Curry said. “It can only help our game. We’ve benefited from crowds like that. We drew 8,600 for Northwesteren on Sunday. If we had a Top 5 team in here, we’d sell out too.”
“This game was great for women’s basketball,” said Iowa coach Lisa Bluder. “It sent a message to markerting departments that, if they have not already done so, it is time to promote women’s basketball.”