Women's Final Four: Connecticut Huskies
On Sunday, April 3, the NCAA will witness the 2011 Women's Final Four, as the Stanford Cardinals take on the Texas A&M Aggies before the nation turns its eyes to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish against the Connecticut Huskies. Stanford and Connecticut are both #1 seeds, while Notre Dame and Texas A&M come in as #2 seeds after both upset #1 seed favorites Tennessee and Baylor.
UCONN HUSKIES
Strengths: Maya Moore. Moore, who was recently named the AP Player of the Year, is easily the Huskies best weapon. Her talent, experience, and leadership will be invaluable to UConn this weekend as they look to win their third consecutive national championship. She is averaging 19.8 points and 11 rebounds per game in the tournament, but what is even more telling is that each game of the tournament so far she has scored more than the last. If UConn finds itself down late, like it did in their tourney game against Georgetown, look for Moore to take over.
Obviously Connecticut is more than just Maya Moore. The Huskies have received tremendous freshman contributions from both point guard Bria Hartley and center Stefanie Dolson this season, and both will play key roles in the Final Four. Guard Tiffany Hayes also brings valuable experience as well as the ability to score 20+ on any given night. The Huskies also receive a terrific defensive boost from Kelly Faris, one of the best defenders in the country.
Weaknesses: Connecticut is the only team left standing with a freshman point guard. As good as Hartley has been, it is an incredibly big stage that her and fellow freshman Dolson will be playing on this weekend. Their lack of experience could end up hurting the Huskies, especially if a game is close late.
Another thing to keep an eye on with UConn is the fact that they essentially play with a six-man rotation. Back-up point guard Lorin Dixon is the lone player coming off the bench in tight games. So far, Connecticut has been able to successfully deal with such a lack in depth, but what if one of their starters gets into foul trouble? Coach Geno Auriemma might be forced to go deeper into his bench than he wants to, which will mean players on the floor who are not used to playing many minutes in games, let alone the Final Four or National Championship.
X-Factor: Kelly Faris. While a streaky shooter, Faris has proved to be invaluable for Connecticut at times this season. The sophomore averages 7.9 points a game and shoots 31% from three. If she catches fire, especially from behind the arc, it's going to be extremely difficult for anyone to knock off the Huskies.
Why the Huskies will win:
The Huskies will win because, frankly, they know how to. They are the only team in this year's Final Four who have players that have won a National Championship. They have the Player of the Year on their side in Maya Moore, and everyone knows the senior doesn't want to end her college career with anything but a National Championship. Look for her to have a huge weekend in guiding UConn to its third consecutive National Title.
