FROM SMALL TOWN TO BIG CITY...RETTA FINDS HER SECOND HOME
CARDINAL COUPLE had the chance yesterday to speak with her about her All-American game performance and her choosing Louisville....as well as several other subjects. In typical Paulie fashion, there is also a bit of schmaltz and humor included as well in the nine-minute interview. You'll find a link to hear the interview at the end of this segment...we'll hit a couple of the highlights here.
Why Louisville?
'Louisville is home away from home. Being from California, Kentucky is a long way to go so I wanted to be somewhere that I was comfortable and I felt like I was around family."
The All-American Game
"Honestly, I think I just played my game. I just did what I needed to get done...like rebounding, scoring when we needed points and just being a supportive player off the court, too. Keeping everyone fired up."
What areas of your game are your going to work hardest on?
"Definitely getting into college-level shape and my ball-handling and shooting.
If you could be an animal, what animal would you be?
"A lion. Because I'm super-aggressive. And because they're really pretty!"
You wear #32. Is their a significance to that number?
"I love Blake Griffin. I've also worn it since I began playing basketball.
A great interview with one of the future 2017-18 WBB Cards! We'll try to catch up with Dana Evans and Lindsey Duvall in future interviews as well.
LINK TO ENTIRE INTERVIEW AUDIO:
KAKALA ON CARDINAL COUPLE 3/30/17
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UCONN STREAK ENDS AT 111.
No, this isn't an April Fool's joke.
No five-peat, The 111 game win streak ended.
Mississippi State delivered the first blows in an exciting semi-final game last night, weathered the UConn comeback and forced overtime...winning on a Morgan William drive and floater over UConn's Gabby Williams as time expired to seal a major-upset win over the Huskies 66-64. After Saniya Chong turned the ball over with 12.3 second left in the extra session, Mississippi State regained possession and called a timeout. Head Coach Vic Schaefer told William:
"Mo...you're about to win the game."
And he was right. At the end of regulation, Morgan had tried a similar move. Gabby swatted that effort away. This time, the ball cleared Gabby's up-raised hand and found net success.
Schaefer was jubilant after the win:
"What an unbelievable, gusty performance that no one in the country probably thought could happen. We beat the greatest team, with the greatest win streal in the history of sports."
Losing coach Geno Auriemma's thoughts on the defeat:
Credit the MSU defense as well. Schaefer, who engineered the defense that took Texas A&M to a title in 2011 when he was an assistant there, laid out a defensive strategy that forced 17 turnovers, held UConn to almost twenty points below their season average and turned a usually dependable and patient squad into one that lost its composure and became frustrated.
An SEC final. If someone had told you that at the start of the season, you probably would have passed it off as a delusional, fanatical Kentucky Wildcats fan trying to raise the ire of a rival fan base.
It has come to pass. Mr. Samuelson goes 0-2 on Friday night.
Nothing stings like getting this far and then having to go home. A bitter taste that even Geno's Spaghetti Sauce won't be able to vanquish. See ya, Huskies.
SOUTH CAROLINA TAKES THE TREES DOWN
South Carolina advances. After a forgettable first half, the Gamecocks erase a nine-point deficit and down Stanford 62-53. How big was the hobbling of Stanford's Karlie Samuelson and the ankle sprain with about five minutes until halftime? How huge were the efforts from USC'S Allisha Gray (18 points) and the double-double from Aja Wilson (13 points and 19 rebounds?)
When the 'Cocks lost Alaina Coates in mid-march...shortly before tournament time...most figured that the Dawn Staley squad would make a brief apperance in the tournament and then head home. Some wondered if they'd reach Stockton for the regional.
Survive and advance. It's the catch phrase this time of year.
For what it's worth...South Carolina won both contests against the Bulldogs this year. A 64-61 win in mid-January and 59-49 victory in the SEC Tournament finals.
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THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR
Should be a good show. We'll play the Retta Kakala interview and get the guys opinion on men's and women's hoops, softball, lacrosse and more.
Always live, always unpredictable and always worth the hour you spend listening.
11 a.m. WCHQ 100.9 Listen at www.crescenthillradio.com
March Madness is now April Awareness
paulie
xxxxx
Wow....what a game! I watched it with my poker group, several of whom had never seen a WBB game before. I think we gained a few new fans for the sport.
ReplyDeleteWhat can you say about Morgan William? She's what sports is all about.
Paulie and Blue, I'm glad I didn't mortgage the house to wager on UConn.
I just went back and watched the replay on ESPN3. The game was just as great on replay. The ESPN team of O'Brien, Burke and Lawson did their normal excellent job. O'Brien made a great call of the final play.
ReplyDeleteWow what a game Msst played a good game Uconn shots didn't fall & Morgan was great.
DeleteMLW
This is a great interview with Kakala. Thank you for doing it~
ReplyDeleteCurtis "I like to bowl, too" Franklin