Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Quote of the Day

On leading Louisville to an upset win in the Sweet Sixteen over Baylor, the team with perhaps the most dominant woman ever to play NCAA basketball:
"It's my mentality to keep going at her. She's Brittney Griner, but I mean, I'm Shoni Schimmel, so I'm going to keep going at her, you know?"
It's such a great quote.

To many fans, it was a foregone conclusion that Baylor, the tournament's No. 1 seed, would win another championship. Many had this belief largely because Baylor's not only a great team, but they have the talents of 6'8" star player, Griner, whom at least one NBA coach would offer the opportunity for a tryout. (Griner's Twitter response: "I would hold my own! Let's do it!")

What I love about Schimmel's quote is that it's not empty, foolish bravado. It's emblematic of confidence combined with actual ability to back it up - and it's a confidence that endured against an Expert Narrative telling her that she and her team didn't have a shot in hell.

I've enjoyed watching Griner and some experts think that Baylor losing will make the NCAA Finals less exciting to watch, but, well, I love an underdog story, so I'd love to see Louisville seal the deal. (Are these adequate sporty colloquialisms? I'm not sure. I just keep hearing Sportscaster Voice in my head, saying some of these things as I write this post.)

Nonetheless, best wishes to both players in the future!

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