UCLA postgame

[Geesworld]

Didn't see the game, but did see the box-score. 0 Points, 0 Rebounds, 0 assists, 0 blocks, 0 steals, but she did have some stats, 2 turnovers and 1 foul. A little hard to imagine good minutes with that stat line.

Next time watch the game and don't always rely on box score to tell the story.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Have you seen the landscape in the NCAAW lately? What do you think Coach Auriemma can do differently when there is so much parity in the sport? Players have more choice as to where they want to play. Coach Auriemma is doing everything he can to bring in the best players possible. This era between 2000 and the mid 2010s is over. Times have changed.

UConn continues to remain a program players are attracted to and a team that is still considered a top contender after HOW MANY decades? What other program has had that type of success? I get fans are frustrated because this is unusual and uncomfortable territory, but come on. Take a 100 foot level view and appreciate what the fanbase has.

There's not "so much parity in the sport." There's one top team and a bunch of also-rans. Just the way it has always been. Tennessee then UConn got to be that top team for years, and now it is someone else.

 

[Geesworld]

I know I'll get a lot of down arrows but I didn't think Paige played all that well. 9 - 23 from the field and only 3 assists. She took some poor shots that really killed the momentum and forced shots looking for fouls. Additionally Kiki Rice had a much better all around game similar to Saniya Rivers a couple weeks ago. I don't think anyone played that well for UConn unfortunately. But they fought. Paige fought. Just wasn't enough.

It's tough to see all these first. UCLA and Cori Close beating Uconn for the first time. Last seasons sweet 16 loss, big east losses, losing in national championship game.

Assessment was spot on.
Paige is going to suffer because she doesn't have anyone on the perimeter who can keep the offense honest outside of her and we're simply to damn small to have any options to help inside. The remedy is stop handcuffing the players and let them explore a bit. We tend to play rigid with in the Princeton offense.

 

[schmendrick]

Tough game to watch. At the same time, looked to me as if this team is still growing into the best version of itself.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Schumacher

Kia Nurse

DennieEddy- - - Thank you for the 2 above!
At 76 years old I knew I'd forget someone!

 

[Rdkid]

Last year’s team really fought and got peak performances from 5 players on multiple nights. And the ball went in the bucket with balanced scoring. This will get much better when Geno figures out how to play Muhl and Buckets together, AE rights the ship and Griffin finds her D and slashing game. I think Muhl full-tilt was the key to some fun bball last year, and I hope we can sort things out. KK is showing some Muhl-like toughness as well, but the rest of the frosh are subs at best. He has to find it with the vets. And they will find it. Not looking like a championship team, but they will look like a good UConn team soon enough. Confidence and flow has to be built. And Buckets will get 20 good shots a game.

 

[HuskyNan]

DennieEddy- - - Thank you for the 2 above!
At 76 years old I knew I'd forget someone!

Anna Makurat

 

[real141]

Hmm, Amari played 9 minutes, scored 0 points, grabbed 0 rebounds, had 0 assists, 2 turnovers and 1 personal foul.

What part of she should've been given playing time way before now dont you understand. She's coming off the bench after not playing at all. Hasn't established any rhythm over the season but is expected to play like vintage Tina Charles. On top of this I could've sworn someone mention that she had surgery not that long ago. Funny Ducharme had surgery awhile back and people are very hesitant to criticize her play.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Anna Makurat

HuskyNan- - -Thanks to you also I knew I can trust most levelheaded BYers to come up with names I've forgotten!

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Some observations

AE had 5 fouls. FOUR were against UCLA penetrating guards...not Betts.

I would have let Aubrey guard Rice...not Paige. Aubrey had 4 steals.

KK needs to pretend she's a jr and penetrate and stop passing off. She can get in the lane at will and pressure defenses. She gets 20 today.

Ice is experiencing what Dorka did when she first started. Wasn't sure where to be in the offense. Game also appears to be a little fast for her right now. She's taking good shots and they will start falling once she relaxes. She's also moving better up and down the court.

