Courant Photography Department Blog | Category Archives: UConn Women’s Basketball

Eighth Wonder

April 20, 2013 by Cloe Poisson

The UConn women won their eighth national championship earlier this month in New Orleans when they crushed rival Notre Dame, 83-65 in the semi-final and rolled over Louisville, 93-60, in the title game. They made it look easy in the Big Easy. They were led by freshman wunderkind Breanna Stewart, affectionately known as “Stewie” who was named the tournament Most Outstanding Player after scoring a total of 52 points over the two games. But the victory was truly a team effort. They were unstoppable.

Covering the Final Four was exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. It was a whirlwind of events starting with the Parade of Teams to kick off the weekend. Then the real work began with shooting team practices, press conferences, autograph-signing sessions, locker room scenes, the high school All America game, both semi-final games, more press conferences, and finally the big game.

Here is a sampling of some of my favorite images from the tournament.

Morgan Tuck, Breanna Stewart, Kiah Stokes, and Moriah Jefferson get into the spirit of the Big Easy all dressed up complete with feather boas in the Parade of Teams at Mardi Gras World Friday night where the four teams were introduced to fans.

Stefanie Dolson shoots a layup during an open practice at the New Orleans Arena the day before taking on Notre Dame in a semi-final game.

Associate head coach Chris Dailey sets a light-hearted mood during practice.

Skylar Diggins and the Irish looked relaxed and confident as they posed for a team photo at their open practice the day before the semi-final game.

Back in the locker room after practice, Stefanie Dolson removes an ice pack from her right leg which was healing from a stress fracture.

Breanna Stewart playfully tickles Chris Dailey as she is interviewed in the locker room after practice.

Moriah Jefferson reacts to a card delt while playing UNO with Morgan Tuck and Brianna Banks and Heather Buck (off camera), a locker room ritual for the group.

The team holds an autograph session for the legions of loyal fans who made the trip to New Orleans to cheer on their Huskies.

Skylar Diggins asserts herself against Bria Hartley early in the semi-final game, but UConn’s defense eventually brought the hammer down on Notre Dame’s shooting star, holding her to 10 points.

UConn’s Kelly Faris was instrumental in keeping Skylar Diggins away from the ball as the two former high school opponents from Indiana faced off.

Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw takes issue with a ref’s call in the second half as UConn pulls away.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis showed off her considerable skills adding 16 points against the Irish.

Caroline Doty shows why she’s the emotional leader for the Huskies as she leaps for joy as a teammate scores in the second half.

Stefanie Dolson battles Notre Dame’s Kayla McBride for a loose ball. McBride was the high scorer for the Irish with 16 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Huskies stifling defense.

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma directs his squad as they hold off Notre Dame.

Bria Hartley drives to the hoop as Skylar Diggins defends. Hartley scored 15 points in the game.

UConn fan Liz Manning cheers as the Huskies roll over Notre Dame.

As the clock winds down, Notre Dame’s Kayla McBride and Skylar Diggins can only watch as their 30-game winning streak comes to an end.

The Huskies leap into each other’s arms as they celebrate their victory over Notre Dame to advance to the national championship game. They lost to Notre Dame three times during the season.

The New Orleans Arena fills up as UConn and Louisville warm up before playing in the national championship.

Stefanie Dolson gets a mouthful of fingers from Louisville’s Bria Smith in the first half of the championship game. Dolson played through pain from a stress fracture throughout the tournament but managed 12 points and 6 rebounds in the game.

The Huskies, feeling the momentum building, celebrate after Breanna Stewart was fouled on a play.

Breanna Stewart dominated the game with 23 points and 9 rebounds.

Louisville head coach Jeff Walz gets in Shoni Schimmel’s face as UConn has it’s way with her in the championship game.

A highlight of the game came late in the second half when senior Heather Buck stole the ball from a Louisville player and scored on the fast break.

The bench erupts into cheers for Heather Buck as she punctuates UConn’s victory with a layup.

Members of the UConn pep band celebrate as UConn win is imminent.

Geno Auriemma is waiting with open arms as senior Kelly Faris leaves the game for the final time in a UConn uniform in the final minutes of the championship.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis cuts the last piece of one of the nets after UConn won the national championship.

Former UConn greats Maya Moore, Kalana Greene and Mel Thomas watch the celebration from the stands. Heather Buck’s Dad, David, is at left.

The Huskies hoist the championship trophy for the fans to see.

