Expectations vs. Reality for the team...

[PhillyCoach]

Most posters now realize that UConn has 3 big dogs leading the way--Paige, Sara and Azzi. ND has 3 big dogs too. UCLA and SC have 3 good ones also. After that the next 5 - 15 teams usually have 2 good players. Remember, Clark took her team to the finals. She had some decent help from the big girl (super smart and consistent), but almost did it single handedly. One or two big dogs can take a team far. ** I am counting Azzi because she showed me against Ole Miss that she can defend, assist, and score without the 3 ball. Her demeanor was relaxed and confident. She seems more mature.
I believe the big question is what NCAA team has the 4th dog, or even the 5th and 6th. MY response is UConn's 4th spot is a perfect 2 for 1 concept. Jana and Ice (divide the 40 minutes however) can combine for a double -double every game. Jana has numbers close to that only playing less than 20 minutes a game.
The 5th spot would have to be Chen, KK & Ash competing for court time. Who is hot? Who is not? Most posters know that those three can compete at a high level. Geno & CD know the scene where subs have to come in. Patterson, Caroline, and Aubrey are not on any radar yet. I only see Aubrey (maybe in Feb.) trying to contribute if she overcomes the injury and rust. In general, I don't count those 3 as "definite help." IN addition, Q , Morgan, & Alli will develop and get time in the conference games. IMHO-- No time in the big games.
Geno, CD, the team, and many posters see this team as contenders for the title--I do too. However, who knows what team shows up that fateful day. Will each member perform at the necessary level to win?
Will the 3 ball fall? Can adjustments be made on the fly? Is the other team shooting 80%?
Geno & CD know what it takes to prepare for that day. Amazingly, UConn has been to 15 out of 16 final fours recently. They know how to get there. I believe this year they have what it takes to win.

 

[hoophuskee]

It's going to take more than solid three-point shooting to win the NC this season.........can Jana and Ice compete up front against the big front lines of teams like UCLA and South Carolina and even ND with Koval? If they can control the boards and play solid interior defense, then UConn should be in a great position to win it all.....

Three could definitely be enough considering a sporadic 4th is pretty assured with this team as well. Last year UCONN came seconds away from Finals. There was Paige, and an infrequent shooting Nika at 40%+. Ash was 35.7%. This year she is 36.4%. The Big 3 are volume shooters unlike Nika. If The Big 3 are hitting their 3's the entire offense opens up not only for them to pass to each other for 2's but similar for all the other players.

The chance that not one of Ash or Chen won't be more efficient than the prior year seeing how they should be more open is doubtful. And someone like Jana vs the quality teams should have more room to operate.

If UCONN's Big 3's are hitting their 3's then the oppostion will have more to worry about stopping for the onslaught than UCONN will have. That's why UCONN has the POY, why they have Fudd and why they have Strong. The UCONN offense is greater than theirs at least that's what UCONN is going to try to prove. They have the greatest offensive college coach in wcbb History and it certainly looks like thee 3 are possibly elite at certain levels. If UCONN's offense from these 3 are clicking, the Bigs on the other teams won't be good enough. These are 3 #1 h/s recruits that may very well be all at All_Amerivcan Level. Even if Sarah isn't she is close when she shows she can hit the 3 because not only her skills but her two other superstar teammates make her better.

OFC 19 year olds can have a horrific game but you don't need to be super at all positions to be a Juggernaut. And even if you are, the one-game-and-done ensures that not all the time the best team for the season will win.

 

[msf22b]

I'm Tony-esque in my view of this team
The pieces are all there
-The leading scoring guard in the land
- A monster 3-point shooter who has added quickness,
D and effectiveness in the lane...rust will soon come off
- A freshman strong forward who is effective+ in most
aspects
- Two centers of significant ability...remember it takes
time for the bigs to fit in and be capable
- A vet point guard, who has not had a huge game
yet, but she will
+ lots of others I haven't mentioned

It's like a great Beef Bourguignon or a Tuscan Bolognese...It takes time for the flavors (and a team) to come together...

I recall the first year of the mighty 3...Stewie went home depressed and contemplated giving up...Geno had reservations about Jefferson and used her sparingly; Tuck was Tuck from the beginning and almost saved one of the terrible defeats by ND all by herself. But when it was tourney time, they were all ready...This team has all the potential pieces.

