Throughout my childhood, I can remember my dad telling me about the empire that is UConn women’s basketball. I remember staying up late to watch the games, the 111-game win streak, and knowing that Geno Auriemma was the greatest basketball coach in the world. Naturally, with a childhood like this, I was pretty excited to come to UConn and finally watch history be made for myself. Needless to say, I was over the moon excited when the men’s team won a National Championship my freshman year, and all summer I was anxiously awaiting to be back in the basketball capital of the world for a game day.
Last year, the women had a tough season. They were faced with countless injuries that led them to have a couple of bench players able to go in at some points in the season. They were without their star player, Paige Beuckers, and had to shift people into positions they weren’t used to playing. Because of this unconventional year for UConn women’s basketball, I was beyond excited for the exhibition game on Saturday, Nov. 4 against Southern Connecticut State University. As we expected, the game was a blowout. Now that the game is all over, I’m going to give you my takes on how the team looked, what I wasn’t impressed by, and what I’m excited about this season. Obviously, please take my opinions with full validity, as I did warm the bench for my high school basketball team.
So firstly, what looked good on the court this past Saturday? One word, hustle! The Huskies have always been known for their tremendous hustle and getting after every loose possession. Even when we were clearly going to win the game I was impressed with the hustle from each and every player. Some of the newer freshmen like Ashlynn Shade and Qadence Samuels especially impressed me. They didn’t let their newness to the NCAA show and even though they both appeared a little nervous to be playing at this higher league, they didn’t let their mistakes affect them and battled to win every possession back. Secondly, I was extremely impressed with the team’s chemistry. Even after subbing when the combinations on the court were a little strange, the ball movement from the team was still impressive and they were able to close out well on the defensive side of the court. And of course, KK Arnold! KK was amazing throughout the entire game and looked like a seasoned D1 player out on the court. She had the same passing abilities and swag to her game that we see in some of the top players in the NCAA, and I am super excited to see what she can do this season.
Now, for what I wasn’t as impressed by. I felt that at some times the team was playing down to their opponent. Obviously, SCSU does not have the talent or recruits that UConn does and I felt that at times the girls weren’t playing to the fullest of their abilities. This is a common problem that most sports teams face, but when they play teams in March that may be of less talent than they are, they cannot play down to their level. Additionally, I felt there was a lot of sloppy passing especially as the game persisted. There was a lot of passing at people’s feet and throwing the ball to people who were guarded. This will have to be resolved before we start playing teams that will capitalize on these mistakes. Last but not least, injuries will continue to be difficult for this team. Paige did not play much in the second half to most likely rest her knee and Nika seemed to be limping on her ankle at times. Just like with any sports team, injuries will continuously be a battle for the team to face.
Overall, I had a great time at the game! It was so fun to see the girls play again and I loved getting to see the new freshmen play. I can’t wait to see what this team can do and for them to face some more challenging opponents. I mean, how cool would it be if the women won the championship the year after the men did?