Women's Final Four: Texas A&M Aggies
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.
TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Strengths: The discussion of Texas A&M starts with one name: Danielle Adams. The recently named All-American is the leader of a talented Aggies squad, averaging 22.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Yet here's the scariest part: In Texas A&M's win over #1 Baylor, Adams only had 6 points and 4 rebounds, yet the Aggies still pulled off the upset. Now, in that game, Adams had to deal with 6'9" Brittney Griner in the post. In that game, Sydney Carter stepped up and led the Aggies with 22 points. If A&M can get that kind of output from Carter against Stanford, they're going to be a real tough out.
A&M also only shot 2-for-17 in that win against Baylor, where they are usually 33% as a team. If they could knock off a title contender with such poor perimeter shooting and a poor game from their best player, they will be in good shape if both return to normal in the Final Four.
Weaknesses: This is the Aggies first final four ever. They will be going up against a Stanford team that has made the last 4 Final Fours, and potentially a UConn team that has won the last 2 National Championships. If A&M comes out slow because of nerves against Stanford, they could find themselves in a hole that it will be hard to recover from.
The post play of Stanford should also pose a problem for Texas A&M. They have to feel good about defeating Brittney Griner, but Stanford has 3 terrific forwards to worry about. Kayla Pedersen and Chiney and Nnemkadi Ogwumike will be hard for the Aggies to stop, who don't feature a starter over 6'1". Pedersen and the Ogwumike sisters are all taller than any of A&M's starters. Then again, Griner of Baylor towered over everyone.
X-Factor: The Sydney's. A&M features two players named Sydney - Carter and Colson. Carter averages 10.5 a game, while Colson adds 8, yet they combined for 34 points against Baylor in the Regional Final. Additionally, both played all 40 minutes in that game. If the Sydney's can hit their shots - especially from the perimeter - it could provide a big offensive relief for Adams and A&M forward Tyra White, who will be battling hard all game in the post.
Why the Aggies Will Win:
Out of all the Final Four teams, A&M probably has the least to lose. It's their first final four ever, few picked them to beat Baylor, and they're riding a huge wave of confidence. The Aggies need to play fearless to win. They have the comfort of knowing that their best player was shut down against Baylor and they still won, so if Danielle Adams gets going early it could provide the boost Texas A&M needs to topple another #1. If they were to face UConn in the final, Adams, a senior, would have the benefit of going up against a freshman in Stefanie Dolson in the post.
