The image was a perfect snap shot of what a season of frustration and pain it has been for the San Antonio Stars.

The Stars fell to 2-17 thanks to the host Connecticut Sun's 33-point third-quarter explosion and perhaps an hour or so after the game was over, two of the faces of the San Antonio franchise made it into the room inside Mohegan Sun Arena used to provide food for media, team officials and other VIPs. In walked Moriah Jefferson holding a napkin to cover her bloody lip and Kayla McBride had a protective boot on the left ankle she injured in Sunday's loss.

San Antonio was expected to be led by Jefferson, a former UConn star who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft, McBride, who was taken third overall in 2014, and Kelsey Plum, the top pick in the '17 draft. However, the three perimeter players have combined to miss 10 games and even in the ones they have been on the court, they were far from being 100 percent.

"We didn't have a lot of court time together," Jefferson said before Sunday's game. "Kayla came back and played, I wasn't playing because of my knee, Kelsey wasn't playing so there really hasn't been a time when all three of us have been together."

All three got onto the court on Sunday. McBride and Plum started as they combined for 25 points while Jefferson returned after missing the last two games due to a concussion. Jefferson played 20 minutes and finished with eight points two coming on a steal and layup in the second quarter to give the Stars the lead for the first time in the game. McBride was need to be helped off the court after injuring her ankle midway through the fourth quarter.

Jefferson, who missed three games earlier in the season due to a knee injury, was thrilled to be back on the court.

"It's hard not playing knowing that I could do something to help my team, it is tough but I think I have been preaching patience on the off the court," Jefferson said. "My body needed the rest of a little bit. I have played year round so things happen and you can't control them."

The perpetually upbeat Jefferson is not letting the Stars' 2-17 record dampen her spirits.

"It is not like we are getting blown out each and every game," Jefferson said. "We play well together, we've had injuries and a lot of different things, a new coaching staff, new everything. I think five or six minutes change each game. It is just a different coaching staff, our defensive schemes are different, some of the players are the same but we have a lot of different things but it is mostly learning to adjust. It is going to take a lot of time."

Jefferson, who had started only five games, is third on San Antonio in scoring averaging 10.6 points in 25.6 minutes per game. Her averages of 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game are tops on the team. She is shooting 53.4 percent from the field (just behind team leader Kayla Alexander's mark of 53.5) and has a 44.4 mark from 3-point range. However, Jefferson is trying to do more than just impressive individual numbers to the team.

"I am a better leader, smarter," Jefferson said. "You know the girls are going to be a lot bigger, stronger and I have been trying to be smarter with the ball, coming off the screens knowing where my teammates like to catch the ball."

Jefferson credits her time playing overseas in Turkey for making her a better player even if her injuries have slowed her down in Jefferson's second WNBA season.

"They don't call as many fouls as they do in this league, all the guards are really quick so it helps you a lot," Jefferson said. "They expect you to be a scorer every night so it helps you. The ball is in my hands 90-95 percent of the time so it is learning how to score in different ways and still pass the ball."

Due to her overseas commitments, she was unable to make it to Dallas for the Final Four. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the final score in UConn's loss to Mississippi State in the national semifinals.

"It was like 4 in the morning," Jefferson said, "I had a game the next day, I woke up and saw that they lost. I went back to sleep and woke up in shock, it felt like a dream a little bit. Those guys played amazing all season, nobody expected them to do what they did."

As for Sunday's game, San Antonio held a five-point lead at halftime before things fell apart. Connecticut came up with eight steals (a franchise record for steals in a quarter) in the third quarter. San Antonio was outscored 33-10 and despite a late offensive flurry spearheaded by Plum, never challenged again.

Alyssa Thomas, who plays as hard as any player in the WNBA, turned up the intensity to an even higher level in the third quarter as the Sun improved to 12-8. The win combined with Washington's loss to New York means that Connecticut has sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference which is rather impressive considering that the Sun played without standout forward Chiney Ogwumike all season long and has dealt with other injuries.

Today was my first day back at work after being on vacation for the last two weeks.

Among the newsworthy items that transpired while I was away included five former UConn players (Sue Bird, Tina Charles, Tiffany Hayes, Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi) being named as starters for the July 22 WNBA All-Star Game. Breanna Stewart should definitely join them at the All-Star Game in Seattle. Stefanie Dolson and Jefferson also could be selected to play which would make the all-star game be a little bit of a UConn reunion. The reserves will be announced on Tuesday.

Also, the list of players heading to U.S. U-23 training camp were also released. When I spoke to Napheesa Collier at Geno Auriemma's charity golf tournament last month, she said that she was going along with Katie Lou Samuelson, Azura' Stevens and Gabby Williams were all going even though UConn's upcoming trip to Italy would prevent them from playing in the 2017 Four Nations Tournament in Tokyo.

"We won't be doing it (the tournament next month) but as least we'll be doing (the trials) and we'll be seen by the same people."

Also, it came out that Saniya Chong's first season playing overseas will feature to trip to Israel to play for Elitzur Holon.

Even a couple of months after the season, the UConn women's basketball program had a weekend to remember.

The highlight was former national player of the year Kara Wolters becoming the third member of UConn's first national championship team to be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
Rebecca Lobo was the first former Husky honored as she was a part of the Class of 2010, three years later it was Jen Rizzotti's turn.

Kara Wolters, Louise O'Neal and rest of Hall of Fame class
(photo courtesy of Women's Basketball Hall of Fame)

Wolters gave a tremendous and emotional acceptance speech, paid homage to her late mom and was escorted at the induction by her two daughters.

Wolters wasn't the only inductee with Connecticut ties as former Southern Connecticut State coach Louise O'Neal was a member of the class as well.

O'Neal coached the Owls from 1962-76 and helped Southern Connecticut be the only school to play in the first eight National Women's College Championships (an event that predated the NCAA tournament). The Owls finished third in 1973 and 1974 (losing by a combined six points in the semifinals both years) and also advanced to the semifinals in 1975.

After taking Southern Connecticut from a club program to a national powerhouse, O'Neal continued to make an impact even after her coaching career came to an end. She was the former president of the Eastern Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women and served on the NCAA Long-Range Planning Committee, Women’s Basketball Rules Committee, Sears Cup Selection Committee and NACDA Executive Board.

Getting back to UConn, 10 former Huskies had double-digit scoring games and for those wondering, second on that list over the weekend was Duke with six followed by Notre Dame's four.

Stefanie Dolson had a career-high 25 points for Chicago while rookie Saniya Chong had her first career double-digit scoring game with 10 points against Minnesota on Sunday which came two days after she netted a career-best seven points. Breanna Stewart (23 points), Sue Bird (21 points), Moriah Jefferson (18 points), Renee Montgomery (13) and Bria Hartley (10) all set or matched their season highs. Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore, who each celebrated birthdays on Sunday, had games with 27 and 17 points respectively while Tina Charles had a 21-point game.



UConn legend Diana Taurasi closing in on pair
of WNBA career soring records

Taurasi is now 28 points shy of Tina Thompson's WNBA record for most points scored in the regular season. Thompson had 7,488 points in 496 career games while Taurasi has 7,460 in 375 games. Bird recently passed Delisha Milton-Jones to moved into ninth place on that list although it's going to take a while to move up to No. 8 as she is 243 points behind Becky Hammon. If playoff points were included, Taurasi would trail record-holder Tamika Catchings by 66 points.

On Sunday some players who could land at UConn were able to lead the U.S. to the gold medal at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Aliyah Boston, a forward from Worcester and a player very much on UConn's recruiting radar, was named the tournament's MVP. Boston had 15 points and six rebounds in the win over Canada in the gold medal game. She led the U.S. in scoring (11.8 points per game) and rebounding (8.6) in the tournament.

Fellow Class of 2019 UConn recruiting target Samanta Brunelle averaged 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.2 blocked shots in the five games and was the team captain. Paige Bueckers and Zia Cooke were other double-digit scorers for the U.S. in the tourney. In the title game, the top scorer was the team's youngest player Azzi Fudd from Falls Church, Va. The 14-year-old Fudd had 18 points as she was 4 of 6 from 3-point range. She also had five steals. Not bad for somebody who is several months away from the start of her freshman season of high school basketball. I would have to think her high school games will feature just a few college coaches in the stands.

The team was coached by another veteran of UConn's 1995 national championship team Carla Berube, the head coach at Tufts.

“We just kept getting stop after stop,” Berube said in the USA Basketball release on the gold-medal game. “In the first quarter, I thought we allowed them to get a lot of easy drives. They were getting to the rim on us. In the second quarter, we really shut that down and got some important defensive rebounds, and that was leading to easy offense. When you get stop after stop, it’s hard to sustain us in transition, because we have athletes and players who can make plays in transition and make plays for each other. It was awesome to watch. For a team that has not been together very long, they worked really well together.”

Finally, I've been out of the loop a little basketball wise over the last few days because of my responsibilities covering the semifinals and championship games in the CIAC softball tournament. While I was there I caught up with UConn incoming softball freshman Brianna Marcelino.