It takes a bit of time...game experience and coaching.

This can (should be) one of the outstanding UConn teams.

Patience.

​

 

[sun]

It seems to me that Ice & Chen need to make better decisions when it comes to shooting 3's & making errant passes to the middle of the lane.
Those mistakes costs the team in scoring efficiency.
If Geno wants the team to score more 3's then someone will need to lose some PT to give the ptoentially better 3 point shooters like Q, Morgan & Allie more opportunities to make some shots.
Turnovers & one & done shots are costly.
There's some redundancy having both Chen< Paige & Azzi playing at the same time.
At some point it becomes lead or get out of the way.
Sometimes I think that Ice & Chen may need to get out of the way.

Sarah is a little too inconsistent & possibily Geno is relying on her too much to work both inside & outside.
She could it do all but not with enough consistency yet.
She's a little bit of a lumberjack when performing as a guard.
She's effective against lower tier teams but can she keep it up against elite talent?
She needs to come out for a spell so that guards can come in make some shots too.
I expect a little bit more of a rotation against quality teams because Ice & Sarah don't seem to have quite enough athleticism.
It's not easy to be critical because it's speculatory.
But it plain to see that in the last game the team was struggling to maintain their lead & compsure due to not making the best decisions.
That's only going to exploited by better teams.
It's time to bring in some of the bench guns to see who can produce when they're needed.

Paige can make passes to the inside that no else one can make. Her & Azzi showed some good chemistry by luring the defense in with their ball handling.

It's the decision making regarding making passes & taking & making shots that I'm most concerned about.
Paige is the leader and Azzi also needs to be a ball handler instead of always relying on Ice & Chen.
That should also open some PT for Q, Morgan & Allie to make some shots, & give Sarah a few more minutes of rest too.

 

[Blond D.]

Jana reminds me of Dorka when she first arrived from Ohio State. Dorka wasn't real sure where exactly she was supposed to be or how to do the job. But when the light bulb came on she came out with guns a-blazing.
I think soon the light bulb will come on for Jana then the other teams best beware.

 

[ERWUC65]

There have been a lot of references to last year, both players and team performance, both about UConn and the corresponding other major schools. I would take a measure of caution here, because I think we are looking at a substantial increase now in overall talent and competition that make comparisons risky. For example, SC, who was #1 all last year is now at best top 10 and Iowa who was in the final four might not be in the top 20. Add in ND, USC, UCLA, Texas, TCU, LSU, Maryland, Ohio State, Kentucky and of course UConn and you have a plethora of worthy contenders making for an exhausting and edge-of-seat season.

 

[hoophuskee]

Most posters now realize that UConn has 3 big dogs leading the way--Paige, Sara and Azzi. ND has 3 big dogs too. UCLA and SC have 3 good ones also. After that the next 5 - 15 teams usually have 2 good players. Remember, Clark took her team to the finals. She had some decent help from the big girl (super smart and consistent), but almost did it single handedly. One or two big dogs can take a team far. ** I am counting Azzi because she showed me against Ole Miss that she can defend, assist, and score without the 3 ball. Her demeanor was relaxed and confident. She seems more mature.
I believe the big question is what NCAA team has the 4th dog, or even the 5th and 6th. MY response is UConn's 4th spot is a perfect 2 for 1 concept. Jana and Ice (divide the 40 minutes however) can combine for a double -double every game. Jana has numbers close to that only playing less than 20 minutes a game.
The 5th spot would have to be Chen, KK & Ash competing for court time. Who is hot? Who is not? Most posters know that those three can compete at a high level. Geno & CD know the scene where subs have to come in. Patterson, Caroline, and Aubrey are not on any radar yet. I only see Aubrey (maybe in Feb.) trying to contribute if she overcomes the injury and rust. In general, I don't count those 3 as "definite help." IN addition, Q , Morgan, & Alli will develop and get time in the conference games. IMHO-- No time in the big games.
Geno, CD, the team, and many posters see this team as contenders for the title--I do too. However, who knows what team shows up that fateful day. Will each member perform at the necessary level to win?
Will the 3 ball fall? Can adjustments be made on the fly? Is the other team shooting 80%?
Geno & CD know what it takes to prepare for that day. Amazingly, UConn has been to 15 out of 16 final fours recently. They know how to get there. I believe this year they have what it takes to win.

