With a loss in the third round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), the Virginia women's basketball season has come to an end.
The Cavaliers made an impressive run in the postseason, winning two games in the WNIT and coming within one game of reaching the semifinals. The season was a great success in the eyes of the team, considering earlier in the season it seemed unlikely that the Cavaliers would even participate in the postseason.
Virginia endured a tough six-game losing streak in the middle of the season which seemed likely to dash the team's NCAA tournament hopes. However, the Cavaliers finished on a strong note, winning seven of their last eight games. Virginia ended up with an overall record of 20-12, marking the 20th time the Cavaliers have achieved a 20-win season under Virginia coach Debbie Ryan.
This season the Cavaliers were led by the team's lone senior, forward Tiffany Sardin. Sardin served as one of the team's captains and has been a major leader on the team throughout her career.
"I think we had an up-and-down season," Sardin said. "We started off really well but once we got into ACC play things got a little rough for us. We didn't know how to overcome that until towards the end. I think the season was up-and-down but we had a pretty decent, strong finish."
Virginia's "up-and-down" play helped its young team learn to deal with the good times as well as the bad. Virginia was in a rough place during its six-game losing streak, however, the team got through it and was able to turn things around.
The six game losing streak "helped us out a lot," Sardin said. "Six games is a long losing streak but it taught us a lot. If we would have won a couple of those games out of that stretch we would have made the NCAA tournament. Hopefully they'll take note of it and be ready for next season."
Virginia went on a five-game winning streak at the end of the regular season, which included one win in the ACC tournament. Virginia's remarkable turnaround propelled it into the WNIT.
"We started winning the games we knew we were supposed to win because it [would determine] if we were going to make the NCAA tournament," Sardin said. "As a team we all decided that we wanted to make some tournament. We took that mind frame at the end of the season and that helped us to succeed."
Virginia will certainly miss the leadership and stellar play of Tiffany Sardin.
"It will be different for us without Tiffany here and it will be tough to replace her," Ryan said. "Tiffany has been the person that has stepped up in major situations. She sets great standards for herself and all those around her."
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