Marcelino scored from first base on a single and later drove in a run as Barlow won its first state title with a 4-2 win over Torrington in the Class L final.

There will be a story on Marcelino going up on the www.gametimect.com site later today focusing mostly on the state final and fact that Marcelino grew up in Madison (along with fellow UConn signee Hollis Wivell) before the family moved to Easton when she was in eighth grade. Heading into the state semifinals, she was batting .617 with 43 runs, 41 RBIs, 10 doubles, 12 homers, 21 stolen bases and just four errors.

With the WNBA regular season ending yesterday I figured I would see where Breanna Stewart and Moriah Jefferson's rookie numbers compare to other former UConn players.

Not surprisingly, they more then held their own.

Stewart's 621 points broke Diana Taurasi's mark for most points by a UConn grad as a rookie. She was also second in rebounding and blocked shots, fourth in assists, seventh in steals and assist/turnover ratio.

Jefferson had the best assist/turnover ratio (with a remarkable 2.41), was second in assists, tied for second in steals and seventh in 3-pointers. More on the assist/turnover ratio, I didn't look at every player but among the WNBA all-time leaders in assists the only player with an assist/turnover ratio better than 2/1 as a rookie were Cappie Pondexter (2.17 with Phoenix in 2006), Nikki Teasley (2.06 with Los Angeles in 2002) and Temeka Johnson (2.01 with Washington in 2005).

Morgan Tuck finished 10th in assist/turnover ratio in an injury-shortened rookie season. If you project her numbers over a full season, she would have been in the top 10 in 3-pointers as well.


POINTS
Breanna Stewart (Seattle 2016) 621
Diana Taurasi (Phoenix 2004) 578
Tina Charles (Connecticut) 2010 528
Swin Cash (Detroit) 2002 474
Moriah Jefferson (San Antonio 2016) 472
Sue Bird (Seattle 2002) 461
Maya Moore (Minnesota 2011) 449
Nykesha Sales (Orlando 1999) 437
Rebecca Lobo (New York 1997) 348

REBOUNDS
Tina Charles (Connecticut 2010) 398
Breanna Stewart (Seattle 2016) 317
Tamika Williams (Minnesota 2002) 229
Swin Cash (Detroit 2002) 222
Kiah Stokes (New York 2015) 219
Rebecca Lobo (New York 1997) 203
Svet Abrosimova (Minnesota 2001) 174
Maya Moore (Minnesota 2011) 157
Stefanie Dolson (Washington 2014) 149
Diana Taurasi (Phoenix 2004) 149

ASSISTS
Sue Bird (Seattle 2016) 191
Moriah Jefferson (San Antonio 2016) 142
Diana Taurasi (Phoenix 2004) 132
Breanna Stewart (Seattle 2016) 114
Nykesha Sales (Orlando 1999) 91
Maya Moore (Minnesota 2011) 90
Swin Cash (Detroit 2002) 86
Tiffany Hayes (Atlanta 2012) 73
Renee Montgomery (Minnesota 2009) 72
Svet Abrosimova (Minnesota 2001) 53

STEALS
Nykesha Sales (Orlando 1999) 69
Sue Bird (Seattle 2002) 55
Moriah Jefferson (San Antonio 2016) 55
Maya Moore (Minnesota 2011) 48
Tamika Williams (Minnesota 2002) 44
Diana Taurasi (Phoenix 2004) 43
Svet Abrosimova (Minnesota 2001) 42
Breanna Stewart (Seattle 2016) 42
Swin Cash (Detroit 2002) 37
Charde Houston (Minnesota 2008) 30

BLOCKS
Kiah Stokes (New York 2015) 67
Breanna Stewart (Seattle 2016) 64
Tina Charles (Connecticut 2010) 57
Rebecca Lobo (New York 1997) 51
Stefanie Dolson (Washington 2014) 37
Swin Cash (Detroit 2002) 31
Kelly Schumacher (Indiana 2001) 29
Diana Taurasi (Phoenix 2004) 25
Asjha Jones (Washington 2002) 17
Maya Moore (Minnesota 2011) 16

3-POINTERS
Diana Taurasi (Phoenix 2004) 62
Maya Moore (Minnesota 2011) 58
Sue Bird (Seattle 2002) 57
Breanna Stewart (Seattle 2016) 45
Renee Montgomery (Minnesota 2009) 42
Nykesha Sales (Orlando 1999) 36
Moriah Jefferson (San Antonion 2016) 33
Bria Hartley (Washington 2014) 21
Tiffany Hayes (Atlanta 2012) 21
Svet Abrosimova (Minnesota 2001) 19

ASSIST/TURNOVER RATIO
Moriah Jefferson (San Antonio 2016) 2.41
Maya Moore (Minnesota 2011) 1.80
Sue Bird (Seattle 2002) 1.75
Bria Hartley (Washington 2014) 1.54
Diana Taurasi (Phoenix 2004) 1.47
Tiffany Hayes (Atlanta 2012) 1.43
Breanna Stewart (Seattle 2016) 1.41
Nykesha Sales (Orlando 1999) 1.31
Ketia Swanier (Connecticut 2008) 1.30
Morgan Tuck (Connecticut 2016) 1.16

Also, Tina Charles led the league in points per game (at 21.5 just percentage points ahead of Elena Delle Donne) and rebounding (9.9 per game). She joins Maya Moore and five-time champion Diana Taurasi as only former Huskies to lead the WNBA in scoring. It is the fourth time Charles won the WNBA rebounding title breaking Lisa Leslie's league record. She joins Chamique Holdsclaw as only players in WNBA history to lead the league in scoring and rebounding in the same season as Holdsclaw accomplished the feat in 2002. With Sue Bird leading the league with an average of 5.8 assists per game, it is the first time in WNBA history that the regular-season leaders in points, rebounds and assists per game played at the same college. They also both happened to attend the same high school (Christ the King in Middle Village, N.Y.). By the way, so did Holdsclaw which may be the most remarkable aspect of all of this.

It's a foregone conclusion that former UConn star Breanna Stewart will become the fourth former Husky to win the WNBA Rookie of the Year award as she is currently sixth in the league in scoring, second in rebounding and third in blocked shots. However, since the middle of July no rookie has been putting up better numbers than Moriah Jefferson, Stewart's former college teammate.

I actually began to research how the rookies have fared since July 12 for a story I wrote yesterday about former Hillhouse High Bria Holmes agreeing to play in Israel this winter because Holmes has been one of the most productive rookies in the second half of the season. While crunching the numbers, it is impossible to overlook how well Jefferson has been playing since that date.

She is leading all rookies in points, assists, steals, field goals attempted, field goals made, 3-point percentage and tied with Stewart for the top spot in 3-pointers made since July 12. Perhaps most impressive of all, she tops all rookies with an average of 21.7 points per 40 minutes. Much of it has to do with opportunity since injuries have limited the options of retiring San Antonio head coach Dan Hughes. As a result, Jefferson played at least 30 minutes in just nine of the first 17 games of the season but has played at least 30 minutes in 11 of the last 15 games.

Looking at these numbers it does appear as if better days are ahead for the Connecticut Sun as Jonquel Jones and Courtney Williams rank among the top five rookies in points scored per 40 minutes since July 12. Jones also leads all rookies with a 53.5 field-goal percentage over that span. I didn't include Morgan Tuck on this list because she missed the last six games but if I did include her, she would rank third in points per 40 minutes (20.8), third in field-goal percentage (45.7) and 3-point percentage (38.5).

PT/40                 REB/40          FG PCT.            3-PT PCT.
Jefferson 21.7    Boyette 12.5  Jones 53.5          Jefferson 42.1
Powers    21.4    Stewart 9.8    Boyette 48.7       Copper 40.0
Jones   19.3        Jones 9.2       Powers 43.2        Jones 36.4
Stewart   19.0     Powers 8.3    Holmes 43.1       Powers 36.1
Williams  17.9    Williams 7.5 Jefferson 42.4    Stewart 33.3
Copper    17.0     Copper 7.3
Holmes    15.3
Boyette   13.6

START TIMES FINALIZED
When UConn's schedule was released earlier this month, the times of four of the road games were listed as "to be announced."

Well, it is time to fill in the blanks as the final start time was announced today when the LSU women's basketball Twitter page reported that the Nov. 20 game will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will air on ESPN.

The times of the three conference road games previously listed as TBA have been updated on UConn's official schedule as the Jan. 17 game at Tulsa will begin at 8 p.m., the Feb. 7 game at Cincinnati will tip shortly after 7 p.m. and the Feb. 18 game at Tulane also has an 8 p.m. listed tip time. Also, the Dec. 11 game at Kansas State will be televised by Fox Sports 1 and the Big Ten Network had the Dec. 21 contest at Nebraska.

