As the final seconds ticked down in the women's national championship game, four Mississippi State seniors fought tears and tried to comfort one another.
That's to be expected. Their college careers ended one victory short of the first national championship in Hail State history. They were heartbroken after Sunday night's 67-55 defeat at the hands of Southeastern Conference nemesis South Carolina.
Dominique Dillingham, who plays the game as relentlessly as it can be played, lost her battle of emotions. She wept. So did Chinwe Okorie, Breanna Richardson and Ketara Chapel. Dillingham and Richardson were playing their final college game in their home state. Richardson came to State from Georgia, Okorie, all the way from Nigeria.
Some day, hopefully soon, the hurt will subside and they can celebrate what they accomplished, which was plenty. They were key parts of teams that won 111 games while losing only 34. That's a 76.6 percent winning percentage in the toughest women's basketball conference in the land. They won 34 games as seniors. On the way to the national championship game, they defeated, in three consecutive games: Washington and Kelsey Plum, best player in college basketball; No. 1 seed Baylor with its seven five-star recruits, and, most impressively, the No. 1 ranked UConn Huskies, who had won 111 consecutive games.
“These seniors have been very, very special,” Schaefer said. “They believed in a vision five years ago when we recruited them, when it wasn't easy to believe… These kids believed. They made it happen... They're always going to have a special place in my heart because of what they've accomplished, for believing and trusting in us.”
Schaefer virtually promised that State will be back in the Final Four, and he hinted it could be soon.
“We've got a heckuva team coming back and the nation's 19th ranked recruiting class coming in,” Schaefer said.
It would not surprise this observer if State makes it back sooner than later. They have coming back the darling of this NCAA Tournament, point guard Morgan William, leading scorer Victoria Vivians and Teaira McCowan, a 6-foot, 7-inch post player who should make a small fortune playing this game. William and Vivians will be seniors, McCowan a junior.
That's the future, but whatever happens for Mississippi State women's basketball – and a national championship is not out of the question – the foundation was laid by the four seniors. Vic Schaefer's system is defined by tough, physical basketball. The four seniors showed all who come behind them how it is done: By defending, man-to-man, as if your life depends on every possession, by taking charges and gladly taking the bruises that come with them and by diving after loose balls as if they were made of gold. Dillingham, especially, epitomizes all that.
My seat on press row for the championship game was right behind the State bench. Schaefer obviously loves his players, but “tough love” is very much a huge part of his system. He doesn't accept anything less than maximum effort. If he sees anything less from any player, she quickly has a seat on the bench.
What Schaefer did Sunday night was a perfect example. William was a half-step slower than she normally is after playing 44 minutes Friday night, so she took a seat on the bench and was replaced by sophomore Jazzmun Holmes. When Holmes played well and gave the Bulldogs a spark, Schaefer left her in the game. It seemed odd: William, suddenly a national hero, watching the fourth quarter.
Afterward, somebody asked William about it and this is what she said: “Jazzmun went out there and did a good job. She had energy, which was what Coach was looking for...she went three for five from the field, she was putting pressure on the ball and scoring points, so I can’t be mad. It’s what was best for the team.”
That kind of attitude bodes well for State's future. That's the kind of attitude Dillingham, Okorie, Richardson and Chapel have made the norm at State. They leave Mississippi State much, much better than they found it.
Rick Cleveland is a Jackson-based syndicated columnist. His email address is rcleveland@mississippitoday.org.
11 comments:
With South Carolina seeing its number 2 and 3 scorers leave early for the WNBA, plus its senior center graduate, the only team that will be more talented than MSU next year should be UConn.
If we can get some quality minutes from our freshman backup center and find a hard-nosed 4 to defend and rebound (likely Ameshya Williams), another Final Four run is within reach.
There are two transfers that had to sit this year that will be immediate help for next year. They are both described as having "South Carolina type build".
Added to returning starters, MSU should be better next year.
We know that we are better than UCONN now, so I don't really see how we can be stopped next year.
Careful, 11:06. We came into the tournament this year with revenge on our minds, and you can believe that UConn will do the same thing next year. We'll be lucky to beat them again.
Amazing to see the stroke of luck South Carolina's had since they took down the confederate flag from the state capitol.
Coastal Carolina won the college world series
Clemson won a national championship in football
Now South Carolina's women's basketball team won a national championship
But we'll hold on to confederate battle emblem in our flag - because we are winners for standing up for Dixie - who lost in the war of northern aggression! Yee-haw!