 

[Gordo]

Morgan recruited her

Yes, I am aware of that, so what's your point?

 

[real141]

Few Thoughts:
*a depressing game for this UConn fan.
*UCLA got all that is needed fora championship run (size, outside shooting, great guards, ability to score from multiple players and areas of the floor)
*The first quarter was probably the worst defense I've seen from a UConn team. UCLA got every shot they wanted.
*The third quarter was one of the worst offensive quarters from a UConn team.
*This team is limited on offense unless AE finds her junior season form. Paige can't do it alone.
*If I'm Geno, I invest the playing time in Amari. Yes, she is limited but she is the only size on this UConn team. AE or Ice couldn't deal with Betts.
*Yes, Paige was forcing some shots but she always reminds you how amazing she is. As long as we have Paige, we have a chance.
*I don't understand why Aubrey a senior with amazing athletic abilities is so hesitant on offense. When she just plays, UConn looks so much better.
*KK is a player. Hopefully those kinds of experiences help her grow (quickly)
*Shade is so fundamentally sound that you can always play her and she'll contribute but she is not a big time scorer.
*The starting line-up should be AE, Ice, Aubrey, KK and Paige with Nika fist of the bench for a change of pace and Amari coming in for either of the bigs.

I would like to add that KK needs to work on her outside shooting. If she gets that down she will be the complete package and Uconn way harder to defend

 

[real141]

She’s an overmatched freshman! This team is too short, too slow, not athletic enough, is clearly disheartened, and basically is undermanned! How did we come to this? If everyone were healthy, we could probably overcome our deficiencies but the simple truth is that the swallows (read; recruiting failures and injuries) are coming home to roost!
We have to throw any ideas of a championship out the window and Geno needs to reset this team back to simply trying to improve incrementally for the foreseeable future. We are far from a contender at this point! I don’t want to go overboard with the despair thing as it is true that we are missing much of our team to injuries but the simple truth is, we are just not very tough, and not very athletic! That is a very bad combination at a time when those qualities are on the rise all around the country! We do still have Paige but she is going to need lots more help than she got tonight!

So this issues fall on the coaching staff. I said after the first lose that Geno needs to adopt coach Prime philosophy and start recruiting some dawgs.

 

[real141]

The team played UConn basketball in the middle of the second and fourth quarters. I didn’t care for the starting lineup but understood why Geno used it. The UCLA guards shot the lights out, kudos to them. They took what UConn gave them.

it is still November so there will be growing pains due to the injury situation. Edwards was a non factor. Nina might be better off the bench for a few games. There wasn’t enough fire power at the start. The offense was stagnant once again.

We know who will not be available moving forward. The available players have to be ready to contribute. there are no excuses for the lack of execution. Time to stop with the what if’s and get on with it.

They only lost by 11. It could have been much worse. let see what happens tonight.

I didn't understand why Geno started the third quarter with the original starters instead of the squad that ended the half and closed the score difference. It was a real head scratcher

 

[real141]

Didn't see the game, disappointed obviously, UConn needs more production from center/bigs, and they need to start a more offensive skilled line-up. Ice played 22 minutes yet zero points, she did take 5 shots. Amari played 9 minutes and 0 points and 0 shot attempts. Amari should be taking some shots if she is in the game. Nika and KK should not be playing together. Assuming Caroline is out again against Kansas, I'd start Aaliyah, Paige, KK, Ice and Ash. Then sub in Nika for KK, sub Aubrey for Ice, sub Q for Ash. When Aaliyah needs breather, try Amari for a spell- when Paige needs a breather, put in whoever has been productive, otherwise Ash. Can Ines get some time? Getting Caroline back will help as will Ayanna.