Here's the updated schedule
2016-17 UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Site TV Time
NOVEMBER
Tue. 1 IUP (exhibition) Gampel Pavilion. 7 p.m.
Sun. 6 PACE (exhibition) XL Center, 1 p.m.
REGULAR SEASON
Mon. 14 at Florida State Donald L. Tucker Center, Tallahassee, Fla. ESPN2 6 p.m.
Thu. 17 BAYLOR Gampel Pavilion,  SNY 7:30 p.m.
Sun. 20 at LSU Maravich Center, Baton Rouge, La. 5:30 p.m. ESPN
Tue. 22 DAYTON Gampel Pavilion,  SNY 7 p.m.
Tue. 29 CHATTANOOGA XL Center, SNY 7 p.m.
DECEMBER
Thu. 1 DEPAUL Gampel Pavilion, SNY 7 p.m.
JIMMY V CLASSIC, HOSTED BY THE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME
Sun. 4 vs. Texas Mohegan Sun Arena,  ESPN 4 p.m.
Wed. 7 at Notre Dame Purcell Pavilion, South Bend, Ind. ESPN2 7 p.m.
Sun. 11 at Kansas State Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, Kan. Fox Sports 1 2 p.m.
Mon. 19 OHIO STATE XL Center, CBS-SN 7 p.m.
Wed. 21 at Nebraska Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Nebraska Big Ten Network 9 p.m.
Thu. 29 at Maryland XFINITY Center, College Park, Md. ESPN2 6 p.m.
JANUARY
Sun. 1 at UCF CFE Arena, Orlando, Fla. SNY 1 p.m.
Wed. 4 EAST CAROLINA XL Center SNY 7 p.m.
Tue. 10 USF XL Center, CBS-SN 7 p.m.
Sat. 14 at SMU Moody Coliseum, Dallas, Texas SNY 3 p.m.
Tue. 17 at Tulsa Reynolds Coliseum, Tulsa, Okla. SNY 8 p.m.
Sun. 22 TULANE Gampel Pavilion, ESPN2 1 p.m.
Tue. 24 at East Carolina Minges Coliseum, Greenville, N.C. SNY 7 p.m.
Sat. 28 HOUSTON XL Center, SNY noon
FEBRUARY
Wed. 1 at Temple Liacouras Center, Philadelphia, Pa. SNY 7 p.m.
Sun. 5 TULSA Gampel Pavilion, SNY 1 p.m.
Tue. 7 at Cincinnati First Third Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio SNY 7 p.m.
Sat. 11 SMU Gampel Pavilion,  SNY 2 p.m.
Mon. 13 SOUTH CAROLINA Gampel Pavilion, ESPN2 9 p.m.
Sat. 18 at Tulane Devlin Fieldhouse, New Orleans, La. SNY 8 p.m.
Wed. 22 TEMPLE XL Center, SNY 7 p.m.
Sat. 25 MEMPHIS Gampel Pavilion,  SNY 4 p.m.
Mon. 27 at USF Sun Dome, Tampa, Fla. ESPN2 7 p.m.
2017 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP, MOHEGAN SUN ARENA, UNCASVILLE, CONN.
Fri. Mar. 3 - Mon. Mar. 6 TBA TBD

While making the rather interesting drive from Newark, Delaware to Tarrytown, N.Y. yesterday for the latest media availability for the U.S. national team, I wanted to come up with a little different story angle than yet another update on the five UConn graduates on the U.S. team.

Since I have seen plenty of caustic posts on Twitter about how the U.S. team has become little more than a chance for Geno Auriemma to get his former players on the squad (a laughable point of view when considering the qualifications of Sue Bird, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi), I thought it would be fun to get some people to weigh in on whether an all-UConn team could win the Olympic gold medal. I spoke with Bird, USA Basketball Women's National Team Director Carol Callan, assistant coach Doug Bruno and guard Lindsay Whalen on the topic for a story which ran in this morning's paper.

When I mentioned it to Bird, she said "who is on the team" since she wasn't sure if I meant active players or all UConn players so here is the breakdown of the 15 current UConn graduates in the WNBA.

Current  Olympians
Sue Bird: Averaging 12.5 points and league leading 6 assists per game. Is 241 assists shy of Ticha Penicheiro's WNBA career record. Tied for eighth with 573 career steals.
Tina Charles: Currently the WNBA leader in both scoring (21.4) and rebounding and one of the frontrunners with WNBA MVP. Could join Chamique Holdsclaw as only player to lead WNBA in scoring and rebounding in same season.
Maya Moore: Three-time WNBA champion is fourth in league in scoring (19.4) and sixth in assists (4.4). One of five players to be named WNBA regular-season and finale MVP.
Breanna Stewart: Winner of WNBA Rookie of Month three times, she is second in WNBA in rebounding and fifth in scoring
Diana Taurasi: Sixth-leading scorer in WNBA at 18.9 points per game. One of three WNBA players with more than 7,000 points in regular season and fifth all-time with 1,547 assists


Swin Cash: Ranks 13th in WNBA history with 5,075 regular-season points and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Key member of championship teams with Detroit and Seattle.
Stefanie Dolson: After averaging a career high 10.6 points and 5.6 rebounds for Washington last season, is contributing 8 points and 4.7 rebounds
Kelly Faris: Averaging 2.1 points and 11.9 minutes in 103 career games with Connecticut Sun
Bria Hartley: Averaging 6.5 points, 2 rebounds, 2.3 assists in 16.9 minutes with Washington Mystics. Since May 21 Mystics are 6-4 when she plays at least 15 minutes, 3-8 if she does not
Tiffany Hayes: Atlanta Dream's No. 2 scorer at 14.5 points per game. Averaging career highs in points, assists, steals and minutes played. Has seven 20-point games, Atlanta is 10-7 when she scores in double figures
Moriah Jefferson: Second on San Antonio in scoring (12.2), contributes 4 assists, 1.4 steals per game. Third among qualifying players with 45.3 3-point percentage. Averaged 17.1 points in last eight games before Olympic break
Renee Montgomery: Averaging 7.8 points per game for Minnesota, highest total since 2013 season. Hit game winner when Minnesota beat Los Angeles in showdown of undefeated teams. Minnesota is 7-2 when she scores at least 10 points
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis: Averaging 6.4 points and 16.7 minutes while shooting 47 percent from 3-point range in last seven games for Seattle
Kiah Stokes: Eighth in WNBA in rebounding (7.6), sixth in blocked shots (1.5). Second in league in rebounding per 40 minutes
Morgan Tuck: Averaging 7.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17.2 minutes as a rookie for Connecticut Sun. Averaged 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in one three-game stretch in June.

There is already a portion of the women's basketball world tired of the "all UConn, all the time" coverage so a team of only UConn alums representing the U.S. in the Olympics might mean the end of Twitter but it was something worth pondering.

Morgan Tuck and Moriah Jefferson, part of the winningest recruiting class in women's college basketball history, each began their professional careers with victories. However, it was hardly just another day at the office for either one of the former UConn stars.

Jefferson missed eight of her 11 shots and finished with six points, six assists and two steals in 25 minutes off the bench as San Antonio defeated Atlanta 74-67.

"It took me a while to kind of get it together," Jefferson said. "My teammates did a good job of making shots. I tried to get out in transition and really push it. As the game went on I got more used to it."

Shortly after being taken with the second overall pick Jefferson noticed that San Antonio's first two preseason games would be played at Mohegan Sun Arena.

"It felt like I keep going back and forth between Texas and Connecticut," Jefferson said. "I am excited to be here, the fans are great."

Tuck started in Connecticut's 84-81 win over Chicago. She was just 1 of 8 from the field as she ended up with seven points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 27 minutes.

"I was definitely nervous coming out like the first game in college but am glad we pulled out a win," Tuck said.

Tuck said that the lessons learned trying to guard WNBA veterans like Elena Delle Donne and Jessica Breland will serve her well.

There will be another experience for her on Thursday when she is on the opposing sideline from Jefferson, her former roommate.

"That will be exciting, we haven't played against each other for a very long time so it will be great to be out there on the court with her again," Tuck said.

Speaking of new roles, Jefferson is drawing more attention as not only the No. 2 overall pick but also as a Texas native playing for  San Antonio Stars.

Veteran San Antonio coach Dan Hughes couldn't say enough good things about Jefferson's approach, energy and positive approach she brings to the practice court.

"It feels like I just left Connecticut," Jefferson said. "I try to do the same thing, I try to bring a lot of energy to practice, making sure I am talking

"I am having so much fun and I am really happy to be on the court. It is something you work for your entire life and to be here , it is the best feeling."

As for the additional interviews and public appearances ....

"Usually Stewie (Breanna Stewart) gets most of the attention, they were a lot more people doing stuff so (she thought) 'where's Stewie?' but I don't mind it."

Former Hillhouse High star Bria Holmes also made her WNBA debut as she started and had six points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals in Atlanta's loss to San Antonio.

