Originally Posted by
greybeard
Was at the game. My daughter, a soph in a DC high school, finished her first varsity season and I wanted to see how the game is played at the higher levels. Terrific game to watch, pass and catch sport, with pass and catch, in my opinion, being the best, most fun thing one can do in sport.
Duke has a terrific long passing game. Absent the checks of the men's game, the women's passing game is much more dramatic in the open field. Many truly impressively accurate passing to players at full sprint.
What amazes is the very, very few number of drops or misses off of those and other passes. Anybody ever take a look at what passes for baskets at the end of those sticks. Small doesn't begin to describe it.
Oh, and did I mention that these players run. I mean the stride that several of the Duke athletes put out weaving down the field was incredible to see.
And the half court passing game, with clear outs on the side of the ball, with a screen or two on the other side, and a player receiving it coming off the screen and taking it to 15 and letting go a sidearm shot, usually a terrifically gifted women named Carol (I think) Davis, whose Dad (a former player for the 'Cuse) and Uncle tried to explain some of the rules to me.
If you get a chance, take in one of these games. I like that they have kept "girl's rules" in play. It leaves some of the elan in the game, and takes a lot of the injuries out of the game. It does not, as some have said (not here) make it less interesting as a sport.
In light of the cover story in this Sunday's Times Magazine, "Girl's Hurting", one can only applaud that of the many athletes on both teams, only one was wearing a knee brace. Carol, she tore her ACL last year. You have to see her, though, as graceful and quick an attack with a deadly shot as you'll see anywhere.
Next week at Maryland. You'll recognize me. I'll be the old guy who never questionjs a ref's call because I still don't have a clue about the rules.
Oh, if anybody knows the coach, tell him my kid never losses a faceoff, can run with anyone, and has a rocket. Maybe next year I won't have to hide behind the stands to watch her.