ST. LOUIS — It doesn’t get any larger than going out as an undefeated national champion, a big picture Renee Montgomery should experience tonight mostly because she has been relentless taking snapshots over four years.
“I don’t think there was a drill this year that I can remember she didn’t treat it like it was for the national championship,” said UConn coach Geno Auriemma. “Every dribble . . . every coming off a screen was at that level, and when you do that you expect to be at this point.”
Therefore, Auriemma can save the paranoia that his Huskies, who have already defeated tonight’s championship game opponent, Louisville, by 39 and 28 points this season, will visualize only the net-cutting ceremony tonight, not preceding business.
“Win the jump ball,” said Montgomery. “Start looking too far in advance, it causes trouble.”
Minutes after an 11-for-22 from the field, six assists and four steal performance in UConn’s domination of Stanford Sunday night, the senior point guard was at the podium saying: “Everyone play better in the tournament. I know [Louisville’s] not going to be the same team.”
The Cardinals are going to have to be five times the team the Huskies played before to beat the one that should become the first NCAA champion, men or women, to win every game by at least 10 points.
It’s been a long season filled with contests against teams who could make their seasons winning one game. Not only have the Huskies not come close to stumbling through the regular season grind, but haven’t shown signs of feeling any pressure. Every day they take it upon themselves to get better, not have an undefeated season.
For that they can thank not only Auriemma, but Montgomery, whom he discovered in St. Alban’s, Va., playing behind the highly recruited Alexis Hornbuckle, bound for two championships at Tennessee.
“I told [assistant coach] Chris Daley that we weren’t getting Hornbuckle,” Auriemma recalled. “I said, ‘Don’t worry we’re going to get the right one.’ ”
The grand prize, point guard and coach agree, only comes through the process.
But one game from the finish line even Auriemma talked about his biggest picture of all.
“In 1991, I just wanted to go to the Final Four because I had a couple seniors responsible for building our program,” he said. “Then in ’95 I really wanted Rebecca Lobo to go out as national champion and the same with Sue [Bird] and Diana [Taurasi in 2004]. Renee is one of those special people. I don’t know if I have ever wanted any more than I want this.”
