Excited to see…?

[dtbtbtb]

Can't wait for the season to start!
As far as players:
1. Excited to see Paige play and in her more natural position. Every game we see this wonderkid play is a treasure.
2. Excited to see Jana play. I believe that if she would have been healthy last season, UConn would have won number 12. Hopefully she'll be one of the best centers in college from day 1.
3. Excited to see Sarah play. See seemed to have been born to play at UConn. Great passer, great shooter, team player.
Excited to see how Geno maneuvers and molds such a team of 14 talented players.

 

[Bone Dog]

Much of the discussion has been about Jana mostly for appropriate reasons. Yes we expect her to be pretty good, but more importantly both she and Sarah need to be good starters from day one.

I’m not sure I agree with this thought, though the rest of what you say makes sense. I think Jana and Sarah need to be good starters by the end of February. But the blessing of bringing back a bunch of starters from the final four team is that there will be little pressure on those two early in the season.

 

[CL82]

Don’t need Jan to be great in November. But I’m hoping for her to be great in March.

She looked terrific playing for the Egyptian team before she got injured. Still, I agree that there's likely to be some learning curve when she first starts.

 

[Topdawg]

i am hoping Ice and Ayanna start performing closer to the potential Geno saw in them when they were recruited to be on the team. Then as Jana and Sarah get more comfortable with college basketball we should have a strong front court.

I have fewer concerns about our back court.

 

[ashfan]

I am excited to see the whole team. Even in blowouts I enjoy the end of bench watching. What you get to see in some cases is the evolution of a player near the end of the bench and then grow into something much more not just year 1 but throughout their career. Unfortunately due to injuries these last few years and some other issues that has lessened.

Within this excitement, I am also excited to see Paige and Sarah -- along with a healthy Azzi. I also believe in what Geno said after the Iowa loss - that in NCAA's you need 3 scorers. OFC anyone in a game can be a scorer if that is one of their attributes. I'm just excited to see though if this can be a consistent 3-headed monster.

I'm reading from others on here a lot of hype with Jana. I haven't read all the hype other than I heard Geno say late summer that he felt Jana would have been #1 recruit last year if she were from USA. Also ofc Jana's games during last summer before she got hurt. In regard to Geno’s comment- he exaggerates preseason at times-- but has he made more comments about Jana recently? Would love to read some other more recent stuff that highlights her game.

Geno's "three scorers"? Paige, Ash, one of the Bigs.

 

[oldude]

i am hoping Ice and Ayanna start performing closer to the potential Geno saw in them when they were recruited to be on the team. Then as Jana and Sarah get more comfortable with college basketball we should have a strong front court.

I have fewer concerns about our back court.

I will acknowledge that Ayanna is a mystery to some degree. But Ice was on an upward trend starting with the Big East Tournament and continuing throughout the Big Dance. She’s in great shape and she is ready to be a factor for the Huskies this season.

 

[Woof 101]

1) Geno frustrated on how to find playing time with a team so healthy.
2) The blend of the team between the starters and the bench and how deep Geno goes.
3) UConn back to the final four with the other three teams with fear in their eyes!

 

[JellyBean]

I am excited to see the new look Ice, Ayanna, and the rest of the new Huskies, especially Jana. But I am excited to see the whole squad out there.

 

[Bone Dog]

Maybe it’s just me but Ayanna makes perfect sense to me as a husky. She’s like another Kiah: big strong and with quick feet. She’s not a great scorer, but she’s a good rebounder and knows how to get up and down the floor. Her game is straightforward and Geno will show her how to perfect it by mid season.

 

[Cuango]

Everything depends on health! If this roster can be fully healthy for the entire season it is very difficult to see us as anything but (at minimum) a co-favorite for the NC! If Jana and Sarah play up to their hoopla then imo we are the unquestioned favorite! Now, I’m not saying we definitely will win but I’m confident we would have the best team in the country! Some are already probably aghast that I would tempt fate in this way but I truly believe that, given good health, there is no one that can match our roster from top to bottom!

If (what a big word that is) we are healthy, this team has everything you could possibly want. A stud post with Yanna & Ice for relief, either Ice or Sarah at the four with Aubrey as backup & defensive stopper, Sarah, Caroline, Paige, Morgan, Aubrey, & Q at the three, Azzi, Ash, Paige, Allie at the two, and Paige, Kaitlyn, KK at the one. The possibilities are endless!

Just imagine what this team could be if Jana really does become a dominant post, Ice matures into the player Geno recruited and Yanna is fully healthy and plays well. Now imagine Sarah turns out to be Maya-like and Caroline returns to her top form and Morgan & Q play well! Think about being able to play a fully healthy Azzi, Ash, Allie, and Paige at the two! Finally, dream about a PG rotation of Paige, Kaitlyn and KK!

We have speed, strength, rebounders, basketball IQ out the ying yang, great coaching, a real post player, a potential generational recruit, the best player in the country, incredible shooters coming out of our ears, and as far as I can tell, not a single dud on the whole 14 woman roster! On top of that, just look at how close this team is! It’s difficult to be anything but massively bullish on our prospects for next season!

 

[Monte]

Excited to see if Q has made any adjustments to her game. I think she has great potential.

 

[Alydar]

The 1st game is too far away to get excited about. I'm very excited to see the 3pt shooting contest at 1st Night. Bueckers, Fudd, Ziebell. Does Strong beat them all? That would stir up the fans.