Breanna Stewart stopped answering a question in mid sentence and slammed her fist onto the table when he was informed that Morgan Tuck was indeed the third pick in the WNBA Draft. Moriah Jefferson, taken second overall just a few minutes earlier, also had a rather exuberant reaction to the news.

The historic achievement of being the first teammates to be taken with the top three picks in a pro draft was special but more than anything else, the three former teammates were incredibly excited at the situations they are all walking into.

Stewart joins Sue Bird (now her teammate in Seattle), Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles and Maya Moore as the UConn players selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft. Jefferson, the first Texas native to play for the Huskies, is returning home to suit up for San Antonio and Tuck was one of five draftees joining an already young nucleus for the Connecticut Sun.

"I have to wonder if it was actually real," Stewart said  "I woke up this morning and my thought (was similar to) when we won the national championship 'wow, I am getting drafted today.' That is a childhood dream and it just came true.

"We've been waiting here, we've been up since 6:30 this morning  and we want to know what is going to happen. I think to have Mo to my left, Morgan (around)  the corner from me and just to be able to look at them, embrace them as I was walking to the podium, that just shows the kind of group we are, we care about each other and how each other are doing."

Jefferson figured she was in a win-win situation as she would either be suiting up in her native Texas or in the state that has become her home away from home these last four years.

"They asked me if I would rather go to Connecticut or come here and they are both like home now," Jefferson said. "Being here for the last four years, it was great to be able to go back home."
Jefferson joked that she would pick up the ball and throw it at Stewart the first time her former teammate blocks one of her shots and would keep her distance from Tuck since she "is going to try to knock me out too."

San Antonio coach Dan Hughes, a two-time WNBA coach of the year, attempted to put in perspective the history that transpired on Thursday night.

"It is equally as remarkable as four straight championships., it is just amazing," Hughes said. "That is the beautiful thing about Connecticut players and all three of those girls came in as freshmen, were impactful and got better every year. The escalation led to a unique time here in the WNBA with 1, 2 and 3.

"You get a Connecticut player, they do things rights whether it is on the court, there is a focus. They are supposed to win the games, how many times did they get out of the gate with a mentality that was professional with just how they did it. I started dealing with them after the season and their ability to communicate with me, I've been fortunate to have some Connecticut players and they all bear that resemblance to me, it just love that because I feel like they are ready."

Connecticut Sun coach Curt Miller said that after consultation with UConn coaches and medical personnel, there were no concerns about Tuck's knee issues impacting her pro career. If there were any concerns, the Sun would have selected George Washington's Jonquel Jones. As it turned out, Connecticut got both of them - at a hefty price by giving up guard Chelsea Gray, the No. 15 pick and next year's No. 1 in exchange for Jones and the No. 17 pick (used to select Oregon State's Jamie Weisner. Oh, the Sun also selected Minnesota's Rachel Banham with the No. 4 pick.

Both Stewart and Jefferson said they felt more joy when Tuck went third overall than when they were selected. For Tuck, it was a night she won't soon forget.
"I was in fourth grade, I loved Lisa Leslie and I did a project in school and since then I wanted to play in the WNBA," Tuck said. "Now to get drafted, it is kind of surreal that is happened."

Another dream was fulfilled when Atlanta selected former Hillhouse High star Bria Holmes with the No. 11 pick making her the first state native taken in the first round of the WNBA Draft.

“It has always been a dream of mine to play in the WNBA, and to finally get drafted, especially in the first round, it was a bitter sweet moment,” Holmes said. “I wasn’t really expecting to go in the first round, but my dream actually came true. I couldn’t be happier and more proud of myself. All of the things that I have been through in high school and at West Virginia really paved the way for me.”

Banham is now the answer to a trivia question for being the first non-UConn player taken in this year's draft. She hopes to be more than just a footnote in the history books.

"I really did want to come here so I was hoping to hear my name, once I did I was in shock," Banham said. "He said 'I want you to score' when I hear that I said absolutely, I am coming there. I am excited to work under him."

Banham seemed to enjoy watching the delight in the faces of Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck as they went right before her.

"Those three girls were going up there and the fans were loving it," Banham said. "This is a championship state. I watch UConn play every year and they just win, that is what they do. The vibes of the fans, they love it and they love basketball and that is fun to play in front of."

The 6-foot-6 Jones is an intriguing prospect as she has the ability to step out and hit from the 3-point range. She is aware that the Sun gave up quite a bit to get her.

"I just don't want to let them down now, you want go in training camp, spend a lot of time in the gym and show you are willing to work," Jones said

"I am really fond of her. I was telling her to make sure she leaves her mark. She was somebody I really enjoyed being around and I was telling her we should keep in touch so I guess we will be keeping in touch."
Weisner, who led Oregon State to the Final Four, and St. John's Aliyyah Handford will also be joining the Sun putting the roster at 19 but there are four players who could remain overseas at the start of training camp. With 15 players allowed in training camp at one time, that would allow the Sun to take a look at the new players before some of the veterans arrive.

Miller said he did not want to trade away Gray and certainly was in no hurry to lose next year's first-round pick but he felt that a talent like Jones was worthy the price of what the team surrendered. He said if Jones were in next year's draft that perhaps she would be the top player available.

Geno Auriemma probably summed up Monday night's events at Gampel Pavilion when classmates Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck combined for 61 points, 25 rebounds, 16 assists and six blocked shots in a 97-51 win over Duquesne.

"It is going to be a long time before we see something like this again," Auriemma said.

The Hall of Fame coach was speaking in general terms about what the trio has managed to accomplish since their arrival but his words also helped capture the essence of the performance put forth by UConn's "Big Three."

Stewart had 21 points, a career-high tying 16 rebounds and five blocked shots (three in one possession). Jefferson had 20 points (on just 10 shots), seven assists, three steals and no turnovers while Tuck chipped in with 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Fittingly they all came out of the game together with 5:49 left to play to a rousing ovation.

"It was like the perfect ending to playing here at Gampel for all three of us to have the games that we had, it was amazing," Jefferson said. "You can't even think about getting emotional and crying with the way that we played, we were all really excited."

During one stretch the trio had 10 straight baskets for the Huskies and had two other stretches when they accounted for each of the five baskets scored by the Huskies as UConn pulled away from the pesky Dukes.
"It was just fun, we were just excited for each other and excited for our team," Tuck said. "It was by far the mot fun we had playing here before so it was nice that our last time playing together here was a great memory."
UConn posted its 71st win, moving into sole possession of second place on the NCAA Division I women's list  and set up a regional semifinal matchup with Mississippi State on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Webster Bank Arena.

"It was unbelievable," Stewart said. "I think for all three of us to play as well as we did, finish the game together essentially was huge. To receive a standing ovation, there is nothing better than that."
Some notes from the game.

Stewart and Jefferson are now the  highest scoring UConn tandem in not only NCAA tournament history but in postseason history as well. They now have 908 career postseason points moving by the previous record of 897 set by Kara Wolters and Carla Berube from 1993-96 and the 587 points in the NCAA tournament tops the mark of 566 set by Diana Taurasi and Jessica Moore from 2001-04.

Stewart posted her 132nd career double-digit scoring game tying her with Minnesota's Rachel Banham (whose career ended with a loss in the WNIT on Sunday) for the fourth highest total in NCAA Division I history. She could still surpass former Oklahoma star Courtney Paris' total of 134 but the record 149 set by Maya Moore and 146 by Brittney Griner is out of reach even for Stewart.

Stewart has now surpassed the 400 mark in both career assists and blocked shots. Blocked shot totals have only been official since 1988 and I went back a little further to when Cheryl Miller and Cindy Brown played and don't have another player with 400 assists and 400 blocked shots.

Jefferson is now sixth on the NCAA tournament list with 46 career steals and is second in NCAA tournament history with a 51.9 3-point percentage trailing only Jennifer Azzi's absurd total of 55.8. Officially Jefferson won't qualify since a player needs to attempt 1.5 3-pointers per game and she is currently at 1.4 per contest.

There are certainly more statistic notes for the two of them but I'll save that for a later day.

The ultimate goal is six wins away for Moriah Jefferson and Breanna Stewart as they attempt to be the first two players to be on the court for four national championship teams. However, their impact can also be quantified thanks to their individual statistics.

They are currently fourth on the list of highest scoring classmates in the NCAA tournament in UConn history and third in program history in combined postseason points.

