So when was the last time a team generally regarded as unexpected won the NCAA womens basketball title? That would be 2011, when Texas A&M beat No. 1 seeds Baylor and Stanford, and then fellow No. 2 seed Notre Dame on the way to claiming the championship.The Aggies had a very good team that year, obviously, and you can hardly call a No. 2 seed a Cinderella. But Texas A&M had never won a title before and wasnt a popular pick to win that year.Since then, though, Baylor won as a favorite in 2012, and UConn did the same in 2013-16. When those outside of womens basketball inquired about a dark horse in that time span, it was hard for any of us who follow the game to really believe there was one. (Although No. 5 seed Louisville made a run for it in 2013, with defending champ Baylor its biggest conquest on the way to losing the title game to UConn.)But what about this season? Weve already examined how projections for the national player of the year award and All-American teams might look one way now and rather different when we get closer to seasons end.?Is it a similar scenario for the teams themselves? As the season gets underway Friday, that sense of possibility is in the air more so than has been the case for a while. Or at least everybody is telling themselves that. Well have to see if its actually true.This year is wide open, because you look and say, Who is going to be No. 1? said Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw, whose team has that distinction in the Associated Press preseason poll.You look at South Carolina, Baylor, Ohio State, Louisville -- theres so many good teams. And obviously, Connecticut, having won four in a row, theyre always in the conversation. But I think youre going to see that No. 1 moving around a little bit, and thats going to be a good thing for the game.UConn coach Geno Auriemma appears to agree with all that.This is a much more realistic picture of what its like in the world of team sports and coaching, Auriemma said of his Huskies being among the teams that have the potential to be champions, not the prohibitive favorites.Weve lived in a world that very few people get to live in. And they may get to live in it once in their careers. Some people, twice. But never in a row, 1-2-3-4.Never except for UConn. Yet could the Huskies national-championship string extend to five? Of course it could. UConn, which has won 75 consecutive games, still has a lot of talent, despite losing players who went first-second-third in the WNBA draft. Weve seen UConn rise to the occasion too often to not strongly consider the Huskies as contenders.?Still, the Huskies four-peat last year didnt prevent several other interesting storylines from getting noticed. Perhaps the most gratifying for the participants was the surge in the Pac-12, which got two teams -- Oregon State and Washington -- into the Final Four and felt that, as a conference, it finally got its due.I feel theres a level of responsibility to keep it going, said Cori Close, whose UCLA squad is picked to win the conference this season. Not only to think about our own growth, but how to continue to think strategically about the growth of the conference.And, by extension, the growth of the game nationally.Im not one of the UConn haters in terms of thinking it was bad for the game that they won so much. I dont think so, Close said. I think theyve set a bar thats gotten peoples attention. Like, Wow, the womens game is being played at such a high level.But I also think we need this next phase with other people stepping up to that standard that UConn has done such a great job setting. I think theres this optimism this year, and theres going to be drama in the NCAA tournament. Its an important year to grow the game.Thats a phrase that has been used for a long time, and it can seem trite. Plus, the fact is, other than UConns inevitability, there actually was pretty big drama in the postseason last season, too, with three of the No. 1 seeds -- South Carolina, Notre Dame and Baylor -- all losing before the Final Four.But this season, there does seem a chance that the final page of the script isnt already written. So as we get started, thats something to whet everyones appetite for what were about to see. 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WASHINGTON -- Jean Segura admits that he never imagined having the type of season hes had in 2016. The Arizona Diamondbacks leadoff man reached another milestone Wednesday, joining Luis Gonzalez as the only players in franchise history with 200 hits in a season.Segura went 3-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base as the Diamondbacks beat the Washington Nationals 3-0 in a rain-shortened game Wednesday.The start of the game was delayed 33 minutes by rain and was later called with one out in the top of the sixth inning after a second delay of 70 minutes.Just a great feeling, said Segura, who was traded to Arizona in the offseason. Its amazing especially since Ive been bouncing around the couple last years. Im impressed, Im not going to lie to you guys, Im impressed with the way Ive been swinging the bat this season. I dont think nobody expect Id have the season Im having right now.Segura is hitting .413 (26-for-63) in his last 15 games with eight home runs and 13 RBI. Hes also the first National League player to record at least 30 hits in six different months in a season since Hanley Ramirez and Jimmy Rollins in 2007.Its not easy, said manager Chip Hale. I think that last 10, it gets so hard. Of course he hit the home runs the other night and then the infield hit today to do it. Im happy for him, thats quite an accomplishment. Well keep going, see how many he can get.While Segura has been consistent throughout the season, starting pitcher Shelby Miller ended an otherwise forgetful campaign with two of his best starts of the year.Five days after throwing six scoreless innings in a no-decision in Baltimore, Miller (3-12) tossed five shutout innings aggainst the Nationals, allowing five hits and one walk with five strikeouts.ddddddddddddI wish maybe I would have done this earlier on but the way I just finished these past couple games is huge and just something to build off going into 2017, Miller said after earning his first win since June 20.I just feel good where Im at. I know where Im at mechanically and stuff so I can go forward into 2017 with more confidence and knowing that Im feeling good.Gio Gonzalez (11-11), Washingtons projected No. 3 starter in the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, struggled in his final tune up before the postseason. The lefty tossed 3 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and three runs with four walks and four strikeouts.It wasnt that good, but we didnt score any runs either, manager Dusty Baker said of Gonzalezs outing. He had a lot of pitches in a short period of time. He was 0-2 on a couple guys, then went to 3-2. Most of the night he pitched behind.The NL East-champion Nationals have lost two of three to the last-place Diamondbacks and seven of their last 11 games overall.TRAINERS ROOMDiamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke did not accompany the Diamondbacks on their final road trip of the season due to right shoulder soreness. Manager Chip Hale said Wednesday that Greinke is not throwing and he is not expected to pitch again this season.UP NEXTNationals RHP Joe Ross (7-5, 3.48 ERA) is scheduled to make his third start since returning from the disabled list Sept.18 against Diamondbacks LHP Robby Ray (8-14, 4.77). 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