Your spot on. Per below, while not a strict rule as the AI also states, that when you have 3 reliable scorers you tend to have a balanced attack. And because the 3 are a triple threat, in which at least two are sensational passers, chances are much greater that even in tough games "the other players" can/will contribute especially if Sarah starts drilling her 3's. It's not like it's a bridge too far to expect Paige, Azzi, and Sarah to hit 3's. So, once this is shown, the top teams defenses aren't going to just "let" then shoot without pressure. But they will rather let the 4th/5th6th option beat them. There's a reason why Paige is projected to be POY. A reason why Azzi is projected to be picked 3rd in the draft, and there's a reason why we've been over-the-top excited about the last tear's #1 H/S player's play so far. While no way can they be considered invincible, we can see a potential window of greatness, and that strength would be from the offense. .

AI Overview


While not a strict rule, in modern basketball, having at least three reliable scorers on your team is generally considered essential for success, as it allows for a balanced offensive attack and the ability to score points even if one player is having an off night; this is often referred to as "three-level scoring" where players can score from inside the paint, mid-range, and beyond the three-point line.

 

[hoophuskee]

There have been a lot of references to last year, both players and team performance, both about UConn and the corresponding other major schools. I would take a measure of caution here, because I think we are looking at a substantial increase now in overall talent and competition that make comparisons risky. For example, SC, who was #1 all last year is now at best top 10 and Iowa who was in the final four might not be in the top 20. Add in ND, USC, UCLA, Texas, TCU, LSU, Maryland, Ohio State, Kentucky and of course UConn and you have a plethora of worthy contenders making for an exhausting and edge-of-seat season.

UCONN is probaby much stronger too. And as for South Carolina, they lost their super player, their Unicorn. They can still be great but no way would I say they are neccessarirly better. They had a player last year that was brutally hard to stop, a mismatch vs everyone and extremely athletic for her size.

 

[cometjo]

It seems as though the "super" team concept is very real in the desire of the top schools to create one thru portal, nil, conference realignment, etc. But, like NCAA football and NCAA Men's basketball, it has fallen upon itself and created one mess of equivalency which one can say is either very exciting or very depressing?

I think the reason there aren't a few dominant teams and we're seeing so many top-ranked teams drop a game early in the season is actually due to a very positive fact: there's way, way, more talent out there in women's basketball, enough talent that there are a bunch (10?, 20?) teams capable of beating anyone on the right day.

 

[dtbtbtb]

Love how this team is progressing and as typical for Geno's teams I'm sure will be much much better come March.
At this point of the young season the main positives of the team are toughness (as shown by not letting the terrible 3rd quarter against Ole Miss, get them down mentally), really good defense (need to improve on the 3-point defense) and what seems to be like a good cohesive team with everyone willing and playing their roles.
Also, the fact that the 3rd big dog was found, bodes well for UConn as till the Ole Miss game seemed to have only 2 players who can be relied on for consistent scoring.
Main weaknesses: Somewhat lack of killer instinct (when they led big against NC and Ole Miss, should have continue to press and increase the lead instead of letting them back in the game) and 3 point shooting accuracy that must improve for UConn to have a legit chance for the National Championship.
The players:
Paige: as good as it gets. No doubt in my mind that she belongs on the UConn Mount Rushmore. She somehow always seems to be able to do more and more for the team.
Sarah: a real nice surprise. Didn't expect her to be that good this soon. Seems very mature for her age and clearly got an amazing basketball iq. Sure to be the next Superstar of UConn.
Azzi: surprised at how fast, strong and decisive she is with the ball. No signs of the injury. And now with her, UConn got the big 3.
Ice: clearly better than last season. much better on defense and reading the game. will probably never be a great rebounder but is better at it. I just hope she stops shooting 3's,,,
Jana: expected (not fairly) Stef Dolson and the first few games seemed like a struggle but seems much better now and i believe that by the end of the season will be the 4th big dog and provide a double double on a regular basis. Her upside is ridiculously high.
KC: expected more because of her pedigree. Seems like a smart kid so i'm sure she'll get it. A good passer but so far seems limited on offense.
Ash: better on defense than I've expected but inconsistent on offence. She still needs to show that she can be a reliable scorer against the better team in the country.
KK: great on defense but see no improvement in her offensive game. Still tries the forays to the basket that very rarely finish with a basket and does not have a mid range game. I've hoped she'll work on being able to shoot from the mid-range but so far we don't see it.
The above are clearly the rotation that Geno trusts for big games. Hopefully Aubrey and/or Yana P. can join soon to make it a 10 players rotation.
The bench that will need to show more to be included in the rotation:
Morgan: seems like a Swiss army knife which can do a lot of different things but needs to be more consistent with a go to reliable shot.
Allie: a sniper. needs to show more variety to her game than just shooting 3's. Needs to improve her defense if she wants more playing time.
Q: a player that seems to have so much potential but so far didn't show much. still confused on both defense and offense. Hopefully it clicks for her soon.

