The electricity and excitement of the Baylor fans that Final Four could have energized a small city. We hadn't really expected to be there. Even though that team was a special team, the bracket was against us, having to go against Minnesota and North Carolina in second round. Both those teams had nationally recognized, WNBA high draft stars in Janelle McCarville and Ivory Latta, respectively. And the styles of play were totally different.
Minnesota was built around Janelle's inside physical play. They would just get her the ball and let her out physical everybody underneath. I remember her laying out one of our outside players in mid court on a viscous, but legal, screen. She stood there a second staring down at, Chelsea, I think, and I wasn't sure whether that was for intimidation purposes or because J thought she might have killed the pour soul.... (Saw McCarville at Houlihan's afterwards, which was Baylor's official bar hangout in Indy, and she was quite nice and gracious!).
The key to that match was when Coach Mulkey put in our own enforcer, Abby Wabarra. Those two had a "bit of a tussle," to understate a bit, and Abby came out on top, as did the Lady Bears!
Then they had to switch gears for North Carolina, and the vaunted Tarheels' speed. Debbie Antonelli called that game, and as she was a Carolina woman (played and graduated from NCState and called mainly ACC games), she kept praising the 'heels... "There's fast," she'd intone, "then there's... North Carolina fast." The "North Carolina fast," of course, coming out all run together as one word. Just before introductions, the camera panned over to NC in the tunnel all jumping and shuffling from foot to foot, and Debbie made some comment about "thoroughbreds" waiting to be let out of the gate. Well, the Lady Bears played their game and ran them off the court, not score-wise, but speed wise. We played their offensive game and shut down Latta (nearly had her in tears at end of game, she was so frustrated!), and, "We're going to Indy!"
But waiting for us there...LSU, with three future top WNBA draftees. Supposedly, the best big girl (Sylvia Fowles), the best point guard (Temeka Johnson) and the best overall player in Simone Augustus. And those players weren't over-rated, they legitimately earned those accolades. Hot, up and coming young coach, experienced on big stage, all kinds of confidence... a Goliath to Baylor's David. (Remember Teaff's message to the team?). Ah, well, the Finals are a story for another time.
Thanks for bringing back all the GREAT memories!!