AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > March > 04 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USNew teams make mark for women
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
For years, no, decades, women’s college basketball had two names.
Tennessee. UConn.
Even conferences had their favorite daughters. There was the SEC, for instance, where the Lady Dogs of Georgia ranked with the Lady Vols of Tennessee among the SEC elite for nearly forever.
So it was rather significant on Sunday night inside The Arena at Gwinnett Center that the two teams dribbling for the SEC tournament championship weren’t Tennessee or Georgia, the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, respectively. They were kicked in their royal conference fannies during the semifinals by No. 4 seed LSU and No. 3 seed Vanderbilt.
It only figured. These are the times in which we live regarding the suddenly balanced women’s game. With tournament MVP Carla Thomas leading the way (13 points, six rebounds, two blocked shots), Vanderbilt survived LSU’s plodding style for a 51-45 victory in a game that mostly was even from the opening tipoff to deep inside the final minute. “I know it wasn’t as pretty as our first two games,” said Vanderbilt coach Melanie Balcomb, referring to blowouts of Florida and Georgia. “What’s really important is that we showed we could play at any tempo.”
Yes, indeed, with LSU so effective at dictating the offensive pace for the evening that the Tigers held their normally sharp-shooting opponents to one 3-point basket. It didn’t matter for LSU since it hadn’t a clue against Vanderbilt’s 3-2 zone. In fact, none of this matters much at all in the grand scheme. They’re both going to the NCAA tournament. It’s just that Vanderbilt likely goes as a No. 2 seed after winning the tournament of the nation’s most competitive conference. Said Balcomb, of her 26-5 team, winners for a 10th time during its past 11 games, “I try so hard not to read the projections … because so much goes into it, and you never know what the selection committee is thinking.”
Whatever the case, all of that ranks slightly behind the following on the total significance meter: Women’s college basketball is in a different place, and it is a good place. Maryland jumped out of nowhere to capture a national championship last season after a corny but effective “Why not us?” pitch in recent years to capture a slew of McDonald’s All-Americans. The year before that, Baylor (I mean, Baylor) won it all.
Here’s the deal: It used to be that the longevity of your average women’s basketball coaches was just shy of an eternity, because nobody cared. Certainly not athletics directors. Since those same athletics directors once gave their women’s coaches only a pittance in salary, mediocrity or less was ignored. Nowadays, just in the SEC, you have Florida firing Carolyn Peck earlier in the season, pending the Gators’ last game, and Arkansas forcing Susie Gardner to resign after consecutive years of faltering down the stretch.
Those are signs of growth in what was a stagnant sport. Other signs include the upgrades given to women’s programs across the country, enough to make the game more than just a Tennessee and UConn thing, not only for high-powered recruits but various television entities.
In this one, ESPN2 cameras zoomed into see a Vanderbilt bunch that plays the ultimate team game. The Lady Commodores are into a deliberate offense (well, not as much as the one they were forced to play on Sunday) that revolves around a bunch of solid players. As for LSU, it’s all about Sylvia Fowles, the Tigers’ splendid center. She only was good against Vanderbilt, and that’s because of her three blocks, nine rebounds and a steal. Other than that, she missed 7 of 11 shots.
This isn’t the end for Fowles or her Tigers, though. Said LSU coach Pokey Chatman, with her team at 25-6, “What this does is give them an opportunity to understand where you’re good, and where you need to be better, and what you need to work on when you go to the next season.”
That “next season” is the NCAA tournament, where suddenly anything is possible.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: Terence Moore, UGA / SEC
Comments
By Bryan Spivey
March 5, 2007 9:28 AM | Link to this
Caroline Williams is a GEORGIA story that needs to be published. Caroline was a “dyed-in-the-wool” BULLDOG until a knee injury in her senior season of high school ended Andy Landers’ interest in her. A heart-broken Williams defied the odds and became a walk-on at Vanderbilt. Caroline earned her Vanderbilt scholarship, with her walk-on play, following her freshman season.
Now, in her senior season, Caroline Williams not only defeats GEORGIA in the semi-finals of this years SEC Tournament, but helps the Lady Commodores win the SEC Tournament. She is a terrific example of a polihed, beautiful, intelligent, young lady, who happens to be a student athlete with the drive to succeed. Too bad GEORGIA turned away from such a winner. Congratulations to Caroline and to the Vanderbilt Lady Commodores!
By wood
March 5, 2007 10:37 AM | Link to this
Glad to hear Vanderbilt won. I always liked them alot. I really dont care for Andy Landers anyway and sure I am from the town where Tasha is from. My daughter had play against her and she had attitude problem.
By Terence Moore
March 5, 2007 1:19 PM | Link to this
WHITE POWER!!!
By Bo
March 5, 2007 9:41 PM | Link to this
Coach Andy Landers is one of the best- his teams will always show up for the big games. How about the GT LADY JACkETS? They had a great year( the Coach needs a raise)and I hope they do well in Play-offs. I pull for both teams, when they play each other I pull for the underdog. Good luck to all Ga. teams in play-offs.