UCONN Lady Huskies Tournament Preview

Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Roger l McNamara

A Rocky Road.   The evolution of an injury-plagued 2022-23 UConn Lady Husky basketball season was presaged weeks prior to the team’s first organized practice.  Two-time All American and National Player of the Year honoree Paige Buekers, an outstanding shooting and play making Guard, sustained a torn ACL while engaged in a mid-August pick-up game.  Her presence was lost for the Season, and she remains a spectator on the bench as the team now prepares for the post-season the Tournament.       

Adversities continued to fall from the sky.  In mid-December the Mother of long standing Head Coach Geno Auriemma, now age 68, was called to Eternity.  While still in mourning at the family loss Geno was stricken with a mild flu attack, missing two end of December games.  His chief assistant Chris Dailey --- each has been at their respective post since 1985 --- filled in with her customary savvy, guiding the team to victory in each game and running her own record to a perfect 17-0 when at the helm in Geno’s absence.   All the while a former High School Gatorade Player of the Year and ranked the number one overall recruit by ESPN with her commitment to UConn, 6’00” all around playmaking Guard Azzi Fudd put in a solid Freshman campaign a year ago.  Entering her Sophomore season, she was expected to fill a good portion of the void left by Buekers, but early in the schedule was also smitten by the injury bug.  Two separate trips to the inactive list encompassed a total of 22 games, roughly 75% of the total.  Other injuries left the team in early February shy of NCAA’s requisite number, occasioning the postponement of a January 8 matchup with St. John’s.  An early February collision with defending National Champion South Carolina held promise until the final buzzer, Huskies pulling up 4 points shy.  Then a few days later came an event not remembered in the lifetime of many --- Marquette delivered the Huskies their 2nd consecutive loss, the program’s first such mini-dive in nearly 30 years.        

Limping Home.  A lackluster February included two unimpressive road wins against unranked opponents, the edging out of Xavier prompting a press conference critical appraisal from Auriemma.  Fudd managed a return late in the Season, her playing minutes truncated at first but steadily expanding from game to game.  Thus bolstered, and the first time since early season tipoffs that 10 healthy athletes suited up for play, the Lady Huskies stormed through the Big East playoffs to rack up their 20th Conference Title.  It brought the pre-tournament mark to 28-5, in the Conference an 18-2 slate, good enough for the 7th rung in the final AP Top 25 poll.  A seven day off stretch then lay in wait until Selection Sunday.

Leading Performers.  Wire to wire the 2022-23 season was highlighted by the following regulars, with per game averages printed here:

            Name                     Cl    Height  Pos       Points    Assists      Rebounds       

Aaliyah Edwards               Jr      6’3”      C            16.6        2.4              9.2               

Dorka Juhasz                     Sr      6’5”      F            14.3        3.0              10.0

Lou Lopez Senechal         Sr      6’1”      G            15.7         1.7                 3.2

Nika Muhl                         Jr       5’10”    G              7.3        7.8                4.0

Aubrey Griffin                  Sr      6’1”       F             12.1       1.3                   6.8

Azzi Fudd                          So      5’11”    G            15.5        2.1                   1.6

Useful minutes were also put in by Caroline Ducharme, a 6’2” So Guard, and who also sustained some injury related down time.  Aubrey Griffin hails from a basketball family, as she is the younger Sister of Adrian Jarnell --- commonly AJ --- a former standout Duke University Blue Devil Guard now a member of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. 

A Chance at The Big Dance.  UConn has been assigned the Number 2 Seed in the Seattle3 Regional, and will next tip it off on Saturday March 18 at 3:00PM EDT. Thus will a dozen days have passed since its previous outing, which may be conducive to an invasion of rust or, more constructively, a time to completely heal. The Lady Huskies will face the #15 Seed University of Vermont Catamounts, winners of their last 17 outings and 25-6 overall.  The teams will have their respective first looks at one another this season and, despite the Seattle designation, the game is scheduled for Gampel Pavilion at UConn’s home in Storrs, CT.  Top seeded in this regional are the Virginia Tech Hokies, 27-4 overall and a force in the Atlantic Coast Conference.  UConn coaches and players would be well served in not looking too far ahead to this possible March 27 Regional Final, since also numbered in the Group are #3 Ohio State and #7 Baylor, each entirely capable of pulling the upset. 

A successful navigation will land the Huskies at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX, site of this year’s March 31 and April 2 Final 4.   The Huskies are gunning for their 12 National Title but first since  2016, its fourth Championship in succession as Breanna Stewart and Moriah Jefferson powered that year’s squad to an unblemished 38-0 full season record.  For the current squad to penetrate deep into the tournament several changes will likely be needed from what characterized most of the regular season:

• Turnovers --- ran as high as 17-19 in some games, although were brought down to a more acceptable7-9 in the Conference playoff sweep;
• Foul Trouble --- Edwards in particular has a tendency to be tagged with 3 personals early in the Second Half, usually coming in the offensive end as she contests a rebound.  In some of the late season games she fouled out with 4-5 minutes remaining in regulation.  Her skills will be needed on the floor over much of the 40 minutes;
• Bench play --- whether or not Fudd starts, strong minutes from both Ducharme and Griffin will be needed.

Stay tuned, basketball fans everywhere.  You will likely enjoy the view.