The team carries coach Geno Auriemma across the floor after UConn won their eighth national championship, tying Pat Summit’s record at Tennessee.

Women’s Final Four – UConn Bounced Again

April 4, 2012 by John Woike

When I heard I would be covering the UConn women’s basketball team during the post season I was excited at the prospect of them making it to the Final Four.

For selfish reasons I was looking forward to hooking up with my brother Jeff who has lived in Denver for 22 years and I haven’t been able to visit him as often as I would like. We would get together every other year to do a little skiing but I haven’t strapped my boards to my feet in a couple years now. I also have former colleagues from the Hartford Courant living in Boulder and Golden and really wanted to see them as well.

Sunset heading to Boulder Saturday night to meet with Michael Kodas and Carolyn Moreau for dinner. Shot with iPhone 3s using Instagram app.

Inside the Pepsi Center the court awaits for teams to compete for the national title and 30,000 fans cheering on Baylor, Stamford, Notre Dame and the University of Connecticut.

Fans lined the concourse to wait for a chance to get an autograph for the Huskies, some were fortunate, some left with empty hands due to a time constraint.

Jenny Sohm, of Witchita, KS, (L) and Catherine Kello of Washington, DC, aim their cameras towards the UConn women’s team hoping to take a souvenir home of their favorite players like…

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis who holds her 2 year old brother Xander Ali alongside teammate Brianna Banks.

When the autograph session ended the Lady huskies took to the court for a little practice for the fans.

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma gives Tiffany Hayes advice on a play during practice as associate head coach Chris Dailey, Kia Stokes, Caroline Doty and Kelly Faris listen in.

Some fans sported “net” hats and temporary tattoos as they watched teams work out.

The UConn women’s basketball team take a half-court shot as the buzzer sounds during their practice session.

Kia Stokes is serenaded by her teammates for her 19th birthday Saturday afternoon after the UConn women finished their practice, tradition calls for the birthday girl to skip around the court afterward.

There are always photos you wish you had at an event like this. One photo I wish I had been in a position to take was a meeting between UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and Tennessee head coach Pat Summit. I was on one end of the court when I saw a commotion at the other side, I wasn’t sure what it was but a small group of reporters and photographers had gathered off the baseline. By the time I realized what was going on and made my way there it was over and I missed the two coaches greeting and hugging one another. The once bitter rivals and titans of the women’s game have recently begun to mend their relationship after it was announced Summit is dealing with the effects of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

I used to beat myself up over missing a shot like that but today I realize you can’t be everywhere all the time. Be grateful for the ones you are able to capture and hope the next time you’re in the right place at the right time. I was able to follow her around for a few moments as she stopped to sign autographs for fans.

She brought smiles to the faces of many Tennessee fans as they lined up along the sidelines for a change to meet their idol.

Sunday afternoon Bria Hartley and Stefanie Dolson were the first of the Huskies to walk the walkway to the locker room before their semifinal game against Notre Dame.

The UConn marching band plays as Bria Hartley leads the Lady Huskies onto the court before a crowd of 30,000 in the first semifinal.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis’ 2 year old brother Xander Ali raises his arms to cheer for the team as they enter the arena.

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, associate head coach Chris Dailey, and assitant coaches Shea Ralph and Marisa Moseley know they have a tough task at hand as they face Big East rival Notre Dame for the 8th time in 15 months.

Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw (L) and associate head coach Jonathan Tsipis (R) greet UConn head coach Geno Auriemma before tip-off.

Freshmen Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis of UConn drives through Brittany Mallory of Notre Dame during the first half of the 2012 Women’s Final Four. at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, Sunday afternoon. KML played with assertiveness and scored 6 points in 13 minutes in the first half.

Kelly Faris of UConn splits the defense of Kayla McBride (L) and Devereaux Peters (R) of Notre Dame to hand out 4 of her first half assists.

Stefanie Dolson of UConn is double teamed by Devereaux Peters (L) and Natalie Achonwa (R) of Notre Dame in the first half but Dolson scored 12 points to help the Huskies take a 36-33 lead at the half.

Bria Hartley of UConn pushed the ball up court against Natalie Achonwa and Notre Dame during the first half scoring 10 points in 20 minutes.

(L to R) Tiffany Hayes and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis scramble for a loose ball against in the first half, Hayes had 4 points and 3 steals while Mosqueda-Lewis scored 6 points.

