When Missouri women’s basketball coach Cindy Stein decided to step down on Monday, it was not something she wanted to do. But it had to be done. And Stein knew that.

After three straight dismal seasons, it was time for a change. While other programs at Missouri have flourished in recent years, the women’s basketball program has been in a state of decline.

The Tigers are on a nine-game losing streak this season. Stein said at a press conference Tuesday that her decision was “in the best interest” of MU.

Critics may point out Stein did not bring in the recruits that were needed to be successful at MU. Losing some recruiting battles played a huge factor in recent seasons. Here are a few thoughts on Stein’s announcement.

• How close were the Tigers this season? The Tigers seemed to be a player away from doing some damage this season. MU has lost a number of games in the final two minutes.
• Recruiting battles. The most recent one that probably hurt Stein the most is when she lost current Texas A&M leading scorer Danielle Adams. After high school, Adams was going to attend Missouri, but academic reasons forced her to attend Jefferson College. When Adams finished her two years there, she decided to be a member of the Aggies. The uncertainty of Stein’s future may have hindered her efforts in some of the recruiting battles.
• Financial restraints. The funding for Stein’s program is near the bottom of the Big 12. When it comes to recruiting, this may have played a factor. But as Director of Athletics Mike Alden pointed out on Tuesday, funding for other programs at MU, such as softball, are rewarded when they win. The women’s basketball program has failed to do that.
• Big 12 conference. The difficulty of the Tigers schedule made it that much tougher for Stein to build a winner at Missouri. Week after week the Tigers have to face some of the best teams in the country.
• When will Missouri find a replacement? Alden pointed out that postseason play could delay the process. Some of the candidates may still have teams in the postseason. Alden did say the sooner the Tigers name a replacement, the better. The Tigers can’t afford to continue missing out on big-time recruits, especially in the state of Missouri. 

At times this season, the Missouri women’s basketball team has looked abysmal. But at other times they have competed with some of the best teams in the country.

The past week is a perfect example. The Tigers tied a school record by scoring a meager 33 points against a Kansas State team in the middle of the pack of the Big 12. Then, the Tigers went on to play an undefeated Nebraska team. With three minutes left against the No. 3 Huskers, it appeared Missouri would make history again, but in a good way. Missouri was playing its best game of the year and led by six points at that point.

Despite playing with a lot of confidence for the first 37 minutes, everything fell apart for the Tigers in the final three. Not only did the Tigers not score in the final 3:15, but they also turned the ball over on their final five possessions. This led to a heartbreaking 82-78 defeat at Mizzou Arena. This was yet another frustrating loss for Missouri coach Cindy Steins’ team.

The frustration has to be building for Stein because of the flashes of brilliance her team has shown at times. The Tigers beat No. 18 Baylor earlier in the season and nearly knocked off No. 11 Oklahoma. However, the Tigers then went into offensive futility against No.13 Iowa State (39 points) and at Kansas State (33 points).

So, which Tigers team is it? That is difficult to say. Missouri is a few plays away from having at least three or four wins in Big 12 play. Instead, the Tigers have just one win in conference play. Here are a few thoughts about the season thus far.

• Where would the Tigers be with one more playmaker? One major problem with this team is that they don’t have one player that can take over a game. That was evident late in the Huskers game. Where would the Tigers be with Texas A&M leading scorer Danielle Adams, who was originally a Missouri recruit? I bet Stein wonders as well.
• Controlling the ball late in games. The Tigers have done a nice job taking care of the ball most of the season. However, the Tigers five turnovers on their final five possessions shows why the Tigers are 1-10 in conference play.
• How can the Tigers score only 33 points? That is tough to do. While listening to the radio broadcast, it was obvious the Tigers had their chances. Stein pointed out that her team has been getting good looks at the basket, but the shots just aren’t falling.  In games against Iowa State and Kansas State, the Tigers scored only four points in the first 11 minutes in each game. That is also tough to do.
• The Tigers continue to stay positive. Even with the bad luck, the Tigers have been surprisingly upbeat during their current losing spell. After the heartbreaking loss against the Huskers, some of the players could be seen smiling at a postgame press conference. Stein continues to give positive answers after the games. How long can they stay positive?
• Will the Tigers win another game this season? Well, that depends on which team shows up to play. The Tigers have lost 11 of their last 12 games. However, home games against Colorado and Texas Tech remain. The Tigers should be able to sneak at least one win out of those games. 