NCAA TOURNAMENT SCORING
566 Diana Taurasi 428/Jessica Moore 138 (2000-04)
543 Bria Hartley 300/Stefanie Dolson 243 (2010-14)
518 Maya Moore 476/Lorin Dixon 42 (2007-11)
514 Breanna Stewart 324/Moriah Jefferson 190 (2012-present)
511 Kara Wolters 322/Carla Berube 189 (1993-97)
495 Sue Bird 253/Asjha Jones 242 (1998-2002)
492 Breanna Stewart 324/Morgan Tuck 168 (2012-present)
469 Barbara Turner 274/Ann Strother 195 (2002-06)
466 Sue Bird 253/Swin Cash 213 (1998-2002)
463 Sue Bird 253/Tamika Williams 210 (1998-2002)
458 Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis 374/Kiah Stokes 84 (2011-15)
402 Jen Rizzotti 212/Jamelle Elliott 190 (1992-96)

POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT SCORING
897 Kara Wolters 565/Carla Berube 332 (1993-97)
863 Bria Hartley 441/Stefanie Dolson 422 (2010-14)
845 Breanna Stewart 538/Moriah Jefferson 307 (2012-present)
803 Breanna Stewart 538/Morgan Tuck 265 (2012-present)
730 Maya Moore 661/Lorin Dixon 69 (2007-11)
728 Barbara Turner 412/Ann Strother 316 (2002-06)
715 Asjha Jones 376/Sue Bird 339 (1998-2002)
686 Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis 576/Kiah Stokes 110 (2011-15)

Obviously Stewart and Jefferson and pretty high on some NCAA career lists as well. Stewart needs 28 points to move into the top 10 on the NCAA tournament career list, 29 rebounds to break into the top 10 on that list and is currently tied with Sylvia Fowles for third on the career blocked shots list so when she ties Rebecca Lobo's career blocked shots list, she will take over sole possession of third place in NCAA tournament history. Jefferson's 41 steals leaves her one behind Dawn Staley for 10th place on the career list while she ranks third with a 3-point percentage of 46.5.

When UConn signed the trio of Moriah Jefferson, Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck, there was talk of them being the best recruiting class in women's basketball history.

The Sue Bird-Swin Cash-Asjha Jones-Keirsten Walters-Tamika Williams class signed in 1997 certainly needs to be mentioned about the best ever. When Tennessee signed a six-player class headlined by Candace Parker, Alexis Hornbuckle and Nicky Anosike, who would all be taken in the top 16 picks in the 2008 WNBA Draft, there were stories speculating that it might be the best class ever.

There were recruiting services that had Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck among the top four players in their class and certainly in the top 10. Their ultimate legacy can't be determined until this season plays out. If the Huskies run the table, UConn would have won an NCAA Division I women's record 151 games since their arrival (topping the 150 won by UConn during Lorin Dixon's and Maya Moore's four seasons) and no other women's recruiting class could lay claim to four national titles in four seasons.

Individually, Stewart has earned the right be to mentioned in the company of Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi when discussing legendary figures in the program history while Jefferson will be able to hold her own alongside of Jen Rizzotti and Bird when the discussion turns to the best point guards to play at UConn. Geno Auriemma has used Jones as a player to compare to Tuck. Anybody who has been around Auriemma dating back to Jones' playing days can appreciate just lofty that praise happens to be.

At the recent national team training camp I asked Bird about the benefits of having fellow star players to deal with the expectations that Jefferson, Stewart and Tuck have dealt with since arriving at UConn.

"To have to do everything is no burden that any player should have to bear," Bird said. "There are some who can do it but something is missing when you have to do it all by yourself. When it is a team, you are together, it is a really special relationship. You have support, it is just a support system, it is there in your dorm room, it is there when you walk out (on the court) and it is extremely helpful."
Stewart is the only Division I women's players with at least 300 assists and 300 blocked shots since blocked became a statistic officially recognized by the NCAA in 1988. Cheryl Miller and Cindy Brown also had more than 300 assists and 300 blocks but since blocked shots totals before 1988 aren't included in the NCAA record book, I haven't been able to come up with a list of other players with at least 300 assists and 300 blocked shots but if Stewart gets to 400 assists and 400 blocked shots, neither Brown nor Miller accomplished that feat.

Jefferson is two assists shy of 600 and when she gets there, she will have the best assist/turnover ratio of any players in that group dating back to the 1999-2000 season.

Finally, they became the first trio of UConn teammates to combine for 5,000 career points and also have the most assists, steals and blocked shots of any three UConn classmates.

POINTS
12-16: Jefferson-Stewart-Tuck 500898-02: Cash-Jones-Williams 4487
02-06: Crockett-Strother-Turner 3930
00-04: Battle-Moore-Taurasi 3899*
10-14: Dolson-Hartley-Walker 3896

REBOUNDS98-02: Cash-Jones-Williams 2467
06-10: Charles-Gardler-McLaren 2104
02-06: Crockett-Strother-Turner 1994
12-16: Jefferson-Stewart-Tuck 192500-04: Battle-Moore-Taurasi 1802*
92-96: Better-Elliott-Rizzotti  1769
10-14: Dolson-Hartley-Walker 1750

ASSISTS
12-16: Jefferson-Stewart-Tuck 122500-04: Battle-Conlon-Taurasi 1098*
92-96: Better-Elliott-Rizzotti 1032
98-02: Bird-Cash-Jones   954
10-14: Dolson-Hartley-Walker  952

STEALS
12-16: Jefferson-Stewart-Tuck 61498-02: Bird-Cash-Williams 578
92-96: Better-Elliott-Rizzotti  567
04-08: Houston-Swanier-Thomas 548
88-92: Baer-Davis-Pattyson 545

BLOCKS
12-16: Jefferson-Stewart-Tuck 43391-95: Dixon-Lobo-Webber 414
06-10: Charles-Gardler-McLaren 413
93-97: Berube-Rose-Wolters 404
11-15: Banks-KML-Stokes  389
*-does not include statistics for Battle and Moore during 2004-05 season

Six former or current UConn stars were among those taking part in the U.S. national team training camp earlier this week.  But Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Stefanie Dolson and Breanna Stewart were not the only members of UConn royalty in attendance.

Jen Rizzotti was among those appointed to be court coaches by USA Basketball. Rizzotti has a long relationship with USA Basketball as a player and a coach.

Rizzotti was the head coach of the gold-medal winning teams at the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 and 2011 FIBA U19 World Championships and an assistant in 2006 when the U.S. won the FIBA Americas 18 championship. At the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women, Rizzotti was asked to serve as an advance scout for the U.S. team and that is something she said she would be doing at the Olympics later this year as well.

"That has been dictated to Chris Dailey and I that we will be the scouts again for the Olympics and the staff so whatever (Olympic assistant coaches) Cheryl (Reeve), Dawn (Staley) and Doug (Bruno) need in terms of a live scout, a film breakdown or stats, that will kind of be my role."

Rizzotti's experiences with USA Basketball date back to when she was an All-American point guard at UConn. She tried out for the 1996 Olympic team and was a member of the Jones Cup team in 1996. She doesn't need to be asked twice if the folks at USA Basketball ask her to be involved with one of their teams.

"Immensely I enjoy it and the biggest reason is the people," Rizzotti said. "(USA Basketball Womens' National Team Director) Carol Callan is one of my favorite people in the entire world. She is great at what she does, she is fun to be around, she is smart, she is funny and she really understands what it takes to make a special occasion. She has been a part of all of my experiences, I have gotten to coach with great coaches, I have gotten to coach great players. The staff at USA Basketball is obviously phenomenal. I think we say this all the time that the teams that you are on and the experiences that you have are usually never about the places you go or the wins or losses, it is about the people you surround yourself with and they do a phenomenal job of getting great people around so I have really enjoyed myself every time I have done it."

Rizzotti received a tour of the Werth Family Basketball Champions Center shortly after it opened. But being in there for the training camp when her name was among those hanging with the other former national players of the year made for a bit of a surreal scene for her.

"It is a little bit humbling and you just feel proud of have been a part of it and that your name is up there with all the great players," Rizzotti said, "You see the precedent we set from '95 on and you are happy for the future, the legacy, what the kids have to appreciate now and just hope they are going to feel the same way in 10 years when they come back."

Rizzotti wasn't the only player who is or was a point guard at UConn checking out the festivities. Current UConn point guard Moriah Jefferson was a regular viewer of the practices, sitting in the far corner for all three days.

Rizzotti might have a deeper appreciation of what Jefferson means to this UConn team more than most people since she filled a similar role on the 1995 national championship team.

"She actually tried out for the 19-and-under team I coached maybe as a sophomore or junior. Breanna was the youngest on that team and (Jefferson) didn't make that team," Rizzotti said. "I remember watching her in tryouts and Geno asking about how she is doing and I remember saying that she is very fast and skilled but she doesn't really know how to control a team yet, she doesn't know how to set the offense, she doesn't know how to organize that group and provide that leadership that a team full of all-stars needs.  To watch her now and not just her senior year but since her sophomore year, she is one of the best players at the country and one of the best players to play that position here, it has been amazing. She put a lot of effort not just into the physical piece of the game but much more into the mental side of the game. It is a lot of fun to watch her play. She doesn't have a gear lower than fifth, she doesn't take possessions off and is able to play at a high level for the entire game if she needs to. That comes from practice, you don't get that because you want to but because you do it every day."

Speaking about point guards, another one who had a strong showing at the camp was UConn graduate assistant Jasmine Lister who not only organized the team of male practice players as she does with the Huskies but had the added benefit of being able to serve as the point guard of the group.