I thought the same thing. Ines has a beautiful outside shot. She just seems to get lost on defense and sometimes on the offensive schemes. But that was last year. But seems she had time to improve

 

[Gordo]

What part of she should've been given playing time way before now dont you understand. She's coming off the bench after not playing at all. Hasn't established any rhythm over the season but is expected to play like vintage Tina Charles. On top of this I could've sworn someone mention that she had surgery not that long ago. Funny Ducharme had surgery awhile back and people are very hesitant to criticize her play. Pack mentality

From what I have read of your only critical posts to date, you don't seem to grasp the situation and circumstances regarding Ducharme at all. In short for your education, her hip surgery caused recovery problems through most of at least the first third of last season, then the neck stiffness, then the numerous hits to the head putting her into concussion protocol and the aftermath from that has been devastating. Through it all she was still able to win at least one game pretty much single-handedly, and she played pretty well considering what she's gone through. So Caroline's recovery has been much more than just a surgery. Welcome to the BoneYard! Please do your homework before talking about things you apparently know nothing about.

As to your ridiculous question, there is nothing about this game I don't understand!

Amari has been left on the end bench by arguably the best coach in women's college basketball for 2+ years. Some of you think just because she's 6'6 she deserves playing time. That's your opinion and you have a right to it. But you don't coach this team and never will. Geno gave her nine (9) minutes because he was forced to do so. She did very little with them. Of course I didn't expect her to be a world beater, although that would have been nice. We need a miracle worker who can score, rebound, make assists, not turn the ball over, block shots and defend the rim like crazy. Did you see any of that? Did I expect that from her, absolutely not but some of you do. She has been practicing her craft everyday for very many years. It's not like playing the game of basketball is something new to her. Yes, she had some type of surgery in the off season. To my knowledge we don't know too much about it. However, I didn't notice any difference in her. If she wants more minutes, she must become an animal out there when given the opportunity. Just fitting in isn't going to get the job done.

And, if I have left any question about it, I love Amari. She seems like a wonderful young lady and a great teammate. Heretofore, quite honestly, she has seemed satisfied with that.

 

[Bone Dog]

This was a hard loss to take for the girls, and for us fans in the BY too. It seems to have made us a bit snippy, and that's understandable. We can't take our frustration out on the team so we take it out on each other. So here's the simple truth. Maybe saying it will make folks feel better, though let's be sure to notice both sides of it.

1) as currently constituted, the Huskies are not a Final Four team, and maybe worse than that -- a lot of folks are eager to say this as if it would make them feel the better for it. Unfortunately, this doesn't do much for me. I will always do what it takes to see some bright side to the situation. I don't need to torture myself with gloomy predictions in the hope I'll feel better if the worst comes to pass. That doesn't work for me.

2) the Huskies will not remain in this condition all season. By February, the team will be much different. What will change?

First, Paige will get even better than she is now. The striking thing is that she's only beginning to recover the potential she had 2 years ago. Just let that sink in for a moment.​

Second, we took a huge hit with Azzi's injury, and another one with Caroline's. This was 2/3 of the perimeter offense, and it evaporated almost overnight. The girls need to get over the shock of it, and I think us fans have underestimated the impact on the entire organization -- to lose two superstars within a few days. Even the coaches need a chance to get a breath of air. We are effectively back to where we were last season, with only one perimeter threat in Lou, only now our front court is thinner. Really, we are already more injured than we were last season, since we're also down Jana and Ayanna.​

Third, Ayanna will return, though there's no guarantee she'll regain her potential soon. If she can come back and take her place as a muscular presence in the paint, it'll go along way to shoring up our front court woes.​

Fourth, the freshmen will have to step up, and more than one of them will succeed. But they will need time to grow into the system. KK and Ashlynn seem to have a growing sense of their roles. On the other hand, Ice seems lost on offense and Qadence seems lost on defense. The good news is this will change, and conference play will work wonders on them.​

Fifth, the Kansas game is the one that really matters this weekend. A lot of us felt very uncertain about the UCLA game, and the polls had already seemed to factor in the loss, a #8 vs a #2. But the Kansas game is the moment for the players and the coaches to remind themselves that they have a winning system and are going to build on what they already have.​