 

[Bigboote]

Agree with most of what’s been said. I have one concern. There’s still too much “Paige watching”: those stretches of a few minutes when there’s very little movement on offense once Paige has the ball. I’ve been thinking (just a thought, not a suggestion for Geno) that maybe there could be, say, 4-5 minutes in the second or third quarter when Paige and Azzi are on the bench and two of Morgan, Allie, and Ashlynn basically are told to play Paige and Azzi’s roles.

My one wish is that Ashlynn would get more touches. Her offense is down, but not because she’s shooting poorly, she’s just not getting the ball much. That may be because there are more options, it may be because she’s not moving as well on offense.

I am confident the running game will come along. It seems that Geno is concentrating on half-court offense. He’ll focus on the running game once the slow offense is a well-oiled machine.

 

[Blueconn]

With confidence and gleeful anticipation : 2025 National Champions and undefeated.

 

[drweo]

I'm curious what fellow BY'ers think about the team thus far with regards to pre-season expectations, and the small sample size of reality that we've seen thru the first 6 games (7 if you count the exhibition game)... For me so far...

Paige - as good as I expected her to be, she's at least matched, if not exceeded, what I could have hoped for. She COULD score 40 points a game if she wanted to, and you can tell that when she takes over a game for a period of time, she's almost impossible to stop. I really do hope she goes out with a NC - what a cherry on top of the terrific sundae that has been her stellar UCONN career...

Sarah - she has far exceeded my expectations. I'd seen snips of her from HS and various games she played, and in the all-star type games (McD AA etc.), she wasn't a superstar in the games. But boy has she blown me away so far at UCONN. Aside from her 3 point shooting, which is only at about 25%, she's just outstanding at everything else. Literally EVERYTHING. Scoring, ball handling, defending, rebounding, dishing assists, blocking, etc. She has been the biggest surprise for me on a team that was already slated as a NC contender

Kaitlyn - I know there was, and continues to be, a lot of debate as to whether she should start or not. I think she should be the starter, and I think she will continue to grow and get better in her role as her chemistry and time with the team increases. Having said that, my expectations were a little bit higher than what I've seen so far, especially with some of her decision making and turnovers. a 2:1 assist/TO ratio is not terrible, but I hope it gets better, as well as her 3 point shooting.

As a side note - for the most part, the 3 point % for the 8 core players thus far is horrible for players not named Paige or Ash. Not a single player of the remaining 6 has a % north of 25%.

Ash - I did expect her to start at the beginning of the season. I think of all the guards, she is the toughest and most physical. You can see where she has improved and she's about what I expected this season with a nice sophomore jump. I do think she will swap with Azzi as far as starting goes in the near future as I think Azzi's scoring prowess will be more important than Ash's physical prowess, but part of that is Ash gets less touches. She's not really been asked to be a main scoring threat... her play so far is about what I expected...

Ice - she's been a bit of an enigma with a few weak games to start the season, but over all she's just about what I expected this season. She will never be 6'5", so people can't expect her to be a post player "like that". But I've iso-watched her at times and her movement and athleticism is improved, as her play within what UCOONN is trying to run. She's a tad more turnover prone than I'd like, but I think overall she's solid and knows her role on the floor. Excited for progression as she continues to learn and improve.

Jana - again, aside from 1 bad game, she's been coming on strong. If not for Geno's over-the-top preseason assessment of her skills, I'd say she's better than I expected. IMHO she has a ton of upside, you can tell she WANTS to be great, is frustrated when she makes a mistake, but that's the kind of attitude you can hone and work with - much better that than a lackadaisical player. Believe it or not, she's the 3rd leading scorer on the team - basically tied with Azzi for PPG - and I think she's just nibbling around the edges of what she can do. You can tell she's not comfortable yet, but that's to be expected for a kid who not only is a "freshman" from a playing perspective, but is also coming back from missing the entire season last year.

