UConn Women Leading The Way Statistically
As the new year begins, and the UConn women’s schedule turns to conference play, it’s time to review where the Huskies stand at this point in time.
Yes, we know UConn is ranked #2 behind South Carolina. The subjective rankings are mostly for fan bragging rights, though, and don’t really tell you much beyond what the press and a handful of coaches think are the best teams. Statistics are more objective, but as Aaron Levenstein once said, “Statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital”. For example, Bucknell leads the country in field goal percentage defense at 31.7% but the stat won’t tell you that the Bison are 8-4, including losses to Youngstown State and American University.
With that thought in mind, let’s review where the Huskies stand nationally.
On offense, the Huskies are ranked #2 in scoring offense (89.8 points per game), behind Baylor (91 ppg). UConn’s lowest scoring output of the season to date is 76 points vs Notre Dame. UConn has a lot of weapons. Three Huskies have scored more than 20 points a game, Breanna Stewart (5 games), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (2 games, including one 30 point game), and Moriah Jefferson (1 game plus one 19 point game). Kia Nurse and Morgan Tuck are also capable of putting a lot of points up and both have led the team in scoring in at least one game this year. UConn isn’t chucking up a lot of shots to make those points, either, as the team leads the country in field goal percentage (52.8%). The next best team is Maryland at 49.9%.
Defensively, UConn is ranked #13 is points allowed (52.3) and #5 in field goal percentage allowed (32.4%). Given that the Huskies had played gave up 88 points to Stanford, that’s pretty good. The defense, especially in the paint, isn’t quite at the same level as it was last year but it’s getting there. It helps that Kiah Stokes has decided she’s going to make the most of her senior year. The ace shot blocker is ranked #8 in blocked shots at 3.67 but she’s done that against the likes of #6 Stanford (4 blocks), Vanderbilt (7), #2 Notre Dame (4), #25 DePaul (3), and #10 Duke (4). It’s nice to have the eraser in the paint when a guard gets caught up in a screen and loses her player.
Given the above, it’s no surprise that the Huskies are #1 in margin of victory (37.5 points). Baylor is second at 32.4, then South Carolina (32.3), and Mississippi State (32.0). Those are the only teams with 30+ point margins of victory. It’s rarified air, really, and we UConn fans have been so accustomed to 40 point victories that I think we sometimes forget to savor how special the Huskies victories are.
Individually, the aforementioned Kiah Stokes is in the top 10 in blocks. She’s not the only top ranked player though. Kaleena is #5 is three-pointers made per game (3.45 per game), behind Melissa Dixon of Iowa (3.92). She’s also #5 in three point field goal percentage (50.7%) behind the impressive 55.1% of Minta Spears of Texas Tech. KML draws a lot of defensive attention but the recent emergence of Moriah Jefferson and Kia Nurse as three point threats should draw off some defenders.
While she isn’t in the top 10, special note should be made of Kia Nurse’s ranking of #30 as assist-to-turnover ratio (2.44 to 1). People not familiar with this stat may not be aware that 1.5 or so is considered a good number and 2 to 1 is a very good number. That means that for every 2 assists, the player turns the ball over 1 time. Kia, a freshman playing four ranked teams, two on the road, has a 2.44 to 1 turnover ratio which is darned impressive. In fact, she is ranked #2 in the AAC behind senior guard Kaden Brady of Tulsa (2.47 to 1).
The stats are improving as the freshmen integrate themselves into the offense and find their defensive rhythm. Geno only asks that the team get better each game and except for a half or a half of a half here and there, that’s what the Huskies are doing. American conference, look out.
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