2010 NCAA Women's Championship Notebook

“My teammates were kidding me she was going to score more than 40,” said Ogwumike. Ogwumike retained the record as Moore finished with 34.

In Tuesday’s title game, UConn (38-0) will be seeking victory No.78 in a row and NCAA title No.7 while Stanford (36-1), the last team to beat the Huskies, at the 2008 Final Four, is going for a third national title. There will be a game within the game with All-Americans Moore and Ogwumike.

Moore, a 6-0 junior guard/forward who has earned national player of the year awards last season and this, is averaging 24.2 ppg and shooting 60.7% from three-point range during the tournament.

“She’s the best player in the college game, and she’s better than a lot of the professionals, too,” said Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer.

Ogwumike, a 6-2 sophomore forward averaging 18.2 ppg for the season, has been called the most improved sophomore in the country by UConn coach Geno Auriemma.

“She’s very aggressive,” said Moore. “Very athletic. She can rebound. She can score. She runs the floor and is very active.”

Ogwumike is just as complimentary of Moore: “Obviously, she’s a really good shooter. She really knows how to create her own shot and she reads the defense well. She does a really good job of knowing what to do with the ball.”

If a Dec. 23 matchup that host UConn won 80-68 is an indication, Moore and Ogwumike could spend a lot of time guarding one another. They’re different type players. Moore is a shooter who can also slash; Ogwumike gets most of her points inside 15 feet.

“It’s going to be a great matchup to watch and to play in,” said Ogwumike.

As VanDerveer noted, “We can’t have it be a one-on-one match. It can’t be Maya Moore versus one person for us. We have to really help on her. And not only do they have her, they have the second-best player in (center) Tina Charles.”

In the December matchup, Stanford went on a 15-2 first-half run to take a 40-38 halftime lead. Early in the second half, UConn went on a 30-6 run to take control.

“They’re an excellent shooting team, but their defense is what’s working for them now,” VanDerveer said. “They create a lot of turnovers. You’ve got to really value possession of the ball. You can’t give them second shots. You’ve got to limit good looks that they get. Even if you’re right there on them, they can still make shots.”

Old buddies: Charles and Stanford’s Jayne Appel have been playing against each other since they were 11 and AAU rivals. “She’s one of my great basketball friends,” said Appel.

The 6-4 Appel and 6-3 Charles, who has received several player-of-the-year awards this season, are All-Americans and expected to be early picks in Thursday’s WNBA draft.

Appel has had a rough season that started slowly due to off-season surgery on her left knee; lately she's been handicapped by a right ankle sprain. To minimize stress on the ankle, she rides an exercise bike instead of running the court for most practices.

“She’s an absolute warrior,” VanDerveer said. “She is in pain. She feels her wind is good in getting up and down, but she is clearly not the All-American player that was playing that way for us a month ago. Her ankle is holding her back. She won’t tell you that, but I can see it.”

Streaking: A win Tuesday would extend UConn’s record to 78 for consecutive wins in Division I women’s basketball. The next milestone would be 88, the record established by the UCLA men in the 1970s.

The Huskies could open next season against visiting Baylor, their Sunday semifinal opponent who will have 6-8 Brittney Griner and other key players returning. In another tough non-conference game next season, the Huskies will have to go on the road against Stanford. Both Baylor and Stanford should be highly ranked.

Auriemma said that eight of next year’s 11 non-conference opponents were ranked in the top-15 at some point this season. The Huskies lose two starters, All-American Tina Charles and Kalana Greene, and will have five freshmen.

“Ain’t gonna happen,” the coach said about breaking the 88-game streak. “If it does happen, I’ll quit right there on the spot -- February 1st. I’ll walk away.”

He was kidding, just trying to illustrate the difficulty of the accomplishment.

Shooting: While Ogwumike and Moore were filling up the basket in the semifinals, the Connecticut and Stanford guards struggled. Connecticut’s backcourt went 1-for-16 with Tiffany Hayes (1-for-8), Caroline Doty (0-for-6) and Kelly Farris (0-for-2) while Stanford’s went 4-for-18 with Rosalyn Gold-Onwude (2-for-9), Jeanette Pohlen (1-for-7) and JJ Hones (1-for-2).

“Good, they stunk too,” Auriemma said. “Maybe the first team to 50 wins Tuesday. Why don’t we do that.” Auriemma then noticed Stanford went 1-for-15 from beyond the arc. “See, they’ll make 10 against us, I guarantee you. Mark it down. They’ll make 10. That’s how it works.”

Connecticut went 3-for-17 on threes in the semis. Auriemma’s theory about why none of the four teams shot well in the semis: It’s hard to make outside shots in big games and it’s hard to make shots in a dome.

Another theory, from Gold-Onwude: “I’m a little weird and superstitious sometimes. I think there’s a certain number of made threes out there and if you used them all last night, they wouldn’t happen tomorrow.”

Beyond the arc: Charles was announced as the winner of the Naismith Trophy, won last year by teammate Moore. The Big East has had six of the past 10 winners. … “Once you get used to the cream, it’s hard to be down in the skim milk,” said VanDerveer. The Cardinal won two titles and went to six Final Fours in the 1990s before having a 10-year-absence that ended with appearances in the last three Final Fours.