Sixth, and this one is the most ambiguous, Amari played mid-game minutes. She didn't play very well, but she did a couple things the stat sheet didn't capture. She boxed out Betts a couple times. That's a beginning. And, in all fairness, she got thrown into a high-level game with little preparation. I wouldn't have expected more than that from her. The ambiguity is whether Geno will let her develop in game time, since he seems to think she's not earning it in practice. On this point, I think opinion in the BY is sharply divided.​

I've only watched highlights so far and I'm not sure I have the hardihood to watch the whole game yet. But thanks again to @MJL243 for making it possible once I work up the nerve. But what I did see confirms what I expected -- without a perimeter game, Aaliyah doesn't stand a chance against big front lines. If we have perimeter shooting, then she can operate in the paint free of double teams. Currently we don't have that luxury.

This is the great divide among teams: either you play outside in or inside out. We are not able to do either one at this moment. We can mask this to some extent by making each game a track meet, though this already assumes a perimeter game. But if Qadence and Ashlynn and Nika can hit 3s next to Paige against Kansas, we may see the path forward. Kansas has a few unconvincing wins and one very credible loss to VT. If that game was not a fluke, they'll be tough for us to beat, and it will be a valuable experience for everyone if we win.

[an update: VT is currently playing even with Tulane after the first half, a game they should win with a huge blowout if this were a normal season.]

 

[arch]

Next time watch the game and don't always rely on box score to tell the story.

Whether you watched the game or the box score you know that the coaches restricted her ”impact” to just nine minutes.
Actions speak louder than words.

 

[Aluminny69]

Has anyone else pointed out, in UConn's two losses, that UConn's defense failed to shut down their opponents top scorer? Saniya Rivers had 33 for NC State, while Kiki Rice and Charisma Osborne combined for 42 points for UCLA.

 

[Pharos]

From what I have read of your only critical posts to date, you don't seem to grasp the situation and circumstances regarding Ducharme at all. In short for your education, her hip surgery caused recovery problems through most of at least the first third of last season, then the neck stiffness, then the numerous hits to the head putting her into concussion protocol and the aftermath from that has been devastating. Through it all she was still able to win at least one game pretty much single-handedly, and she played pretty well considering what she's gone through. So Caroline's recovery has been much more than just a surgery. Welcome to the BoneYard! Please do your homework before talking about things you apparently know nothing about.

As to your ridiculous question, there is nothing about this game I don't understand!

Amari has been left on the end bench by arguably the best coach in women's college basketball for 2+ years. Some of you think just because she's 6'6 she deserves playing time. That's your opinion and you have a right to it. But you don't coach this team and never will. Geno gave her nine (9) minutes because he was forced to do so. She did very little with them. Of course I didn't expect her to be a world beater, although that would have been nice. We need a miracle worker who can score, rebound, make assists, not turn the ball over, block shots and defend the rim like crazy. Did you see any of that? Did I expect that from her, absolutely not but some of you do. She has been practicing her craft everyday for very many years. It's not like playing the game of basketball is something new to her. Yes, she had some type of surgery in the off season. To my knowledge we don't know too much about it. However, I didn't notice any difference in her. If she wants more minutes, she must become an animal out there when given the opportunity. Just fitting in isn't going to get the job done.

And, if I have left any question about it, I love Amari. She seems like a wonderful young lady and a great teammate. Heretofore, quite honestly, she has seemed satisfied with that.

Don't like the "snarky" feel. We can help each other see from other perspectives and build each other up. Gentle offerings is the way to go.

 

[Reypl21]

Has anyone else pointed out, in UConn's two losses, that UConn's defense failed to shut down their opponents top scorer? Saniya Rivers had 33 for NC State, while Kiki Rice and Charisma Osborne combined for 42 points for UCLA.

UCLA's leading scorer was Betts. You guys did a pretty good effort to slow her down, but I think that left their 3 point shooters open.

 

[Pharos]

This was a hard loss to take for the girls, and for us fans in the BY too. It seems to have made us a bit snippy, and that's understandable. We can't take our frustration out on the team so we take it out on each other. So here's the simple truth. Maybe saying it will make folks feel better, though let's be sure to notice both sides of it.

