Usually, any conversation about a big win begins with Breanna Stewart's performance. Against Notre Dame on Sunday, the best player in college basketball had 15 points in UConn's 76-58 win, a game that saw the Huskies trailing by 10 points midway through the first half before Kiah Stokes and Morgan Tuck put the team on their backs down the stretch.
Stokes had 18 rebounds in 24 minutes and Tuck scored a career-high 25 points.
"I think the most significant outcome is people stepped up since the Stanford game, Kiah and Morgan's performance. They are capable of doing this every single night," said Stewart. "That's what we need as a team and we'll use that going forward."
Coach Geno Auriemma then dropped this interesting nugget.
"Morgan didn't do anything I didn't think she could do. Morgan might be the best basketball player on our team," he said, via the Hartford Courant. "Stewie is Stewie, obviously. But because Morgan is a little stronger, she makes a big three, she drives it to the basket, she is a pretty good passer, she's a good defender, she rebounds, she talks a lot on defense..."
After pausing, Auriemma then spoke about Stokes.
"What Kiah did today, I've seen her do a lot in practice once a week. Now, the thing is, a game like today, does that make her want to do this every day in practice and every game she plays from here on out? If she does, we're a completely different team."
To hear Stokes tell it, she certainly thinks she can be consistent from one game to the next.
"I knew when I went in there I needed to block shots and rebound, especially defensively," she said. "I know that is one thing I can do. (Early in the game) they kept getting a lot of layups. I'm like why don't we just block shots? Second-chance points and easy layups, they are two things I know I can stop," she told the Courant. "I know one thing our guards are looking for is for me and Stewie to give some help in the lane so they can pressure the guards. ...
"I like the way I feel right now," Stokes continued. "Coach is happy with me. It's a great feeling. I've got to take this moment and next time we practice bring the same thing. It can't be now and again. I've got to repeat it and repeat it and repeat it."