On Monday she was hitting 3-pointers, dishing off assists, getting to loose balls. When Lister, a former Vanderbilt star, was pressed into duty with the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks due to a string of injuries during the summer, she played against the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena. I remember writing then that if you had to pick out the current college graduate assistant with no previous WNBA experience with the exception of the 2014 training camp with the Seattle Storm, it would have been impossible to say Lister was that player. I had the same feeling watching the U.S. practices as Lister looked very much like she belonged. As she left the facility on Monday, USA Basketball CEO/Executive Director Jim Tooley made a point of telling Lister how well she played. Her current boss was also impressed.

"She was Bob Cousy, player/coach," UConn and U.S. head coach Geno Auriemma said. "She had those guys exactly where we needed them and they played in a way that we need them to play. Jas coaches them, she ran the offense, she is going to be a heck of a coach down the road."

Thanks to the Twitter account of her high school team, the photo of UConn freshman Katie Lou Samuelson having a conversation with another sweet-shooting California native has made quite the splash on social media.

The photo was taken after Diana Taurasi wrapped up the second day of the three-day training camp with the U.S. national team and shortly before Samuelson and the Huskies had a Monday afternoon. The timing couldn't have been much better as Samuelson is coming off a Taurasi-like offensive performance in the first quarter of Saturday's win at East Carolina. Samuelson finished with 15 points, which would have marked the second best scoring effort of her freshman season even if she did not play in the final three quarters.

"She is giving me advice on freshman year and to keep my head up," Samuelson said. "Things are starting to go a little bit (easier) so it is really cool to have somebody that I look up to so much and she just feels connected to this program and connected to all of us. I haven't known her before so it was nice to have that connection."

Samuelson and her teammates were able to check out the three days of practices with the 16 players in the national team pool including teammate Breanna Stewart.

"It was amazing," Samuelson said. "It was cool to see the different intensity level they had, every single one them, the confidence, the skills they all possess. It was really a treat for all of us and I think we all learned a lot."

Samuelson was 4 of 5 from the field including 3 of 4 from 3-point range en route to scoring 15 of her 19 points in the first quarter. She now has 47 3-pointers this season and with three in Wednesday's game against SMU, she will join Taurasi, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Bria Hartley, Maya Moore, Jen Rizzotti, Ann Strother and teammate Kia Nurse as the only UConn freshmen with 50 3-pointers as a freshman.

"I'll take that any day but if my shots aren't going in, I am going to have to find other ways to contribute," Samuelson said. "I would like to make all of my shots, I am sure my teammates would to but I am going to take it game by game and not limit myself if my shots aren't going in.

"I definitely feel comfortable, during practices I can see a difference, a little more confidence to do more on the team, feeling more responsibility. I am still probably going to make mistakes but I know that each game that I play, I will feel more comfortable

"They don't want me to just sit in the corner, hide and try to take that on and say I am just a freshman. They want me to help out and take on some of the weight off of their shoulders."

INSIDE INFORMATION?
The entire UConn team, when they didn't have classes to attend, were regular observers at the training camp

As a result, the leading scorer on the Canadian national team that earned an Olympic berth by winning the FIBA Americas Championship for Women got to see the defending Olympic champions in action.

"I texted my teammates and said 'I am sitting in enemy territory,'" UConn sophomore guard Kia Nurse said. "They said 'get as much (information) as you can.' All right, I am not going to get anything but all right.

"You get to see some of the best players in the world, their practicing tendencies and just the confidence that they have in having to pick things up so quickly."

SELECT COMPANY
I did some checking and there are three Division I women's players shooting at least 55 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent from the foul line.

One of those players is Maryland junior Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, who is shooting 55.6 percent overall, a stunning 56.7 percent on 3-pointers and 80.2 percent from the free-throw line. The other two players in that category are UConn seniors Moriah Jefferson (58.5 percent on field goals, 41.9 percent on 3-pointers and 88.6 on foul shots) and Breanna Stewart (.589/.417/.817).

In UConn's history, there are two players who hit all three shooting percentage landmarks. Shea Ralph did it as a redshirt sophomore and Jefferson accomplished the feat last season.

DANGERFIELD A NAISMITH FINALIST
UConn signee Crystal Dangerfield is one of five finalists for the Naismith Girls' High School Player of the Year.

Dangerfield, a senior guard at Blackman High in Murfreesboro, Tenn., is averaging 24.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Dangerfield has eight 30-point games this season in leading Blackman to a 26-3 record and the Tennessee District 7-AAA championship.

Erin Boley, Lauren Cox, Joyner Holmes and Jackie Young are the other finalists. The winner will be announced on Mar. 10.

Both Moriah Jefferson and Breanna Stewart have had their share of huge offensive games since arriving at UConn but Sunday's 85-60 win at Temple marked just the second time they scored at least 20 points in the same game.

Jefferson's take on her 25-point effort (to go with eight assists and eight steals) and the 24 points by Stewart (along with eight rebounds, seven assists, four steals and six blocked shots) is almost that it was a necessary evil.

Starters Morgan Tuck and Kia Nurse had one made field goal each and other than a garbage time basket by Natalie Butler, the only reserve to make a shot from the field was Gabby Williams who was a spectacular 9 for 9.

"It is fun but at the same time it is not what we really want to do," Jefferson said. "We want to be consistent we want the flow to be everybody in rhythm and everybody to make a play. Sometimes there are other games when we have to do it and there are other games where you can where we don't need to."

Temple got blown out only a month ago when the Owls played at UConn but when Erica Covile hit a layup, the game was tied at 30 with 4:08 left in the second quarter. Temple missed its final seven shots of the half and had three turnovers allowing the Huskies to use a 10-0 run to take a 10-point lead into the locker room at halftime.

"I thought the first 20 minutes the only thing we did better was we had more All-Americans on the floor than they did," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "I don't think we did anything better. I don't think we rebounded better, ran our offense better, played better defense. I don't think we did anything better than them, I told them at halftime the only reason we are 10 points is we have three All-Americans on the floor and they don't."
Jefferson moved past UConn legend Sue Bird in both points and assists while Jefferson, Stewart and Morgan Tuck now are the most productive trio of classmates in UConn women's basketball history in points, assists, steals and now blocked shots.

Temple coach Tonya Cardoza, who was an assistant coach on some of the Huskies best teams, believes that the Jefferson and Stewart deserve to be mentioned among the best guard-forward combos to ever suit up at UConn.

"Both of those guys are unbelievable and the way Jefferson never gets rattled no matter what the situation, she just plays hard, knocked down shots when she has to," Cardoza said. "I just remember the championship game last year and how she just stepped up and won the game for them. I love her and I tell my guards all the time to just watch her. She is busting her butt running all over the place, she is never complained about being tired, she is running her team. You need to pay attention watch her study film of her. I love Jefferson and Stewart she is going to go down as one of the best to play. She is just unbelievable, she is super athletic and the things she is able to do at her size, oh my gosh. I am so excited about her graduating, both of them and Tuck too. Even though Tuck didn't have a great night, I hope Tuck leaves too."

I will have more on Williams in the next day or two as she joins Rebecca Lobo, Stewart, Shea Ralph and Nykesha Sales as the only UConn players to attempt at least nine shots from the field without missing. She finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals.

UConn will be well represented at the upcoming U.S. national team training camp being held in Storrs later this month.

Current star forward Breanna Stewart will be joined by former UConn stars Sue Bird, Stefanie Dolson, Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi. UConn and U.S. national team head coach Geno Auriemma will run the camp while associate head coach Chris Dailey and former UConn star Jen Rizzotti will serve as court coaches.

The training camp will take place from Feb. 21-23 at the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center.

The timing of the camp allows Stewart, the only active college player on the list of Olympic finalists, to take part in practices without missing any games as the Huskies play at East Carolina on Feb. 20 and the next game is at home on Feb. 24 against SMU. Stewart will miss some practice time with her UConn squad during the camp although at least one of the days of the camp figures to be an off day for the Huskies.

Seimone Augustus, Tamika Catchings, Elena Delle Donne, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd , Kayla McBride, Angel McCoughtry, Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Danielle Robinson, Courtney Vandersloot and Lindsay Whalen are also expected to take part in the training camp. Other finalists for the Olympic team including former UConn star Tina Charles are not expected to take part in the camp due to overseas playing commitments.

The training camp sessions will not be open to the public.

JEFFERSON A CANDIDATE FOR LIEBERMAN AWARD
Reigning Nancy Lieberman Award winner Moriah Jefferson is one of 10 candidates for the 2016 award given to the nation's top women's collegiate point guard.

Jefferson leads UConn with 124 assists and 62 steals and is the third-leading scorer, averaging 13.5 points per game.

Army's Kelsey Minato, Baylor's Niya Johnson, DePaul's Jessica January, Duquesne's April Robinson, Maryland's Brene Moseley, Notre Dame's Lindsay Allen, Kelsey Mitchell of Ohio State, Jasmine Nwajei of Wagner and Washington's Kelsey Plum are the other candidates.

