UCONN, Notre Dame, and a Women's Basketball Classic
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Book Review Bird at the Buzzer: UCONN, Notre Dame, and a Women’s Basketball Classic Jeff Goldberg Reviewed by Sonya Sanderson, Valdosta State University Bird at the Buzzer is a new book written by Jeff Goldberg and published by the University of Lincoln Press in March 2011. The information found in this book comes from the period when Mr. Goldberg wrote for the Chicago Tribune from 1985 to 2008. He was in charge of covering the University of Notre Dame and the University of Connecticut (UCONN) January and March of 2001 collegiate games, which are discussed in this book While I was not impressed with the writer’s comparisons between male athletes and female performance, I did appreciate his background information on the ESPN announcers, the universities involved, coaches of the respec- tive teams discussed and their relationships with one another, and the female basketball players themselves. Before reading this book, I would suggest to prospective readers to study the line-ups for the 2000-01 teams of Notre Dame and UCONN (pp. 168 or 245), if they are unfamiliar with the athletes who played in the January and March 2001 games. If not, you will find yourself going back and fourth to keep up with which player is being discussed throughout the book. If you are a fan of women’s college basketball and can overlook some of the male analogies and the distorted chronology of events during a few chapters, Goldberg has captured many monumental moments in time leading to the rise of women’s collegiate basketball. The play-by-play Goldberg portrayed during the first and the second half chapters is so compelling readers will feel like they were there in the stands watching the game! Introduction Chapter This chapter sets the stage for the January 16, 2010 game between Notre Dame and UCONN. The author describes Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut, where the game was played, from the outside view to the packed interior. He identifies the ESPN announcers for the night’s big game (Dan Shulman, Doris Burke, and Dick Vitale) and describes in detail how monumental the game was for women’s basketball. This particular game was the first ever ESPN Game Day for women’s basketball and the first ever “Instant Classic” (where ESPN replayed a game later). Goldberg also discusses the triumphs of the 2010 UCONN team from their back-to-back undefeated seasons to their 89 game-winning streak, which broke the all-time 88 game-winning streak record of the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team. Tip-Off Chapter This chapter begins by setting the stage for the upcoming play-by-play of the UCONN and Notre Dame Basketball game for the Big East Final on March 6, 2001. The big discussion of the day would be about Sue Bird WSPAJ Vol. 20, No. 2 Fall 2011 94 Bird at the Buzzer and whether she would play, since she had been unable the heat for UCONN. With 5:27 minutes remaining in to play in the semi-finals against Rutgers University the the first half, Ralph twisted her left knee when driving night before due to a back injury. This game would to the basket for a shot, thus leaving UCONN with become one of the biggest rivalry games in the Big East two of their outstanding senior players injured on the since Notre Dame handed UCONN one of only two bench. Going into half-time, UCONN was up 52-46 defeats of the season in front of a first-ever sold-out and remained on top until the final seconds of the crowd in the Joyce Center. Coach Geno Auriemma game. With 5.1 seconds remaining, and UCONN up stated that this 2001 team “was the most talented 76-74, Schumacher fouled Riley and sent her to the team he had coached in his 16 years at UCONN.” line for a two-shot free throw attempt. Riley made both Coach Auriemma made this statement because he was shots and tied the game at 76-76. In front of a crowd returning all of his starters from the 2000 National of 10,027, and with 5.1 seconds left on the clock, Bird Championship Team including Bird, who had just been received the inbound pass and dribbled down court to named to the First Team Big East, and Swin Cash to the sink the final shot of the game, putting UCONN up Second Team [AQ: CONFUSING SENTENCE]. This 78-76, thus winning the Big East final. Goldberg lists was also the year that the freshman sensation Diana the all-tournament team for the 2001 Big East final Taurasi would first grace the hardwoods for UCONN. as Ruth Riley (also named the 2001 national player of Geno Aurienmma (UCONN’s head coach), Muffet the year), Kelley Siemon, and Alicia Ratay from Notre McGraw (Notre Dame’s head coach), and Jim Foster Dame; Asijha Jones, Shea Ralph, and Diana Taurasi (former Vanderbilt, and now The Ohio State head from UCONN, with Diana as the tournament MVP. coach) Are discussed throughout this chapter. These Even though Sue Bird played a tough game and had coaches not only coached against one another but the winning shot at .09, she received no awards for her also shared a past from their coaching experiences play that night. in Pennsylvania during the late 1970s. McGraw was Overtime Chapter the head coach at Lehigh (a private 4-year college In this final chapter, Goldberg writes about the in Bethlehem, PA), Foster was the head coach at St. upcoming 2001 final four and sets the stage for the next Josephs (Philadelphia, PA), and Aurienmma was the meeting between UCONN and Notre Dame. Notre assistant coach at St. Josephs under Foster. Foster was Dame won the January 2001 meeting and UCONN instrumental in McGraw’s decision to apply for her won the March 2001 meeting. Notre Dame then made job at Notre Dame. The author also provides future its place in women’s basketball history by beating highlights for several of the players (five would become UCONN in the final four and later beating Purdue in Olympians and eight would be first-round selections the championship game in the final seconds to become in the Women’s National Basketball Association) who the National Basketball Women’s Collegiate Champion participated in that Big East Final on March 6, 2001. in 2001. With the title Bird at the Buzzer, one might First Half and Second Half Chapters think the book would just be about UCONN and Sue Goldberg paints a visual picture of the game with Bird, but Goldberg discusses many different teams and his play-by-play enactment from the initial tip-off to athletes on the road to the rise of Notre Dame beating Ruth Riley, to Shea Ralph making the game’s first steal, UCONN in 2001. One must give Goldberg credit for to the final shot of the game where Sue Bird wins the acknowledging the strength of the Notre Dame team game for UCONN by sinking a 12-foot jumper over when concluding his book and giving accolades to the Riley. Notre Dame took a quick lead in the first 75 coaches and the players from the 2000-2001 University seconds of the game until Diana Taurasi turned up of Notre Dame team. WSPAJ Vol. 20, No. 2 Fall 2011 95.