Big-time rivalry lingers
Even the pending NCAA tournament games couldn’t diffuse the biggest soap opera in women’s basketball: The supposed feud between Tennessee coach Pat Summitt and UConn’s Geno Auriemma.
It didn’t take long to get Summitt started in West Lafayette, Ind., where her top-seeded Lady Volunteers face 16th-seeded Oral Roberts today.
“Well, my phone hasn’t been ringing nor have I called him,” Summitt said after the first question at her news conference was whether she had spoken with Auriemma. “I’ve really not thought about it because Oral Roberts has been first and foremost on our mind.”
The debate started after Tennessee and UConn, the two biggest powerhouses in women’s basketball, decided not to continue their regular-season series this year. Auriemma later said the two schools weren’t playing because Summitt hated his guts.
Summitt has tried to remain above the fray, saying little about the breakup and making virtually no comments about Auriemma himself.
On Saturday, Summitt even contended that the end of the rivalry was good for women’s basketball.
“I think (fans) were disappointed,” she said. “But I think there’s more to the game now than just that game. You look at North Carolina in the ACC, UConn and Rutgers was a great matchup in the Big East, our matchup with Stanford was a great game early in the year and our game with LSU.
“I think in order for women’s basketball to grow throughout the country, that’s what you need, that’s what the game needs. The television coverage this year, that’s helped bring attention to the game and the great players we have.”
Staying up late
Virginia has the late game today, and to prepare for a tipoff that is likely to come after 9 p.m., coach Debbie Ryan gathered her team for a practice this week at 9:30 p.m.
“I’ll tell you, we had the best practice that we’ve ever had,” Ryan said. “The only person that was really a problem was me. They had great energy. They were alive. There was nothing to worry about.”
For sophomore guard Monica Wright, who will be making her first NCAA tournament appearance, the late start time will make it challenging to not go stir-crazy.
“I feel like we’re going to be ready to go and there’s just excitement and anticipation that’s going to be a problem,” she said.
Seeing triple
One of Old Dominion’s challenges heading into its first-round matchup with Liberty and the Frazee triplets will be telling the girls apart.
Megan Pym said the Monarchs look at a player’s number and they’re keeping a close eye on No. 40, Big South player of the year Megan Frazee.
“We definitely look at numbers,” Pym said.