NURSE AN ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT SELECTION
UConn sophomore guard Kia Nurse, the only player to start all 23 games for the Huskies this season, was one of  eight players named to the CoSIDA Division I District I All-Academic squad making her eligible for Academic All-American honors.

The Yale duo of  Nyasha Sarju and Whitney Wyckoff are also District I All-Academic picks while Briana Bradford of the University of New Haven was named to the Division II District I squad.

In the buildup for the No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown, UConn coach Geno Auriemma couldn't put a number of how many questions he was asked about the rise of the South Carolina program and importance of the game. However, one inquiry stands above all the others and that came earlier in the day when he was asked if the game was a litmus test one for his team.

He thought about how many big games the trio of Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck have played since their arrival including three national championship games (two for Tuck) and could only chuckle.

Auriemma wasn't sure what else would happen but he rather certain that the aforementioned trio would be good to go. All they did was combine to score UConn's first 28 points, Stewart had a double-double while Jefferson and Tuck combined to hold Tiffany Mitchell and Alaina Coates to a 5 of 18 shooting performance.

"I appreciate them more every day because sometimes I start to blink and I realize they aren't going to be out there and I really appreciate them," Auriemma said. "Some of the plays they made are unbelievable. Some of the shots Stewie makes, the way Moriah gets in the lane, just how tough  Tuck is on one leg. I just can't say enough about those guys, they are pretty special guys."

Nobody is more appreciative of what Jefferson and Tuck have done at UConn than Stewart.

"A lot of people overlook what Morgan and Moriah have done and it is just as much of an impact that they have made and we would't be in this position without those two," Stewart said. "I just appreciate playing with them and tying to enjoy this last year as much as possible."

UConn improved to 19-3 in No. 1 vs. No. 2 games including a 6-0 mark since the arrival of Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck.

"I am not surprised about what happened tonight, I knew we were playing a great team, we knew we were playing a team that is almost unbeatable on their home court and they are probably going to go back to the Final Four like they did last year because they are good," Auriemma said. "When my guys know that the challenge is huge, those three seniors usually come up huge. The fun part is really the look in their eyes when they are getting ready to play in a game like this is really quite different than any other time.

"When it is the biggest moment, you can tell the way we practice the day before, the way shootaround goes, the way they look when we are watching film, when we are talking to them in the huddle, there is a whole different vibe. It makes me different, it makes me feel like back in the old days and the (assistant) coaches too. There was a little bit of stuff flowing through all of us and when two teams like this play, you are actually more nervous at home than you are on the road. I am really proud of our team tonight."

A couple of numbers jumped out at me.

First, South Carolina came into the game leading the country averaging 24.1 attempted free throws per game however the Gamecocks had seven attempts through three quarters.

Also, the rebound totals were dead even 35-35 with UConn actually getting more offensive rebounds and the Huskies also had more blocked shots that the Gamecocks.

The biggest numbers might have been 40, 40, 39 and 33 and those are the minutes played by returning starters Stewart, Jefferson, Kia Nurse and Tuck.

Auriemma said after the game that of the younger players, Gabby Williams was the one who contributed the most. He said he could have played Saniya Chong but each time he looked at who he would have to take out and opted to play it safe.

In the midst of UConn's impressive win at Southern Methodist on Jan. 23, there were no lack of friends and family in attendance to see Texas native Moriah Jefferson pass Maya Moore on UConn's list for career assists. Well, when the Huskies play at Tulane on Wednesday Jefferson needs two steals to surpass Moore's career total in that department as well.

Jefferson is not somebody who ponders her individual statistics, but the chance to be ranked ahead of a legendary figure like Moore is something that means the world to Jefferson.

"I didn't even think of it," said Jefferson, who is tied with Bria Hartley for fifth place on UConn's career assists list and is fourth with 309 steals. "I didn't know I was even close to it but the type of player she was is the type of player who came in here every day ready, she worked harder than everybody so just being able to say I've done something like that, it means a lot to me."

Jefferson has 1,319 career points and is only 1,717 behind Moore in that category. If she averages 95 points a game the rest of the way, she could pass Moore in that category as well.

"I have a few games left, I think it can happen," Jefferson said with a laugh.

SIBLING RIVALRY REVISITED
Kia Nurse has gone head to head with her brother Darnell in a variety of sports over the years but to the best of her recollections, the siblings have not gone up against each other for the same award - until now.

Both Kia and Darnell, a rookie defenseman with the NHL's Edmonton Oilers, join women's rugby star Cindy Nelles were named finalists from a group of 22 initial candidates for the annual award.

Kia Nurse has been a finalists in 2014 and 2015 for the award given to the top athlete in the Hamilton, Ontario area.

"That is really interesting for me," Nurse said. "It is something I don't think we've ever done before but it is an honor to be up for that prestigious award. To beat him would be very interesting and if he beats me, OK, I will accept it but it will be a good family dinner conversation."

The winner will be announced on Feb. 25 at the Hamilton Convention Centre.

There's plenty of ways to display leadership. UConn seniors Moriah Jefferson and Breanna Stewart are more of the "lead by example" types and that is exactly what they did in Saturday's win over Memphis.

Although the Huskies were rolling along with a 14-point lead early in the second quarter, there was a sense among the players and coaches that the Huskies were somewhat lethargic.

One of the first signs of life came in one stretch when Stewart and Jefferson came up with offensive rebounds that were more about a relentless effort to extend a possession than their natural athleticism.

Saniya Chong had just missed a jumper when Stewart used her 7-foot-1 wing span to secure an offensive rebound that few other women's college players could have corralled. Stewart would miss a jumper of her own. A pair of Memphis players seemed to be in perfect position to snare the rebound only to have Jefferson aggressively chase the ball down. Given a third opportunity, Stewart drained a jumper off Napheesa Collier's assist. The crowd, which had been waiting for something to cheer about, unleashed a rousing ovation for the blue-collar work from the Huskies' star players.

"We made a few hustle plays in a row and got into the crowd into it," Stewart said. "When you have the crowd, that is a huge momentum swing for us."

Jefferson was thrilled to have a role in the signature sequence of events in the victory.

"Those are the types of plays that we have to make and we can make memories on," Jefferson said. "You can have energy and the team builds off of that. If you aren't going for offensive rebounds, if we are in a tight game and need them, we aren't going to be able to do it.

"Those types of plays definitely bring energy to the arena, the fans love it and we love it as a team."

Jefferson admitted that she was not a happy camper at halftime and let her teammates know it.

"I usually don't do too much yelling but I did a little bit at halftime just saying that our energy wasn't there," Jefferson said. "It wasn't so much the things we were doing, we were getting stops and making plays but it wasn't enough. We were definitely low energy and we can't ever have that in any game that we play."

Stewart finished with 19 points as she tied Tina Charles for second place on UConn's career list with the 117th double-digit career scoring game. She also moved within 15 points of tying Charles for the No. 2 spot on UConn's career scoring chart. Stewart added seven rebounds, five assists and four steals. Jefferson had 11 points and seven assists. She also became the ninth UConn player with three seasons of at least 100 assists and 50 steals and tied Bria Hartley for fifth place in career assists in the process.

Morgan Tuck, who returned to practice on Friday, missed her fourth straight game as she rested her surgically-repaired right knee.

"It is always going to be her (decision not to play) from here on in," Auriemma said. "If she knows she is good to go, she'll go. If she goes 'I am not ready' I trust her.

"She (felt) pretty good but not where she wants to be and I respect that. We will see Monday at practice, we have Monday, Tuesday and shootaorund on Wednesday so we potentially have three more looks at it (before UConn plays at Tulane on Wednesday) so if she goes all three days then we will figure it out. I would like to get her back, obviously."

Warde Manuel, who was officially introduced as Michigan's director of athletics, was in attendance and met with the media at halftime to discuss his decision to head back to his alma mater.

Maybe there were a few raised eyebrows when Moriah Jefferson, who grew up only about 20 miles outside of Dallas, opted to make history by becoming the first Texas native signed by UConn coach Geno Auriemma.

Jefferson, rated as the top guard nationally in her class, could have gone to Texas A&M, Baylor or even Texas and prospered. However, as Jefferson prepares to play a game in her home state for the final team as a Husky, she has no regrets.

"I had a pretty good relationship with Texas A&M and Baylor, they were in my top three and those were two schools that I was around from about eighth grade because they were so close. It was tough to make a decision to come this far instead of staying home but it was one that me and my family decided was the best and I was happy with the decision that I made."

With Southern Methodist and Houston being conference mates as well as having non-conference road games against Texas A&M and Baylor during her time at UConn, Jefferson has been able to play more games in Texas than if she had arrived a decade earlier.

"It is exciting," Jefferson said. "This is the last time that I will be able to do that, go back to Dallas in a UConn jersey so it will be exciting to go out and play in front of my family and friends."

