Transfer Portal 21-22

The best coach to ever coach the game was probably already suffering early symptoms of Alzheimer's during those years, which impacted her ability to manage her teams. I absolutely believe and would argue that a fully functional Pat would have fixed the team problems one way or another.

Sorry, not to step into the middle of the wider argument. I just feel like people often lose sight of the fact she was not herself years before the announcement. Those teams did pretty well, but a 100% healthy Pat would have cut some nets with that bunch.
I don't know if Tennessee would have won it all during those years because that was when Griner was hitting her peak. But certainly that last year was just a total wash because it's clear that Pat's health was having an impact on their team performance. Even then, they still made it to the E8 that last season.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Voltopia
Good recall. To add a little more detail thought Johnson was widely regarded as the #2 recruit behind Della Donne and Stricklen was a blue chipper as well. Interesting thing about Kelly Cain. She redshirted her freshman season but was pretty healthy for the next three She declined her fifth year senior season because of health and then immediately signed to play pro in Turkey.

Back to the original poster, I agree that the team in the 2007-2010 had good talent but just never gelled.

Cain was really only healthy in 2010, where she set the single season record for blocks. In 2009 she had issues on and off with knee pain and couldn’t really play extended minutes on a consistent basis, and she famously got hit in her kneecap early in the Ball State game and didn’t come back. In 2011 she struggled with back issues later in the season. I remember her dominating Ohio State early in the game in the S16 and being surprised because she hadn’t really played all that much in the few games prior. Brewer was also coming off her injury at that time and wasn’t in shape.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LadyVols_WBK
I don't know if Tennessee would have won it all during those years because that was when Griner was hitting her peak. But certainly that last year was just a total wash because it's clear that Pat's health was having an impact on their team performance. Even then, they still made it to the E8 that last season.

You may be right, it's certainly something we can only speculate on. Even several seasons before her announcement, there were moments during games where Summitt looked indecisive or even distracted courtside. Utterly unlike her. I know I've mentioned this on the board before, but there was some road game a few years before her announcement, I forget which, but Tennessee was giving up a big run and looked disoriented, and Pat sort of just sat there and looked off into the distance. It confused me at the time, so much so I brought it up with others and we chalked it up to her playing the "I'm letting you learn this lesson on your own." In retrospect, I believe that was an early sign, and if she was already in decline there, I would imagine her effectiveness in practice, development, recruiting, everything was also suffering.

Or tl;dr, I strongly believe that 2010 team with Bjorklund and Johnson would have been a contender to win the title with a healthy Pat coaching them, and the 2011 team probably would have still lost to Baylor in the Elite Eight -- but they could have at least made them sweat. Eh. But this is all speculation, admittedly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lucy
Not in the WNBA, she is a free agent and no one has picked her up yet.

I think Stricklen's biggest problem right now is she's gotten slower as she has gotten thicker. She was never quick, or even close to it. But in the last couple of seasons she was a liability on defense. Hopefully she'll get serious about slimming down soon and get another chance because she can still shoot.
 
I think Stricklen's biggest problem right now is she's gotten slower as she has gotten thicker. She was never quick, or even close to it. But in the last couple of seasons she was a liability on defense. Hopefully she'll get serious about slimming down soon and get another chance because she can still shoot.
She didn't shoot well last season, and I think that's one of the reasons that her WNBA prospects are slim right now.
 
Simmons was a 3rd team AA, but I agree...she should have been on a WBCA team the year she was SECPOY.

She was the coaches' co-POY in 2013 (she should've been the outright choice) and the AP POY (outright) in 2014. Honestly Simmons got a bad rep from so many people, and it started with ESPN. There were so many players who shot worse than she did that got more praise.
 
She didn't shoot well last season, and I think that's one of the reasons that her WNBA prospects are slim right now.

I didn't realize that. Last I followed her fairly closely she was still shooting pretty well but couldn't guard a lawn chair. She was obviously putting fork to mouth at a pretty good clip, though. Not getting picked up may inspire her to give getting fit one more serious effort.
 
We have the #11 player in the nation 5 star Justine Pissott. McDonalds All American. What you talking about? Oh yeah she is playing for USA this summer. Come on now. Others will come
I didn't dismiss Justine glad we got her I just want 2 or 3 5☆ players like we use to
 
I think Stricklen's biggest problem right now is she's gotten slower as she has gotten thicker. She was never quick, or even close to it. But in the last couple of seasons she was a liability on defense. Hopefully she'll get serious about slimming down soon and get another chance because she can still shoot.

Gloria Johnson any news on her?
 
Stricklen was SEC POY and a Kodak AA her junior year and Glory was a Kodak AA her senior year. Both were top 5 WNBA draft picks.

Stricklen is coming off a productive 10 year WNBA career. Johnson spent 8 years in the league and was an All-Star twice. To say those teams didn't have talent is completely inaccurate...
 
Qw
Morasha Wiggins (6-0 FR wing, Kalamazoo, MI) has entered her name into the portal, out of North Carolina WBB; top-20 ranked in the 2021 class
We were once recruiting her i cannot remember her getting 1 min of PT this season or having an impact for UNC so its not a surprise. A lot of the players from that AAU squad out of Michigan are transferring this offseason...hmmmmmm Welp Morasha should have chose the LV's now she has to find somewhere else with 1 year wasted.
 

VN Store



Back
Top