The 2009-10 season started about as well as it could for the Missouri women’s basketball team. The Tigers began the season 10-2 and their only two blemishes came on a last-second basket against Memphis and a close loss against No. 15 Florida State.

Oh how things have changed.

After dropping its final nonconference game against Xavier, Missouri has not been able to turn it around. The Tigers are now 11-11 on the season after a 65-39 loss to Iowa State Sunday afternoon at Mizzou Arena. In previous home games, the Tigers have been able to at least keep games close. That was not the case against the Cyclones. Here are a few thoughts on that game and the entire Tigers season:

• Starting 3-for-27 from the floor. Shooting this poorly is never acceptable. But to shoot that poorly in a home game is mind-boggling. To put things into perspective, the Tigers scored just four points over 11 minutes into the game. Four. That is not a typo.
• Getting beat up and down the floor. The Cyclones had more energy and continuously beat the Tigers down the floor for easy layups. After the game, Missouri coach Cindy Stein called it “inexcusable” and hinted that if things don’t change, lineup changes could be in store.
• Where’s the rebounding? The Tigers were out-rebounded 47-23 Sunday. This number is deceiving, though. Since the Tigers missed so many shots, 41 of 54 shots, the Cyclones had more opportunities for defensive rebounds
• Historic low? Not quite. But the 39 points is the lowest since the Tigers scored 37 in a loss to Texas in 2008.
• Jessra Johnson sticking to her strengths. Johnson has struggled all season from 3-point range, shooting just 18 percent on the season. For some reason, Stein continues to give Johnson the green light. Johnson went 0-for-2 on Sunday.
• Tigers need production from Christine Flores. The sophomore was arguably the Tigers most dominant player at the end of nonconference play. While there is plenty of blame to go around, Flores has struggled in Big 12 play. The Tigers desperately need her to step up.
• Will the Tigers win another game? Looking at their schedule, it appears it’s possible they may not. In the Big 12, there are no easy games. However, home games against Colorado and Texas Tech still remain. Those two games are probably the Tigers best shot to notch another victory.
• The future of the program. Cindy Stein is in the final season of her current contract. It will be interesting to see what happens after the season.

For any Missouri player or fan, a game against arch-rival Kansas is immediately circled on the calendar. It’s the biggest game of the season. And for women’s basketball, there are actually two games played in a home-and-home format. After being run out of Phog Allen Fieldhouse on January 17 to the tune of a 13-point drubbing, one would think that Missouri would be fired up to return the favor when the Jayhawks came to Mizzou Arena.

Not so fast. In front of a season-high crowd of 3,179, Mizzou looked sluggish from the start, never led and ended up losing 61-59 after an Amanda Hanneman three-point attempt fell short at the buzzer. With the defeat, Mizzou falls to 11-9 overall and 1-6 in the Big 12. The road doesn’t get any easier for the Tigers. MU travels to No. 12 Texas A&M to take on the Aggies on Wednesday night.

Here are some thoughts on the Missouri at this point in the season:

• Missouri  can’t shoot. The Tigers rank 11th in the Big 12 in scoring, averaging 66.1 points per game. MU is last in field goal percentage (39%) and three-point field goal percentage (30.7%). Against Kansas, Missouri shot 36 percent from the floor and 19 percent from behind the arc. That is just plain terrible. Maybe the team needs to spend more time shooting in practice. If Missouri wants to have any success, its shots better start falling.
• However, it’s not like they don’t get the chances. Missouri ranks 1st in offensive rebounding (15.45 per game) and 2nd in turnover margin (+5.15 a game). Granted, a team that misses as many shots as Missouri will have more opportunities for offensive rebounds than does a team that hits its shots. But, the Tigers do a great job of taking care of the ball. Against KU, Missouri only turned the ball over ten times while forcing the Jayhawks into 22 turnovers. Toy Richbow and RaeShara Brown combine to create a formidable backcourt. While the two don’t score a lot of points, they both do the little things that make the team better.
• Jessra Johnson continues to step up her game. In the past four contests, Missouri’s leading scorer has averaged 16.5 points per game. Johnson has the tendency to slack off at times but when her head is in the game, she can be very difficult to stop. Her shot selection is questionable at times, witnessed by her 36 percent shooting on the season, but she might be the only Mizzou player with a real ability to create her own shot.
• Missouri remains inconsistent. Twenty games into the season and I still have a tough time figuring this team out. Some nights it seems as if they can play with anybody in the country. Other nights it’s as if they don’t want to be there. Missouri followed up a nice week (beating then-No. 10 Baylor and losing by one -point to then-No. 13 Oklahoma) with a disappointing 15-point loss to then-No. 15 Oklahoma State and a lackluster defeat to unranked Kansas. This team remains a mystery.