 

[cferraro04]

I noticed something reading this thread... There is a lot of excitement around certain players and certain combinations of players...but, what I find interesting is that lost in all the excitement we have some forgotten players...I know no one has forgotten them but because of all the excitement being generated by the: 1. Paige and Azzi show; 2. The debut of Jana El-alfy; 3. The expected improved version of Ice Brady; 4. The two new freshmen Morgan and Allie; 5. With the UConn debut of a point guard who can score - Caitlin Chen; 6. With the debut of the consensus high school number one player Sarah Strong from 2023, it is easy to relegate the following players to the not-as-exciting category: KK Arnold, Ashlynn Shade, Qadence Samuels, Aubrey Griffin, Caroline Ducharme, Ayanna Patterson.

For me...I am equally excited to see the sophomore jump of our three freshmen from last season: KK Arnold, Ashlynn Shade, and Qadence Samuels. My anticipation meter is off the charts when it comes to Aubrey Griffin...we have all seen how her athleticism can impact a game. I can't wait to see a healthy Aubrey playing alongside all this talent. Teams will not be able to match up with her given all the other talent that UConn will have on the floor with her. Caroline Ducharme is a player who we have all seen glimpses of just how good she can be...this kid just hasn't been able to catch a break...If Caroline is healthy, and if she even comes close to the Caroline who carried the team when Bueckers went down we are going to be treated to a very special season. Lastly, we all saw the videos of Ayanna in high school dunking the basketball and playing above the rim. Ayanna is another player whose injuries have prevented her from growing into her true potential. Ayanna's re-emergence could be another reason to get excited.

 

[itsasport]

I would be terrific of Caroline could show her true skills. And I think Allie could be the real deal.

 

[Skeets]

Lol, I hear you but there are a lot of other pieces. Something to keep in mind she has never played a minute for the university of Connecticut. Playing wise she is a de facto freshman coming off an injury. Putting our next championship on her shoulders, minimally seems premature, and probably is an unfair expectation.

But if Jana meets, let's say, 80% of the expectations here on the boneyard she will be the team MVP for all those not named Paige. As a group we DO have high expectations. Fair? Probably not...

 

[Bald Husky]

Jana is probably the player that I am most anxious to see, and also the one that can turn us into title contenders.
Everyone is looking at potential starting line-ups and first off the bench. In most of these scenarios there are 2 players that are often overlooked, Caroline DuCharme and Ayanna Patterson. Why, because we are so used to playing without them that we have pushed them to the back of our minds. We forget what Caroline can do, and as far as Yanna, we forget what a great rebounder she has shown to be, and I believe I have seen her make a couple of mid-range shots. Where they fit in, we don't know. Their health has been always a concern, but if they can come back healthy, then we will be in great talent heaven, and I believe no team can stop us. These kids, especially Caroline, have had a tough road so far, so I am hoping for them to be themselves again so they can join in with what will be a great season. I wish those two, along with the rest of our girls, good health and prosperity.
.

 

[JellyBean]

Excited to see if Q has made any adjustments to her game. I think she has great potential.

Q's length and shooting ability. The way she plays the angles out there. If she has made gains over the summer. Just a 5% gain from last season, Q is going to play a huge part in the growth of the team. I am hoping that everyone has improved from last year.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I'm excited about a lot, especially about having 14 players to cheer for, not just 7 or 8. I'll highlight just some of them.

First, Paige. She is uber popular and one of the best players in the nation. In fact, she is one of the best players ever. I still miss Maya and have trouble believing that she is retired. Whether she stays for 1 year or 2 years, let's fully appreciate Paige while we have her. She is truly special and will be legendary.

As with other BYers, I'm excited about Jana. Because she comes from Africa, she is still under the radar. She could surprise the heck out of everyone. Could she be one of the best players in the nation from Day 1?

I like Kaitlyn and her energy. I'm excited to see how she does with elite level talent around her.

Sarah was the #1 recruit for a reason. I love the videos of her, especially her feathery touch. She could be amazing from the very beginning.

I also need to note my local girl, Azzi. She still holds the arena (ESA) scoring record where the Mystics play. She is a great player and sweet person. Unfortunately, she has had terrible luck with injuries. If she stays healthy and meshes with Paige, as expected, she can be a magical player.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Can't wait for the season to start!
As far as players:
1. Excited to see Paige play and in her more natural position. Every game we see this wonderkid play is a treasure.
2. Excited to see Jana play. I believe that if she would have been healthy last season, UConn would have won number 12. Hopefully she'll be one of the best centers in college from day 1.
3. Excited to see Sarah play. See seemed to have been born to play at UConn. Great passer, great shooter, team player.
Excited to see how Geno maneuvers and molds such a team of 14 talented players.

It’s the UConn women’s to lose in 2025, and maybe for the men too for 3 straight. I don’t think there’s a school in the country that can even approach that.

 

[Bigboote]

My absolute #1 desire is to see a healthy Caroline. This doesn’t necessarily mean playing a,lot or even at all. I want to see her energized, able to fly to away games, all that.

I’m looking forward to seeing the new players, and lst year’s team healthy, but for me that all is secondary to the health of Caroline’s brain and neck.

 

[MooseJaw]

Yep I want to see how each player meshes into Geno's system. Most interested to see our team take shape, the combinations Geno puts together. The leaders who emerge besides Paige. Ok now the big one, the ultimate starting 5, the top subs and the way they merge together.

 

[Cornell Lt]

I look forward to the Sophomore version of Qadence Samuels

 

[jdote33]

Jana, Sarah, and Ice. I think the sky is the limit for all 3 of them. I think Sarah is flying way under the radar for a number one ranked player in a pretty talented class. Jana, I'm excited for the same reasons as everyone else has stated. I think it will take a bit to adjust to the speed of the game. Lastly I think Ice was kinda in a tough situation last year. Now she has a year under her belt, knows her strengths and weaknesses and is not backing up an All American. I just think she has so much more to show.