Strong practices have been a foundation of Uconn wcbb from day one. Players have often cited the fact that the games are much easier than the practices. Geno has always said that playing time is earned in practices. Practices have been where the problems have been focused on and resolved by repetition of their corrections.
Understandably, the starters have played a lot of minutes and physical fatigue can be and probably is an issue but I think the real fatigue issue is more mental. Geno touched on this when he said they can run up and down the floor pretty well at the end of the games so that isn't really the issue. Nika hit the nail on the head when she said in a presser that they need to return to the intense practices that have been the signature of the program. This is from the kid who has played the most minutes on the team! She still can put on the after burner and find another gear at the end of most games. I think her teammates can as well. The fatigue and resultant drop-off in many games quarter to quarter is from mental frustration that things just aren't working and it becomes cumulative.
I would be surprised if this group is unwilling to practice hard if given the opportunity. Maybe the schedule (away, travel, home, etc.) has restricted the ability to do so. But, by his own admission it has been a coaches choice to dial practices back. From a recent presser, it has also been a choice to slow down the offense some. All this as an effort to lessen the fatigue on the short rotation of players.
I would argue that this is actually a part of the problem. Geno has said, Nika its the identity of this team. Well her identity has nothing resembling a grind it out half court game. Quite to the contrary it is a fast moving high energy game. That is what has worked when this team played its best ball this season. When Azzi was healthy in November that was the way we played, when she was out mid-December through the end of January for the most part we did as well.
Geno spoke of the team being 'selfish'. Well these are the same group of kids that he has collectively and individually lauded repeatedly throughout two-thirds of the season. I don't buy that they are all about their individual stats and 'reduced t-shirt sales'. They are more likely making a lot of questionable choices in an effort to do more than they perhaps should, or even can, to find their way back when things aren't flowing well - in an effort to help their team win. As Geno has often cited repetition ( i.e., reinforcement over and over in practice) makes choices, movements automatic. Being told in a timeout or sideline run by to do this, without the ingrained reinforcement of how or why it works, IMO isn't a great approach. I don't really think Geno wants a group that simply follow orders to a tee. As always he wants a group that 'knows' what the right choices/adjustments are.
His point guard, in essence has told him ' we are off track, we need to practice like Uconn wcbb and then we will do it in games'. There is a few days break until the BE tournament and then again before the Dance. I hope, rather than rest up, they, coaches and players, go to work and put in the work to right themselves. This team has shown they can do it the right way, regardless of who can play on a given night. They have no quit in them and all will fight to accomplish they're remaining two goals. They just need to find their way back to their identity of the first two thirds of the season. I don't think any of them want to rest at this point they want to go back to work!