How good is the Big 12 in women’s basketball? Well, currently five teams are ranked in the Top 15 of the country. That doesn’t bold well for teams such as Missouri.

In the past week, the Tigers have faced three of those five teams. On Tuesday night, MU had the daunting task of stopping Oklahoma State star Andrea Riley. The Tigers were not successful, dropping the game 75-60.

Now, the Tigers come back home to face Kansas at 5 p.m. on Saturday at Mizzou Arena. While KU and MU currently sit at the bottom of the  conference standings, this rivalry game is always big for both teams. Here are a few thoughts on the Tigers:

• Despite the loss, it was good to see Amanda Hanneman have a big game. The senior had struggled during the past month, but on Tuesday things finally started falling for her. Hanneman shot 5-for-8 from beyond the arc, and finished with 19 points. If the Tigers are going to win again in conference play, they will need her to continue that success.
• How alarming are the Tigers road woes? In the past three seasons, the Tigers have won just one game on the road in Big 12 play. Since Big 12 play began in 1996, the Tigers have a winning percentage of .243 on the road in conference play. While going on the road is difficult for any team, that win percentage is alarming. Something needs to change if the Tigers want to stay out of the Big 12 cellar.
• Jessra Johnson and shooting the three. This is something that puzzles me. Johnson has been dominant inside the arc, but has struggled from beyond the arc. In the past three games, Johnson is 2-for-15 from 3-point range, shooting just 20 percent on the season. Meanwhile, she is 16-for-27 from 2-point range in the past three games. Why does Johnson continue to fire away from 3-point range? Great question.
• Is the KU game the best shot for another Tigers win in Big 12 play? At the moment it appears that way. Kansas has struggled in the Big 12 as well, sitting at 1-4 in conference play. The atmosphere at the game should give the Tigers some momentum. For this rivalry, the records are a mute point. If the Tigers aren’t going to postseason play, this is the most important game of the year.

Winning in the Big 12 is not easy. Currently, six teams are ranked in the conference. Even the teams at the bottom of the standings have the ability to knock off teams at the top.

The Missouri Tigers proved that on Saturday. After losing their first four conference games, the Tigers beat No. 10 Baylor 70-62 at Mizzou Arena. A loss would have given Tigers coach Cindy Stein the worst start to conference play in her career. Instead, this game may give the Tigers some momentum going into the rest of their schedule. Here are a few thoughts on the big win and what lies ahead for the Tigers.

• Who is Jasmyn Otote? If you were at the game Saturday you definitely know who she is. The Missouri junior brought the Tigers back in the game with her four straight 3-pointers in the first half. I expect her to see more playing time the rest of the season.
• Is Brittney Griner overrated? This game is hard to gauge how dominant Griner is. She never got anything going after missing most of the first half because of foul trouble. While she did not impress me when she was playing, I’ll hold off on calling her overrated. Before the foul trouble her presence was clearly affecting the Tigers.
• Why didn’t Baylor get the ball to Griner more in the second half? First off, the Tigers did a great job defending her. Physical play caused Griner to look soft at times. But late in the game the Bears were lobbing the ball up to her and she came down with it every time. If the Bears would have given Griner the ball more, the Tigers might still be winless in conference play.
• Jessra Johnson sticking to her strengths. The Tigers senior has been nearly unstoppable inside the arc the past two games. While shooting 3-pointers isn’t her forte, she did make her only attempt Saturday. She is now back in the starting lineup and looking confident.
• Amanda Hanneman may have found her shot. Hanneman has struggled since being reinstated. The two 3-pointers she made has to be a sigh of relief for her and Stein.
• Turning point in the season? For one game the Tigers showed that they can compete in the Big 12. Will the Tigers continue to roll? It will be tough—the Tigers travel to No. 12 Oklahoma State on Tuesday.

