Addressing your last paragraph: (1) three games can be critical to a season; (2) a quality backup can provide rest periods before the critical last 5 minutes against a quality opponent (3) there is the "practice factor." It help development of skills and tenacity if you are practicing every day against someone whose talent is on/near yours.
I think this practice factor has always helped UConn in its periods of dominance. The starters practiced against players who would/could start for other contender teams. Probably 95%+ of the time, the starters were facing a practice player who was better than the game opponent they were goin to face that week
1-- Yes 3 or 4 or 5 etc games can be critical to a season. It depends how great you are. The greater you are the less amount of games that are critical because you are "that good" it doesn't matter other than a few games. You're going to annihilate the others anyway. Because the other team has to defend you as well, they are more likely to get into foul trouble/and or wear down and as a result get stuck playing THEIR backups more.
And I was speaking of the entire season in which I think you watch every game. Leading up to those 3 games - what you are going to witness is something beyond special in terms of quality of play. And if you are blowing everyone out and playing a competitive schedule outside of those 3 games- it's highly unlikely that all 3 games will cost you because you don't have a deep bench. Maybe one or 2 might but not "all." UCONN is different - with them being in the AAC. Once USF's big star left- USF was mediocre one year and stunk after that. All the other teams in the AAC stunk. That's not the case in your conference.
2-- What is a "quality backup?" Is it the same as "deep bench?" It's a subjective term. Quality backups are also more likely to get whipped if they are competing against the superstar on the opposing team. I look at 15-16 (arguably UCONN's greatest team ever) when UCONN played SC. Stewart played 40 minutes, Tuck 33, MoJeff played 40, Kia Nurse played 39, Katie Lou and Gabby Williams played 22 and Collier played 4. That's basically 6 players. UCONN won the title in 14-15 too. And the 14-15 was also obscenely great. So how much did Katie Lou and Collier and Gabby help Stewart, Tuck and MoJeff?
In 13-14 (an undefeated team) - in which Baylor gave UConn their toughest game during the reg season - Mosqueda-Lewis played 34 minutes, Stewart 39, Dolson 32, MoJeff 38, Bria Hartley 37, Kiah Stokes 15, and Saniya Chong 3 and Brianna Banks 2. Basically a 6 player lineup.
In 09-10- another undefeated team arguably UCONN best ever or among top 5- UCONN's toughest game in finals vs Stanford - Maya Moore 37 minutes, Tina Charles 38, Caroline Doty 36, Kalana Greene 32, Tiffany Hayes 30, Kelly Faris 25. Kali McLaren 2. Basically a 6 player lineup. In 08-09 UCONN also won and went undefeated.
3-- The "practice factor" is subjective. OFC it helps but how much? And does the superstar elevate the bench/practice player? Or vice-versa? OFC both do to a degree but who elevates who more and by how much more? And if you have a great coach how much does it matter vs a mediocre coach for example? You must think Dawn is a super coach, right? How terrific must a bench player be? She can't coach the bench player up to give 5 decent minutes? So how do you determine that the practice player is of "enough quality?" UCONN having a walk-on as a top player coming off the bench is a problem they recently had. You have walk-ons playing critical minutes in big games too?
4-- When you have multiple superstars - they can go big minutes. I do understand freshmen bigs if you are super-reliant on that freshman center (overall freshmen in general) to be a superstar. As a frosh she would likely wear down. But the point is-- the non-frosh-superstar playing 35+ minutes will more-than-likely be superior to the bench player. The superstars just need adequate support. There is a reason why superstars are superstars. They outplay many many many others even if they are playing big minutes.
