Tidbits from Tampa tidbits from tampa This blog will provide a behind the scenes look at UConn's journey in the Women's Final Four in Tampa, Florida. Daily posts will be written by Digital Communications Coordinator Jamie Corun and other conference staff members Blog Posts Tuesday, April 7th UConn wins the National Championship for the third straight year! There was so much going on tonight and I promise to have a full in depth post with lots of pictures in the morning, but all I can muster tonight before my head hits the pillow is the Huskies played a hard fought game all the way to the end and came out victorious. I promise a more thorough recap tomorrow! I hope everyone sleeps well dreaming of those 10 championship trophies A throne made for a king! Geno is carried off the court by @UConnWBB pic.twitter.com/mt7TnTesv8 — American WBB (@American_WBB) April 8, 2015 Monday, April 6th Good afternoon from Tampa! Not much on the schedule today so this will just be a quick post. Today I am leaving the Arena behind and spending some time at the Convention Center. The exciting part about being at the Final Four is that besides basketball going on their are so many people here and other events. This morning I had the honor to attend the NACWA Mid-Morning Mixer: Connecting Women in Athletics Past & Present. This is my 2nd year attending this event and one of my favorite parts of being at the Final Four. You put women together in a room that range from having 1 year of experience in athletics to over 50 years. It's really exciting to me to be able to hear about other people's journeys and the lessons they learned along the way. This afternoon I will be heading back to the Convention Center for the Women's Final Four Summit which will involve stakeholders from all levels of women's basketball with the goal of identifying common concerns and issues, strategically formulating action items and developing a timeline and agenda for the future. Although I don't have many years of experience in athletics it's always great to be able to sit in on meetings and see what we are collectively working towards for the future. Okay enough business talk! UConn met with the media for interviews this morning and will have closed practice this afternoon. The big game goes down tomorrow! Tune in for another post then. Sunday, April 5th - Semifinal Sunday Happy Easter! A relaxing morning spent by the pool enjoying the Florida sun was topped off with great basketball at Amalie Arena. Semifinal 1 featured South Carolina and Notre Dame and boy they did not disappoint. After Notre Dame took the lead in the 2nd half, South Carolina fought back and with 1:12 remaining the Gamecocks gained their first and only lead in the game on a basket from Aleighsa Welch to go ahead 65-64. Madison Cable hit a jumper with 16 seconds left in the game to put the Fighting Irish up by one eventually sealing their spot in the National Championship Game on Tuesday. This was only the seventh game in Final Four history to be decided by one point. With the excitement of the first game in the books and Notre Dame's spot secure it was time to switch gears and focus on the UConn vs Maryland game. I have to admit my initial reaction when the clock hit zero of the first game was "could this be deja vu? Are we going to see a repeat of last year's Championship game between ND and UConn?" I had to put those thoughts aside because UConn took the court and it was time to play ball. The huskies have taken the court! @UConnWBB #ncaawff pic.twitter.com/LJ6ZCkXi9i — American WBB (@American_WBB) April 6, 2015 After 20 minutes UConn headed into the break with a 44-33 advantage against Maryland. The most exciting part of watching the game for me was seeing Morgan Tuck have such a great night. Tuck is remarkable to watch and can sometimes be overlooked on a team with such great talent from Breanna Stewart, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Moriah Jefferson, and others. Just a year ago Morgan Tuck was sitting on the bench watching her team in the Final Four after having season-ending surgery on her knee. Tonight there was no sitting on the bench, it was Tuck taking over the game and letting the world know that she was their to make an impact for the Huskies. When the game winded down Tuck ended the night with 24 points and 9 rebounds. It was also a big night for Breanna Stewart and Moriah Jefferson who added 25 and 14 points apiece. When the horn sounded and the players ran off the court UConn headed to the locker room with a 81-58 victory. My prediction at the beginning of the game was correct as we will see a rematch of last year's National Championship between the Huskies and the Fighting Irish on Tuesday. Familiar Face! @UConnWBB faces Notre Dame in the National Championship for the 2nd year in a row pic.twitter.com/gqU1Xe4EpV — American WBB (@American_WBB) April 6, 2015 UConn is looking for their 10th National Championship and third in a row. I don't know about you but I can't wait to watch this one! Oh and make sure you check out our photo story that recaps the game as well! Saturday, April 4th - Super Saturday What a busy day, my first full day in Tampa was a great one! I kicked things off this morning bright and early with the Play 4 Kay 5k. I have a confession, running is not my strong suit... actually let me rephrase that, running is one of my least favorite things. For the last year I have made a personal goal to try to like running more. Try is the key phrase in that sentence. I grew up as a swimmer and for most of my life was told "you can swim for hours, running can not be that hard for you". I would like to strongly disagree with that statement. Everyone has their strong suits and running is not mine but trying is the most important thing. When I heard about the Play 4 Kay 5k I knew i definitely had to participate. The greatest thing about this event is that it doesn't matter how fast or slow you go, it's just that you're there and giving it your all. I was proud to be a part of a big group that rose early to raise awareness and fight for a common cause, putting an end to the dreaded disease cancer that affects so many people. After the run it was time to head over to the arena for the days activites. So many Husky fans were in attendance as UConn took the floor for open practice. After practice Coach Auriemma, Moriah Jefferson, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, and Breanna Stewart headed to a press conference with the media. It was also a big day for those three as they were presented as part of the WBCA All-America team. Speaking of awards, Breanna Stewart also took home the Wade Trophy and the AP Player of the Year award. As much fun as all the activities were it was obvious that both Coach Auriemma and his players are ready to play ball. The Huskies take the court tomorrow against Maryland at 9pm ET. The winner will advance to the Championship and will face either South Carolina or Notre Dame. For more on Super Saturday check out our video recap and photo story. Wednesday, April 1st - Pre Trip Welcome to the first post from our Tidbits From Tampa blog! The thought behind this was to give fans an inside glimpe of the happenings at the Women's Final Four in Tampa, Florida. UConn is looking for their 3rd National Championship in a row and 10th overall, and we would love to bring you, the fans, along for the ride. You might be asking yourself well who in the world is writing this blog, so let me introduce myself. My name is Jamie Corun, and I'm the Digital Communications Coordinator for the Conference. This is my second year in a row heading to the Final Four. If you followed along last year you might remember our Notes From Nashville Blog. Last year I was lucky enough to be on the court as UConn cut down the nets, and I am excited to be heading back to the Final Four. Check back often as I plan to post lots of behind the scenes photos as well as sights and sounds from the entire experience. Also, make sure you keep up with the latest news by following @American_WBB on twitter. My journey to Tampa begins Friday morning so tune in for another post then!