“By late Monday night, UConn’s Breanna Stewart will be on a very short list of the greatest female players to ever play at McKenzie Arena.”
-- UTC women’s basketball coach Jim Foster
America’s most talented female player - Breanna Stewart - on the best women’s college basketball team in the land - UConn – is in town for a one night showing, tonight (Monday) at McKenzie Arena to take on the Chattanooga women’s basketball.
Stewart will put her world class talents on display as the Chattanooga women’s squad hosts No.1 Huskies (3-0) at McKenzie Arena.
It’s the No.1 UConn Huskies coached by Geno Auriemma with tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.
and the game will be broadcast on 98.1 FM The Lake.
Game Tickets: Contact the McKenzie Arena ticket office (423.266.6627 -MOCS) or log onto GoMocs.com.
Stewart and her talents have been rewarded with a variety of national player of the year awards from high school and college and three world gold medals.
Win Streaks: Known to take on the best teams in the nation, the Mocs (5-2) put their 17-game home court win streak on the line against the big, bad, talented - and oh are they talented – ladies from UConn who have won 40 in a row.
Stewart is not the only UConn player with international gold as teammate Napaheesa Collier was a member of 2015 U19 world championship team.
Hosting the National Champions: This will be the second time Chattanooga has hosted the reigning National Championship team. The Mocs lost to defending NCAA champion Tennessee at the start of the 2008-09 season, 66-63.
UConn’s Latest Win: The Huskies defeated Nebraska, 88-46, Saturday at home in Hartford, Conn., while Stewart scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. She hit her first nine shots, and finished 10 of 11 from the floor, with three 3-pointers. It was her first double-double of the season, and the 26th of her career.
Growing up, Stewart played the usual myriad of sports – soccer, volleyball softball and basketball – but with plenty of height and the coordination to blocks shots left and right, Stewart understood early on the basketball was her game.
“I was tall as a kid with long arms and was a really a stick (thin) and being the tallest kid on my teams I could dominate around the basket,” said Stewart who was 6-2 in the eighth grade and a member of the varsity hoops team at Cicero-North Syracuse (NY) High School for five years.
“I learned early on to be a successful player I had to have a more balanced game – playing defense, shooting from outside – and not just relying on my height and staying near the basket.”
Referred to as “Stewie” by coach Auriemma, the individualized major with a 3.3. GPA, credits her coach for expanding and improving her game.’
“He is an intense coach who truly cares about his players and pushes us beyond what we think we can handle to make us the best we can be,” stated Stewart.
Victory Tour – Four Titles: There have been several great players come through the UConn program since “Coach Geno” took over in 1985, but no senior up to this point has four championship rings. Stewart would like to change that during 2016 March Madness.
Ironically, one team standing in UConn’s way is Notre Dame coached by Muffet McGraw.
Foster Family Tree: McGraw and Auriemma are not only connected by coaching at a high level in the same era, they both are past assistant coaches under UTC head coach Jim Foster when he was head coach at St. Joseph’s in his hometown of Philadelphia.
Foster and the Mocs host Notre Dame next season and also journey to UConn for the re-match.'
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net