POSTCARD FROM SAN ANTONIO
Hello! By the time you read this, there will only be a few hours — well, maybe more than a few since the game isn't until 9:30 p.m. Friday — until UConn takes on Arizona in the national semifinals at the Alamodome. Usually, we would attend a regional at one site, say Albany or Philadelphia, then head home for a few days before leaving for the Final Four in a different city. It seems odd to be in the same place for so long ... just one long San Antonio stream of consciousness.
In case you didn't know already, this UConn team is very personable and funny. In addition to the formal NCAA press conferences, UConn sports information contact Anna LaBonte has been supplementing those with a few extra Geno appearances on Zoom and also picking two players to give postgame interviews, simulating the pre-COVID "open locker room" format. Monday night after the Baylor game, Christyn Williams and Evina Westbrook video conferenced from the locker room. A question was asked about UConn's tradition of not cutting down the nets unless it's for the national championship, while other teams do so after conference titles as well as NCAA tournament regional championships. The conversation played out like this:
Williams: I didn't know that people do that.
Westbrook: What? Cut down Final Four nets (for the regional final)? Williams: Yeah.
Westbrook: We didn't cut down the net at the Big East tournament either. We know what net we want to cut down; I knew that coming in (to UConn). Williams: What do people do with the net?
Westbrook: People savor it. Put 'em in their collage.
Williams: Wow.
All good stuff.
I checked out my fourth and final women's NCAA tournament region namesake this week: the Mercado, which is Spanish for market. Market Square in San Antonio has many cultural storefronts and restaurants, including Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery, where I had breakfast Wednesday morning. Mi Tierra is decorated with Christmas lights year-round, a festive place that I visited during my first trip to the city in 2010 and one which I looked forward to revisiting. So far the best thing I've had to eat (aside from the chocolate cake they served with the pregame meal Monday night at the Alamodome) is the three chile pork loin at the Iron Cactus.
Well, it's officially on to the Final Four now.
Wish you were here!!
Vickie