It was a physical game as Stefanie Dolson found out late in the first half as she tries to keep her contact lens from dropping to the floor.

The coaching staff and bench look on during the first half as Notre Dame builds a slight lead but the Huskies took a 36-33 lead at the half.

Bria Hartley drives past Natalie Achonwa of Notre Dame during the second half as the two teams exchanged baskets for most of the second half as neither one could get a lead larger than five points.

It was a very physical game as Bria Hartley gets fouled by Devereuax Peters of Notre Dame during the second half.

When Stefanie Dolson picked up her fourth foul at the 17:19 mark of the second half UConn had to put sit their starting center and play a four guard line-up and use freshmen Kia Stokes until Dolson returned with 10:09 remaining.

With Dolson in foul trouble head coach Geno Auriemma, associate head coach Chris Dailey and Kelly Faris ponder their game plan after Dolson picked up that 4th foul.

Freshmen Kia Stokes is triple teamed as she takes a shot during the second half. Stokes only scored 2 points and grabbed 2 rebounds in the second half but gave Uconn a presence inside while Dolson sat with four fouls.

Natalie Novosel helps Skylar Diggins up after drawing a charging foul against Bria Hartley during the second half of the first game keeping the Irish up by a point at the 14:28 point.

(L to R) Skylar Diggins and Bria Hartley battle for a loose ball during the second half, Diggins grabbed the ball and called timeout.

Tiffany Hayes looked for the foul as she drove to the hoop against Devereaux Peters (R) as Kayla McBride looks on during the second half.

(L to R) Kia Stokes and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis are pumped after Mosqueda-Lewis scored a basket and drew the foul late in the second half against Notre Dame. After hitting the free throw the Huskies trailed by two with 12:48 remaining.

Kelly Faris splits the defense of Natalie Achonwa (L) and Devereaux Peters (R) late in the second half to rally the Huskies.

Kelly Faris stole the ball from a stumbling Natalie Novosel with 01:22 left in regualtion. It was the beginning of a wild finish of the second half.

Caroline Doty leads the UConn bench in celebration as the Huskies close the gap at the end of regulation against Notre Dame when Kelly Faris stole the ball, drove to the hoop and was fouled.

Faris gets encouragement from Tiffany Hayes, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Kia Stokes after drawing the foul and heading to the line for two free throws.

She hit them both to give UConn a 67-65 lead with :11 remaining in the game, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma had this to say about the end of regulation. “I made a huge mistake of taking Kia Stokes out of the game at that point. We went with five guards so that we could switch all their screens. And in the end one defensive rebound would have won it for us. That’s the part I’m going home with.”

With five guards on the floor the Huskies pressed and Skylar Diggins missed layup bounced off the backboard as Caroline Doty lies on the floor and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis tries to keep Natalie Novosel from the rebound…

but Novosel had the inside position on Mosqueda-Lewis and beat her to the ball with less than 5 seconds remaining…

and made the shot that tied the score at 67 forcing OT.

I used a remote mounted along the catwalk high above the basket. With all the commotion in the closing seconds of the game I didn’t have time to pick up my camera with a long lens for the far side of the court so I reached over to the remote and just pushed the trigger hoping for something. When I got the card and started to edit the images I was happier than a pig in you know what at the results. With Doty on the floor and the sequence of players streaming into the frame it captured the what ended up being the play of the game.

“The game sometimes hangs on one play,” Auriemma said. “Kelly Faris steals the ball, misses the layup and gets two free throws. If she gets the layup and the foul shot, we’re up three instead of two.”

Stefanie Dolson listens to head coach Geno Auriemma during a timeout before the start of overtime.

Auriemma pleads with Caroline Doty, Tiffany Hayes, Kelly Faris Stefanie Dolson and Kia Stokes to defend their ground in OT.

Tiffany Hayes drove to the basket against Brittany Mallory for 2 of her 10 points but she turned the ball over 6 times in 39 minutes and a couple of 3 pointers by Mallory…

Extended Notre Dame’s lead in the extra period. Mallory finished with 11 points and 5 assists in 41 minutes.

“As most games do, the game turned on one great play by a great player,” Auriemma said of Novosel. “And once we got into overtime, we just didn’t have enough. Brittany Mallory made two shots and that’s who we wanted to take them. God bless her, she stepped up and made them.”

When the final buzzer went off Stefanie Dolson wiped tears from her face as Notre Dame celebrated their 83-75 victory. Dolson finished with 20 points and 9 rebounds in 34 minutes.

Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw and her bench jump in joy after defeating UConn and earned the change to play Baylor for the national championship on Tuesday night.

Stefanie Dolson tries to compose herself as reporters ask her questions in the locker room after the 83-75 defeat. “It just sucks” she said trailing off into tears. “We worked so hard all season, and to end just end it this way, it doesn’t feel good.”

Tiffany Hayes said she was proud of her team and teammates after suffering an 83-75 loss in overtime. Many didn’t think the Huskies would make back to the Final Four but Hayes was happy they were able to be there but wished the season hadn’t ended this way.

“What can I say?” coach Geno Auriemma said. “We put ourselves into position to win.”

Pro Tip: I’ve been fortunate enough to have attended a few Final Four championships. I worked as an editor/technician for staffers Rich Messina and Bradley Clift in 1999 when the men won their first title. I was in Philly and San Antonio for the women when they won in the mid 2000′s. I went to Detroit for the men’s Final Four when they lost to Michigan State in 2005. Each time I’ve gone I have had the privilege to work with some outstanding people from the Courant, the NCAA and other newspapers and wire services. Each time time I’ve come away with new friendships and knowledge.

Tim Rasmussen, Director of Photography at the Denver Post, hooked me up with his chief photographer John Ledya. He gave me advice as to what lens to use for the overhead shots at the end of regulation. He also was able to secure a spot for me on the catwalk so I could mount my camera, next to probably 8 others from various papers and wires services. I owe a lot to them and Jamie Schwaberow ?of NCAA photos, who I met through Jay L. Clendenin, a former Courant photog. Contacts, experience and a little luck helped me to achieve the results I hoped for. I wish I could have stayed longer but hey, there’s always next year, and listening to Geno after the game, I would love to be in New Orleans next year for another go round. Until then…

Finding their Mojo

March 9, 2012 by Cloe Poisson

The UConn women got down to business at the XL Center Tuesday night. They brought their fighting game to defeat the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, 63-54, to win the Big East championship, their fifth consecutive title and 18th overall. After a four-loss season and coming into the tournament as the third seed (13-3, Big East) they finally jelled as a team to defeat their nemesis who had beat them in their last three meetings, starting with last year’s heartbreaking national semi-final when Notre Dame eliminated the Huskies, 72-63. The last straw was on February 27, when they lost 72-59 at the XL Center. But Tuesday, they came out with energy and confidence and didn’t flinch when Notre Dame fought back. They made head coach Geno Auriemma proud, finally playing the game “his way.”

Bria Hartley leads the team onto the court before the Big East Championship game. They wore their road uniforms and sat on the visitors bench, something they are unaccustomed to, since they were the third seed this year coming off a 13-3 Big East season.

Head coach Geno Auriemma gets the attention of his starting lineup for some last minute instructions before the game.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis fights Notre Dame's Skylar Diggins and Devereaux Peters for a rebound in the first half.

Tiffany Hayes has the ball tipped away by Notre Dame's Skylar Diggins in the first half.

Geno Auriemma makes a point to his team during a time out.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Tiffany Hayes and Kelly Faris crowd the paint while battling Notre Dame's Kayla McBride and Devereaux Peters for the rebound late in the second half .

Big East Player of the Year and Notre Dame star Skylar Diggins (center) shows her frustration with UConn's defense in the second half. Notre Dame led by one point at the half, but UConn came out strong to dominate in the second half.

Kelly Faris, who contributed two huge threes in the second half, was fierce defensively as she wrestled a loose ball away from Devereaux Peters.

Bria Hartley drives the lane hard to score against Skylar Diggins during a furious scoring flourish in the second half. Hartley finished with 18 points and seven rebounds.

Caroline Doty, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Tiffany Hayes hug teammate Bria Hartley after she scored and drew a foul in the second half.

After getting a bloody nose in the second half, Bria Hartley is still in the game even as she sits on the bench.

Tiffany Hayes playfully points to Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis just before she is announced as the tournament Most Outstanding Player. The freshman scored 19 points in the championship game and 58 points in the tournament.

Geno Auriemma hugs senior Tiffany Hayes after UConn won the Big East championship. It was Auriemma's 800th career win, UConn's 18th title and Hayes' last Big East tournament.

Tiffany Hayes hoists the championship trophy as she and her teammates pose for photos after their hard-fought victory.