When it comes to women’s basketball, the Big 12 conference is expected to be one of the best in the country this season. Currently six teams are ranked and two others are receiving votes. Despite the success those eight teams have had thus far, one team that wasn’t expected to have a big year may surprise some people.

And that’s the Missouri Tigers.

MU is 9-2 on the young season. The Tigers are within a few breaks of being undefeated this season. They blew a 20-point lead against Memphis and gave No. 12 Florida State trouble in Tallahassee. Other than those two games, the Tigers have had no blemishes on their schedule. Before the season, the Tigers were picked to finish last in the conference.

While the Tigers haven’t had a grueling schedule up to this point, it is about to get interesting. Missouri will play its final two non-conference games against a 9-4 Duquesne team and No. 15 Xavier. Then, the road through the Big 12 begins. Here are a few things to look for in the upcoming weeks.

• Will Amanda Hanneman regain her form before Big 12 play? The senior played her first game since Dec. 10 and it showed. She shot airballs on her first two shots and finished 2-for-10 from the field. Before her suspension, Hanneman was shooting the three better than almost anybody in the country. If the Tigers are going to be successful in conference play, she will have to find her shot again.
• Is RaeShara Brown the best defensive player in the Big 12? This remains to be seen. But after leading the Big 12 in steals last season, Brown is doing even better this season. She has 19 steals in her past three games.
• Will depth be a strength for this years Tigers team? At certain positions, yes. The play of Christine Flores, Marissa Scott and Kendra Frazier has been a pleasant surprise. It adds to the depth the Tigers knew they already had with Jessra Johnson and Shakara Jones in the post. However, at the point guard position, senior Toy Richbow has seen a lot of minutes. When the game is tight, she must be on the floor, as should Brown. The Tigers simply can’t afford not to have those two ball handlers out on the floor in close games.
• Can Christine Flores be the surprise player of the year? So far, it appears that way. The sophomore had a double-double in two straight games before playing just 19 minutes and scoring nine points against North Texas. The Tigers will desperately need her to play well in Big 12 play, a conference supposedly stacked with low-post players this season.
• When will Hanneman and Johnson be in the starting lineup again? Coach Cindy Stein insists they will play more as they “earn” their playing time back at practice. The two were not allowed to speak with the media after beating North Texas, despite playing for the first time in nearly three weeks. It would not be surprising to see the two get more significant playing time as the Tigers schedule gets tougher.

Losing a game after leading by as many as 20 points is tough to swallow.

Just ask the Missouri women’s basketball team.

That’s exactly what happened to them Wednesday night, losing 75-74 to Memphis at Mizzou Arena.

Missouri led by 17 at halftime, but a barrage of Missouri mistakes and Memphis baskets brought Memphis back in the game. A bucket by Memphis sophomore Brittany Carter with 12 seconds left proved to be the game winner.

Now, what’s next? Will the Missouri team have a repeat of last season, where they lost a number of close games? Missouri players have said this year is different, but first they must prove that. Only time will tell. Here are my takes on Wednesday night’s collapse.

• Where is Missouri’s killer instinct? In their first game against Northern Iowa, the Tigers became complacent with a big lead, which allowed the Panthers to outscore the Tigers in the second half.  In the Memphis game, Missouri had Memphis on the ropes, but were unable to finish them off. Late in games is where senior leadership must take charge. Luckily, the Tigers have four seniors and a whole season left to figure this out.
• Free throws. Mizzou missed too many free throws against Memphis, shooting just 53 percent from the line. Coach Cindy Stein pointed out after the game that their practices will have a little more emphasis on free throws in the coming days.
• Three-point shooting woes. After lighting it up against Northern Iowa, senior Amanda Hanneman was just 1-for-9 from behind the arc against Memphis. Mizzou shot 22 percent for the game.
• Taking care of the ball. Missouri had 18 turnovers against Memphis, far too many.
• Similar to football struggles? Not so fast. Stein joked that her players may be “dating football players”, while trying to draw the comparison between the teams second half struggles. Both teams have had their share of second half collapses, but that’s where the similarities end. The football team, despite the struggles, is having another winning season.
• Missouri may have a strength in its rebounding. Shakara Jones has looked impressive thus far, bringing in 10 rebounds against Memphis. One surprise, at least to me, is the rebounding of some of the guards. Toy Richbow and RaeShara Brown have shown they can pull in the boards as well.
• Will Missouri bounce back? Going on the road at Indiana will be a good test for the Tigers. If the Tigers can win a few close games in non-conference play, it would be huge for their confidence for Big 12 play.

