03-27-2013, 05:35 PM
wow - 81 you really captured the amazing feeling of this game.
Wanted to point out that Thompson was just deadly during warm-ups. She was making literally every shot from 3 point territory like they were layups and from all kinds of angles. I figured they were going to work hard to get her shots and that she was going to get a fair share no matter how hard we defended her.
Sara not only kept a hand on Thompson - but she had to literally fight through multiple screens and pushes because Michigan tried just about everything to free Thompson up. If you get a chance to watch the reply, its worth focusing in on the Sara/Thompson matchup to see how hard Sara had to work. But also - the rest of the team was very well prepared to help on Thompson so that when Sara wasn't able to fight through a screen, the other Stanford defender would quickly slide out and put a hand out on Thompson until Sara could recover or they would switch. Mikaela did this several times and Chiney did it once that surprised Thompson and caused her to walk with the ball.
We applauded the Michigan seniors as they came to the bench to end their careers. Although I was thrilled with the job we did on Thompson, I did feel a bit sorry for her. She was in tears but to be fair - her coach said in the pre-game press conference that Thompson is a very sensitive person that shows her emotions and cries often. She has such high internal standards and works so hard to achieve them. She cares so much and puts so much on herself. I admire what she has accomplished and wish her the best.
But of course, I was happiest for Joslyn. This was the kind of night that she "deserved" and I'm so glad she finally had it. That it was her final game at Maples, that her dad was there to experience it, that her former teammates and friends were there too - it was storybook. She has meant a lot to this program. Her personality, attitude, and life force have helped create the "team bond and spirit" that we have right now - that is helping us achieve beyond our raw skill level. One of the main (of many) reasons I love this team and hope they go all the way.
Wanted to point out that Thompson was just deadly during warm-ups. She was making literally every shot from 3 point territory like they were layups and from all kinds of angles. I figured they were going to work hard to get her shots and that she was going to get a fair share no matter how hard we defended her.
Sara not only kept a hand on Thompson - but she had to literally fight through multiple screens and pushes because Michigan tried just about everything to free Thompson up. If you get a chance to watch the reply, its worth focusing in on the Sara/Thompson matchup to see how hard Sara had to work. But also - the rest of the team was very well prepared to help on Thompson so that when Sara wasn't able to fight through a screen, the other Stanford defender would quickly slide out and put a hand out on Thompson until Sara could recover or they would switch. Mikaela did this several times and Chiney did it once that surprised Thompson and caused her to walk with the ball.
We applauded the Michigan seniors as they came to the bench to end their careers. Although I was thrilled with the job we did on Thompson, I did feel a bit sorry for her. She was in tears but to be fair - her coach said in the pre-game press conference that Thompson is a very sensitive person that shows her emotions and cries often. She has such high internal standards and works so hard to achieve them. She cares so much and puts so much on herself. I admire what she has accomplished and wish her the best.
But of course, I was happiest for Joslyn. This was the kind of night that she "deserved" and I'm so glad she finally had it. That it was her final game at Maples, that her dad was there to experience it, that her former teammates and friends were there too - it was storybook. She has meant a lot to this program. Her personality, attitude, and life force have helped create the "team bond and spirit" that we have right now - that is helping us achieve beyond our raw skill level. One of the main (of many) reasons I love this team and hope they go all the way.