UConn back in women’s Final Four-Stage set for a potential matchup with Lady Vols
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Today, though, the Huskies are one game away from another matchup with longtime rival Tennessee in the national championship game.
To get there UConn has to beat Stanford ‘ which is making its first trip to the Final Four in 11 years. The Lady Vols have to get through Southeastern Conference-rival LSU.
With six trips to the Final Four in the past nine seasons, it’s hard to imagine no one on Connecticut’s roster has been there before ‘ except coach Geno Auriemma. Despite the five national championships, Auriemma couldn’t be happier for this group to have made it this far.
‘One more Final Four to me doesn’t change my life one bit,’ said Auriemma after the Huskies beat Big East-rival Rutgers 66-56 on Tuesday night. ‘But the look on their faces and the emotion that was in their faces and in that locker room, because it’s their first opportunity to do something like this, that’s what makes you coach year after year after year, just to be able to experience that.’
The Huskies aren’t the only first-timers as their semifinal opponent Stanford also is back for the first time since 1997.
Stanford guard Candice Wiggins didn’t want her career to end without a trip to the Final Four. Wiggins scored 41 points to lead the Cardinal to a 98-87 victory over Maryland on Monday night in the Spokane Regional.
The All-America guard became the first player in tournament history with two games of 40 points or more, following her career-best 44-point outburst against UTEP in the second round last week.
‘We have had some great teams, we have had some great individual players, but I don’t know that there’s ever been anyone that has done more for their team than Candice does, in so many ways,’ Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. ‘I’m just really happy for her and really happy for our team to have this opportunity.’
The other semifinal game has loads of experience with defending national champion Tennessee facing Southeastern Conference rival LSU, which has been to the Final Four five straight seasons.
‘I think we’re definitely excited to get to Tampa, but we’re not satisfied yet, and we know we have a lot of work ahead of us,’ Tennessee’s Nicky Anosike said. ‘You know, we have to play a great team on Sunday. But we’re definitely excited. We just know that it’s not the end and we have to keep pressing forward.’
The Lady Vols may not be at full strength in trying to defend their crown as star Candace Parker dislocated her left shoulder twice during Tennessee’s 53-45 win over Texas A&M in the Oklahoma City Regional final Tuesday night.
Parker scored only eight of her 26 points after hurting the shoulder, but was able to help lead the Lady Vols to their sixth Final Four in seven seasons.
‘I was just going to play as hard as I could and not to think about my shoulder and my situation,’ the two-time All-American said. ‘I didn’t want this to be the last time that we played together.’
LSU coach Van Chancellor will have his first opportunity to experience the Final Four. The Hall of Fame coach spent 19 years at Mississippi, reaching four regional finals, but never could make it further.
He then moved on to the WNBA, where he won four titles with the Houston Comets. He also won a FIBA world championship in 2002 and Olympic gold in 2004 before a brief retirement.
Parker cleared to play against LSU
KNOXVILLE (AP) ‘ Tennessee All-American Candace Parker has been cleared by team doctors to play against LSU in the Final Four.
Lady Vols trainer Jenny Moshak said in a statement Thursday that Parker has a non-traumatic shoulder dislocation.
Moshak says Parker has very good range of motion and strength. Parker will wear a shoulder brace when Tennessee faces LSU on Sunday.
Parker twice left the Lady Volunteers’ 53-45 win over Texas A&M in the Oklahoma City Regional final Tuesday night with pain in her left shoulder.
Parker dislocated her shoulder in the first half as she stole the ball and was dribbling up court. Parker returned to the game quickly after being attended to by a trainer.
‘She said she was sore, but you expected that,’ UT coach Pat Summitt said. ‘The good thing for Candace is she’s so strong. She works so hard in the weight room.’
Parker teased Summitt after the Hall of Fame coach dislocated her own shoulder days before the SEC championship while shooing a raccoon away from her Labrador Retriever at home.
Summitt knew exactly what had happened to Parker when she saw he grab her arm, but decided to keep the teasing to herself.
‘I didn’t have to play,’ Summitt said, chuckling. ‘She’s dealing with it well. It amazes me the fact that she did what she could in that game.’