stu said:
What got into Washington? First they upset Utah, then Oregon State.
The commenters noted while interviewing the Washington coach that she kept asking her team (while they were winning against Utah) "Are you having fun yet?" She said they were there to have fun because everyone expected them to lose and go home early.
When you're feeling good you shoot well. When the pressure is on many tense up and shoot poorly.
Shooting From 3:
13-31, 41.9% for Washington
8-29, 27.6% for Oregon State
Washington wins by 1
8-19, 42.1% for Washington
5-25, 20.0% for Utah
Washington wins by 10
7-16, 43.8% for Stanford
7-30, 23.3% for Cal
Stanford wins by 18
Shooting from 3 in conference games in the regular season:
145-370, 39.2% Utah
141-367, 38.4% California
130-364, 35.7% Oregon St.
150-463, 32.4% Stanford
129-404, 31.9% Washington
The best 3 point shooting teams shot much worse under pressure in the tournament.
Besides playing for fun instead of feeling the pressure, when a team gets hot their confidence improves.
When the calls are going against a team in can deflate their mood and shooting suffers as well.
Mood and momentum matter.
Washington had nothing to lose in their two games, and when momentum shifted Stanford's way late the shooting difference snowballed.
It's all just entertainment, so find a way to enjoy it.
The refs are there to feed your hatred addiction and keep the games close.