12:38, maybe Gov. Feel would change his mind if he heard that argument. Otherwise, we sadly will continue to have future months and years for Mississippi to honor the confederacy.
Like Jimmy V's NC State team, these young women have become the hope that hard work, every member of a team giving their best, good coaching and love of the game still matter. David can still slew Goliath.
Lots of teams win games, few teams become legendary. Our Lady Bulldogs made basketball history.
And, every Mississippian and most of the Nation was a Bulldog fan for one glorious week and are fans of this team of extraordinary young women for a lifetime.
I think we need to replace the Mississippi flag, but you HAVE to be kidding about this causal link between South Carolina removing the Confederate flag and some athletic championships. The flag came down in SC largely because of Dylann Roof shooting up a Charleston church and killing nine people, an act which focused the efforts of state officials and activists upon the flying of the banner. That was less than two years ago.
The teams that won those victories and those championships you mention were being built well before that. The seeds of Clemson's and USC's and Coastal Carolina's teams were planted while that flag was flying. It was the efforts of the athletes and the coaches that won, not some mystical "luck" that was bestowed upon the state by the gods of social justice.
Back when Katrina hit, Joe Kennedy wrote an article blaming the storm hitting Mississippi on then-Governor Haley Barbour's role in Bush not signing the Kyoto Protocol in 2001. In other words, Katrina was Haley's fault. Kennedy was/is a moron, and your assertion is equally absurd.
So, you want the flag to change? I agree with you. I voted to change it in 2001 (even though I didn't like the new flag design) and will vote to change it again. But a bullshit statement like that makes you look idiotic, and by assigning their accomplishments to mere luck you steal the glory from the athletes who worked hard to achieve their goals.
@ April 6, 2017 at 2:15 PM - "The flag came down in SC largely because of Dylann Roof shooting up a Charleston church and killing nine people, an act which focused the efforts of state officials and activists upon the flying of the banner."
You didn't clearly understand the post - let me repeat what was previously stated ever so clearly - stressing the main words in my original post
"AMAZING TO SEE THE STROKE of LUCK South Carolina's had SINCE they took down the confederate flag from the state capitol."
Yes the flag was taken down due to Roof's actions, however SINCE the flag has come down - the state has been fortunate to see their own state colleges bring back three national championships in three different sports.
So in my personal opinion, that act of good will was rewarded with three major events for the whole state
@ April 6, 2017 at 3:24 PM So in my personal opinion, that act of good will was rewarded with three major events for the whole state
So, in your estimation, the championships are "rewards" for removing the flag from the Columbia Capitol building.
I believe I understood you perfectly, and I stand by what I said - that that is absurd.
April 6, 2017 at 4:28 PM - "I believe I understood you perfectly, and I stand by what I said - that that is absurd."
Yep - and that's why Mississippi is in the condition it is now!? You want to practice extraordinary spiritual beliefs, but do not believe in practicing those beliefs in regards to your fellow Mississippians.
We have a million churches in this state - but however - nothing extraordinary ever happens spiritually to bring the people in this state together!? I hope it doesn't take innocent lives to do so!?
You cast doubt and this state is evidence of that doubt. The Southern Baptist Convention came out and said, take the flag down - as a Christian - if you truly believe - then do what is right. But low and behold, you, Phil Bryant and Tate Reeves cast doubt - but still want to thump a bible claiming it is a promise for a new and better day in Mississippi!
My message is to all the so-called Christians in Mississippi that support the current flag and I ask them to look at South Carolina as an example.
But that message is still not connecting - however - it's connecting for South Carolina and to them so go's the spoils of victory! Three National Championships later, who has the last laugh?? Mississippi or South Carolina - the state we followed going into the confederacy?
Isn't it ironic that once South Carolina removed the confederacy from the narrative of state politics - that three of their state colleges won National Championships in Football, Basketball, and Baseball? Then on top of that Boeing opened up an additional manufacturing plant, giving thousands of South Carolinians opportunity for a job with great wages!
This is an out of body extraordinary experience on what is happing in South Carolina since they retired the confederate flag!
Mississippi does not have the social/economic capital or social/economic equity to ignore all the good things that have happened in South Carolina since they lowered the confederate flag. Its high time Phil Bryant and Tate Reeves come to their senses and address the confederate emblem in our state flag.
South Carolina is proof of that!
When do we get tired of being stuck at 50th!?
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