What’s next?

The Tigers play at 1 p.m. Sunday at Indiana. The Hoosiers are 3-0 on the season.

The Missouri women’s basketball team was impressive Sunday in their season opener, a 74-57 victory over visiting Northern Iowa. Jessra Johnson scored the first bucket of the season for the Tigers, giving Missouri a lead it would never relinquish. Missouri opened up the game with a 29-7 run and led by as many as 27 points. Leading by 20 points for much of the game, the Tigers became a bit lackadaisical in the second half and were outscored 41-33 after the break. Still, the game was mostly full of positives:

• Amanda Hanneman continues to impress. The senior shooting guard scored a career-high 26 points, including 6-of-11 from behind the 3-point arc. Hanneman is a career 37% shooter from deep and one can only wonder if she would have challenged Alyssa Hollins’ school record 226 career 3-pointers if she could have stayed healthy her first three seasons. If Hanneman can continue to be a legitimate outside scoring option, it becomes extremely difficult for opposing teams to guard the Tigers considering the strength of Missouri’s post players.
• Missouri seems to have depth at many positions. The Tigers got 21 points from their bench in Sunday’s victory, including a career-high 11 from senior forward Marissa Scott. Eleven players contributed meaningful minutes and nine of them entered the scoring column. “I like our depth,” coach Cindy Stein said. “I think that we have a lot of flexibility within our starting lineup and then obviously the kids coming off the bench.” The Tigers feel comfortable that there will be no drop-off in production when they have to go to their bench.
• Point guard might be the lone exception to that depth. Toy Richbow and RaeShara Brown, the two primary ball handlers on the team, each played 37 minutes in Sunday’s game. Missouri likes to pressure the ball and play in-your-face defense. While both played well against Northern Iowa(Richbow led the team with eight rebounds and Brown led the team with three steals), it will be interesting to see if they can keep up the same intensity  all season long. When conference play starts and Missouri is playing two or three games per week, these two might wear down.
• The Tigers did a much better job of taking care of the basketball. After committing 19 turnovers in their lone exhibition game against Central Missouri, Missouri only turned the ball over seven times against Northern Iowa. The Tigers seemed to have more poise with ball in their hands and were more apt to use ball fakes. The passes were crisper  and that led to more scoring opportunities.
• Missouri’s defense looks good. The tenacious defense employed by Stein seems to be working. The Tigers forced 21 turnovers, including 10 steals that led to a plethora of fast-break scoring chances. The Tigers gave up 59.8 points per game last season, good enough for sixth in the Big 12. If Missouri can continue to improve defensively, they will be tough to beat. “We pride ourselves on defense,” Brown said. “That’s the way we plan on winning the game.”
• Jessra Johnson didn’t look 100%. After missing the exhibition game due to a minor leg injury, the senior forward didn’t look up to game speed Sunday. According to Stein, Johnson just started running again Wednesday after taking a week off to rest up. The Tigers top returning scorer went 2-for-14 from the field  and finished the game with eight points in 28 minutes of playing time. Johnson should be playing up to her potential in no time and will be creating a formidable 1-2 punch down low with Shakara Jones.

Missouri returns to action against Memphis at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Mizzou Arena. Memphis, 0-2 on the young season, is coached by Mizzou alum Melissa McFerrin.

Coach Cindy Stein announced on Wednesday that two prep stars signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Missouri women’s basketball team, according to mutigers.com.

Maggie Flynn of Troy, Mo., and Paige Spietz of Brimfield, Ill., will be playing their college ball at MU next fall.

Flynn averaged 18.1 points per game as a junior, as well as 5.54 blocks a game.

Spietz led her school to a 33-3 record as a junior. She averaged 17.9 points per game while leading her team to a Final Four appearance.

These two signings are important for the Tigers, who will lose four seniors to graduation after this season.