1) as currently constituted, the Huskies are not a Final Four team, and maybe worse than that -- a lot of folks are eager to say this as if it would make them feel the better for it. Unfortunately, this doesn't do much for me. I will always do what it takes to see some bright side to the situation. I don't need to torture myself with gloomy predictions in the hope I'll feel better if the worst comes to pass. That doesn't work for me.

2) the Huskies will not remain in this condition all season. By February, the team will be much different. What will change?

First, Paige will get even better than she is now. The striking thing is that she's only beginning to recover the potential she had 2 years ago. Just let that sink in for a moment.​

Second, we took a huge hit with Azzi's injury, and another one with Caroline's. This was 2/3 of the perimeter offense, and it evaporated almost overnight. The girls need to get over the shock of it, and I think us fans have underestimated the impact on the entire organization -- to lose two superstars within a few days. Even the coaches need a chance to get a breath of air. We are effectively back to where we were last season, with only one perimeter threat in Lou, only now our front court is thinner. Really, we are already more injured than we were last season, since we're also down Jana and Ayanna.​

Third, Ayanna will return, though there's no guarantee she'll regain her potential soon. If she can come back and take her place as a muscular presence in the paint, it'll go along way to shoring up our front court woes.​

Fourth, the freshmen will have to step up, and more than one of them will succeed. But they will need time to grow into the system. KK and Ashlynn seem to have a growing sense of their roles. On the other hand, Ice seems lost on offense and Qadence seems lost on defense. The good news is this will change, and conference play will work wonders on them.​

Fifth, the Kansas game is the one that really matters this weekend. A lot of us felt very uncertain about the UCLA game, and the polls had already seemed to factor in the loss, a #8 vs a #2. But the Kansas game is the moment for the players and the coaches to remind themselves that they have a winning system and are going to build on what they already have.​

Sixth, and this one is the most ambiguous, Amari played mid-game minutes. She didn't play very well, but she did a couple things the stat sheet didn't capture. She boxed out Betts a couple times. That's a beginning. And, in all fairness, she got thrown into a high-level game with little preparation. I wouldn't have expected more than that from her. The ambiguity is whether Geno will let her develop in game time, since he seems to think she's not earning it in practice. On this point, I think opinion in the BY is sharply divided.​

I've only watched highlights so far and I'm not sure I have the hardihood to watch the whole game yet. But thanks again to @MJL243 for making it possible once I work up the nerve. But what I did see confirms what I expected -- without a perimeter game, Aaliyah doesn't stand a chance against big front lines. If we have perimeter shooting, then she can operate in the paint free of double teams. Currently we don't have that luxury.

This is the great divide among teams: either you play outside in or inside out. We are not able to do either one at this moment. We can mask this to some extent by making each game a track meet, though this already assumes a perimeter game. But if Qadence and Ashlynn and Nika can hit 3s next to Paige against Kansas, we may see the path forward. Kansas has a few unconvincing wins and one very credible loss to VT. If that game was not a fluke, they'll be tough for us to beat, and it will be a valuable experience for everyone if we win.

[an update: VT is currently playing even with Tulane after the first half, a game they should win with a huge blowout if this were a normal season.]

Like the call for respectful banter...

 

[Gordo]

UCLA's leading scorer was Betts. You guys did a pretty good effort to slow her down, but I think that left their 3 point shooters open.

What? Betts was UCLA's third leading scorer behind Rice and Osborne. I assume you meant for the season to date, but that's not what you said.

 

[Reypl21]

What? Betts was UCLA's third leading scorer behind Rice and Osborne. I assume you meant for the season to date, but that's not what you said.

I meant top scorer for the season, but did not say it. I thought @Aluminny69 meant the top scorer of the season as well.

 

[maple]

I didn't understand why Geno started the third quarter with the original starters instead of the squad that ended the half and closed the score difference. It was a real head scratcher

Yeah, far be it from me to question Geno, but it seems like a no brainer to keep the players who are clicking on the floor! The original starting lineup was not getting it done.