Jefferson was hoping to have enough time to head back to her Glenn Heights neighborhood to see friends and family members but also check in on people who were impacted by recent storms that destroyed some homes and severely damaged so many others.

"It is right around the corner from my house so if I get a chance to go home I will get a chance to go see some of those guys to see some of the damage and how they fixed it, they are doing a nice job of rebuilding the area so far so it will be nice to get back thee and see that," Jefferson said.

Jefferson is beginning her final semester of college and much of her academic duties will center around a thesis on the positive impact of sports on youngsters as part of her individualized major.

"Where I am from, the kids are playing sports and they are in a structured setting and they can keep out of trouble," Jefferson said. "When they aren't playing sports, I hear a lot of my friends get in trouble and some have been killed. I really wanted to go in and really take a look at backgrounds of what happens when you are in a sports setting."

The last time the top-ranked and undefeated UConn women's basketball team took to the court, it was a reunion of sorts for star forwards Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck as Florida State coach Sue Semrau was an assistant coach on a pair of U.S. junior national teams featuring the UConn stars.

It will be more of a same on Monday when LSU heads to the XL Center to face UConn as LSU head coach Nikki (Caldwell) Fargas was an assistant coach on the U.S. U-18 team in 2012 and U-19 squad in 2013 that was headlined by Stewart, Tuck and Moriah Jefferson.

"It was great to be able to be a part of the national team that had those three young ladies on it," Fargas said. "They are unbelievable people. They work hard every day, they were competitive, they were in summer school and they were balancing both that and playing USA ball so it just showed how focused they were in becoming not only the best they could on the basketball court but also in the classroom. That is what you want your student-athletes to take the opportunity and maximize it. You could see that they were going to be on that path prior to them to get to college.

"You can't ask for better leadership from Moriah, Stewart is just an unbelievable specimen of an athlete so she can do anything and everything. Morgan Tuck, she is just solid and that kid can just calm the waters and she will.

"It was just a pleasure coaching and being around those three.

There's so much to like about how Jefferson, Stewart and Tuck play the game and how they approach the game of basketball. Fargas, however, was struck by something else about the trio.

"I liked the fact that they enjoyed playing the game," Fargas said. "It was fun, they are obviously skilled, they obviously have knowledge of the game. All we had to do was put a blueprint out there and let them go and create this unbelievable masterpiece. They did it so elegantly. They are great teammates. You don't have to turn it on and turn it off. Everything doesn't have to be
so serious with them. They knew when it was time to go to work and punch the clock so to speak, get down to business and then we would leave it and enjoy ourselves."

Stewart and Tuck were the top two scorers while Jefferson was one of the three U.S. players with at least 30 assists on the team which won the 2013 FIBA U-19 World Championship for Women. Fargas was also an assistant on the 2012 U.S. U-18 team. Jefferson and Tuck were the only U.S. players to start all five games en route to winning the FIBA Americas Championship for Women. Once again Tuck and Stewart were the team's top two scorers on the U-18 team. The U.S. teams, coached by Miami's Katie Meier, went 14-0 with an averaging margin of victory of 41 points.

I was a little curious how Monday's came about and it turns out while there are teams who seem more enthusiastic about playing UConn after the graduation of Stewart and Jefferson, Fargas was willing to play this year's star-studded UConn squad.

"Rutgers we had already scheduled a home and away so we were already contracted for Rutgers," Fargas said. "Last year we reached out to UConn to start a series with them as well. Last year you are looking at what your roster looks like, we wanted to be very competitive in our non-conference scheduling. What better way to do that than play the best team in the country in UConn and
a very qualified and potential NCAA tournament team in Rutgers."

Unfortunately, the LSU team Fargas thought would be taking the court against the Huskies is not the one who will be stepping onto the XL Center on Monday.

The Tigers not only graduated two of its top four scorers (DaShawn Harden and Sheila Boykin) but leading scorer Danielle Ballard did not return for her senior season and freshman Stephanie Amichia, who started two games a season ago, is also not a part of this year's team. Raigyne Moncrief and freshman Ayana Mitchell suffered season-ending injuries. Moncrief and Mitchell tied for the team scoring lead in a season-opening loss to Wake Forest. Moncrief's injury leaves LSU without its top four scorers from a season ago.

"We are a work in progress," Fargas said. "Every day we are stressing the same philosophy whether we had our full roster or not. We just had to ask players who play different roles for us to step up and do more. You lose two of our best kids and two other kids don't return, four potential starters, now you are looking at your bench and hopefully this opportunity that they have will allow them to get better and better."

Moriah Jefferson moved to the top of one list at UConn during Friday night's win over Florida State but she wasn't exactly patting herself on the back for it.

Jefferson not only became the 11th Husky to dish out at least 500 assists but she has the best assist/turnover ratio (2.48 with 501 assists and 202 turnovers) of any UConn player with at least 500 assists. However, Jefferson had four assists and three turnovers in the 73-49 victory making the fourth time in eight games this season that she failed to have at least twice as many assists as turnovers. As a point of reference, it was the 18th game during her junior season when she had her fourth outing with an assist/turnover ratio under 2/1.

"It (500 assists) is a good number to be at and hopefully look to get some more," Jefferson said.

"I haven't done a good job of it (assist/turnover ratio) this season. I was talking to (assistant coach) Shea (Ralph), we were saying that if I do turn the ball over try to get it back the next play so that is something I need to keep working on but there turnovers they need to start going down at some point."

Jefferson's annoyance at turning the ball over resulted in a couple of her four steals as she came from behind to cause a turnover. She did the same after one of her missed shots resulting in what I consider to be perhaps the most pivotal stretch in the game.

Florida State was only down 12 points with less than 3 minutes left in the third quarter. Jefferson missed a jumper and Leticia Romero grabbed the rebound. The talented FSU point guard was looking up the floor when Jefferson came in from behind, knocked the ball away and threw a pass to Breanna Stewart. Stewart quickly kicked a pass over to Kia Nurse for a 3-pointer. The Seminoles seemingly had a numbers advantage and could have pulled within 10 points (nine with a 3-pointer). Instead it was suddenly a 15-point lead. FSU wouldn't get closer than 13 the rest of the way.

COLLIER HAS SOLID FIRST START
Geno Auriemma has always loved the idea of bringing a game changer off the bench, somebody who can completely change the pace of the game.

While Gabby Williams was performing well as a starter, he simply thought that returning her to the reserve role she played so well as a freshman might be a way to add some energy off the bench.

What resulted is freshman Napheesa Collier and contributing six points, seven rebounds, two assists, four steals and two blocked shots in 32 minutes in her first career start.

"She played really confidently," UConn forward Morgan Tuck said. "I think it was really good for her on a big stage, a big game to play her game and do a lot of things."

Auriemma said don't be surprised to see Collier remain in the starting lineup.

"I thought the combination of Napheesa and Gabbym if you look at them as one player that fifth spot, I think they had 10 points, 11 rebounds, six steals if that one player did that, you would say that is pretty good," Auriemma said.

"I always think your bench has to be dynamic and in whatever form that takes. Last year we watched the game and said what do we need coming off the bench, a lot of times we need Kiah Stokes to come in and block shots like she did in the game at Note Dame or the Texas game in the NCAA tournament  and I just don't know if we were getting that during the early part of the season so I kind of like the way it went tonight and if it keeps going like this in practice, I am going to stay with it."

REMEMBER ME?
The first sense I had that Florida State coach Sue Semrau made quite an impression on UConn's Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck while being an assistant coach on the U.S. U-19 team back in 2011 that included the two current UConn stars came last year when Stewart and Semrau were being honored by the Associated Press.

Stewart had received the AP Player of the Year award for the second year in a row when she congratulated Semrau for winning the coach of the year honor. There was just one problem, that hadn't been announced yet. Stewart got a little embarrassed but it was clear that she really liked playing for Semrau.

Fast forward to last night and I got a similar reaction from Tuck.

"She was such an energetic coach. I think she was one of my favorite coaches I played with on USA because she taught us to have energy and be passionate for our teammates, for ourselves in general," Tuck said. :She has such a love for the game and it rubs off on everybody she coaches."

Semrau was an assistant coach to Jen Rizzotti as the U.S. won the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women in Chile. The team not only included Stewart and Tuck, UConn's top two scorers, but former Huskies Stefanie Dolson, Bria Hartley and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis. Semrau didn't need much prodding to talk about either Tuck or Stewart.

"I think Morgan is an unsung hero," Semrau said. "She is somebody who in the short corner is just deadly and that is what I want Ivey Slaughter to do.

"She (Stewart) is one of the best players on the planet, what can't she do? I know if I were coaching her there would be a lot of things but as a spectator, as an opposing coach, I think she is a special player."

What's interesting is that not only did Semrau coach both Stewart and Tuck with USA Basketball but so did the head coach of UConn's next opponent. LSU's Nikki (Caldwell) Fargas was an assistant coach on the U.S. U-18 team in 2012 and 2013 U-19 squad featuring Stewart, Tuck and Jefferson.