Azzi - hard to really evaluate her (3 games), but if the last game is any indication, we can expect great things from her. I think her defense and all around game is better than I expected (maybe it's the same as it was before her injury but it's hard to recall), and it's been great to see her score in so many ways, but her 3 point shot is way off - surprisingly so. I hope/expect that to improve.

KK - love her attitude and energy, but she's one player who I expected more from this season. She wasn't a great shooter last season, and it doesn't look like she put any work into that in the off-season, so for me thus far, that's a bummer. But her A/TO ratio is sick (in a good way - 19 assists, 2 TO's). I see her as the starter for sure next season, but for now she's great off the bench.

Qadence, Morgan, Allie - lumping them together...

• Q - was expecting a bigger leap for her. She's very athletic and like an energizer bunny, but has trouble putting the ball in the basket. It seems that she still gets confused on where she's supposed to be. It seems like she's 11th on the depth chart on an 11 player team at this time.
• Allie and Morgan - on a team with 8 core players that is a NC contender, it's not surprising that they are "only" averaging 10-11 MPG. And that's with 0 MPG vs. Ole Miss and only 4 each vs. NC (Azzi was not available that game and Q did not play). Both are taking good shots and will be very good. Looking forward to seeing how they progress!

For me, the most important thing is to see improvements (even small ones) as the season goes along, and I think we will. You can tell the team has great chemistry, then want to be really good, they have had a few games now where they took a serious punch and came back from it (both UNC and Ole Miss), and that the sign of a mature team, or at least a team with mature leadership. It's early and they will only get better (as will the rest of WCBB), but I think this team, as good as they have been so far, still has a lot of room to get better, and that's going to be exciting to watch!

Thanks for this balanced, well-considered evaluation!

 

[Charliebball]

Iowa with only Stuelke, Goodman and O'Grady played a competitive game last season in the finals against a big front line. I'm pretty sure Jana Sarah and Ice can do the same, especially with the assistance of Aubrey and Ayanna if they come back healthy. We won't win the game in the front court, but they may be able to keep us close enough for Paige & Co to win it.

It's unlikely that UConn will simply be able to shoot its way to a championship.........it's lock-down defense and control of the boards that will give them the edge or cost them......

 

[Majic Hands]

There’s still too much “Paige watching”:

Yep.

 

[Bone Dog]

There’s still too much “Paige watching”

I always worry about this. Will Azzi’s arrival make it better or worse? Could there be Paige & Azzi watching? And Sarah? And this phenomenon gets worse when the pressure is really on. That 3rd quarter against Ole Miss had a bit of this until Azzi took over. And the closing minutes of the USC game last season the team succumbed to it again, and there were veterans in that lineup.

there's way, way, more talent out there in women's basketball, enough talent that there are a bunch (10?, 20?) teams capable of beating anyone on the right day.

I’d add that there’s also more coaching talent out there these days, especially as the W has matured. More women especially have gotten experience playing at every level and have a lot of wisdom to bring to teams. And it’s not just head coaches. There’s a lot of very professional staffs out there. This is the legacy of Geno and Tara and Pat and, yes, even Muffet. They set the standard high for coaches and more of them have responded to their example.

 

[Rb335]

Exceeds:
Paige- had sky high expectations, she somehow exceeds them. Superb.
Sarah- acclimating so quickly, impacts more on the floor than I would’ve expected
Azzi- her movement looks so good. I think she’ll regain form this year.
Rebounding- we have lineups available to control the glass unlike some previous teams

Meets -
Allie, Morgan, and Q. Didn’t expect them to be in the rotation for big games, but see glimpses of their ability. Hopeful they’ll get experience in the big east schedule.
Jana- looks good, great rebounder. Needs to finish better at the rim.
Ice- improved mobility, same suspect exterior shooting touch. About what I expected.
Offense and Defense - producing points and stops. Still show some reliance on Paige offensively, and some trouble defending the 3. About what I expected.

Below expectations-
Shade and KK- expected a jump but they look the same if not worse at times. Shade still seems to lack the ability to contribute offensively in big games. Kk shows good defense and passing, but still drives into bigger defenders and hasn’t improved her shot.
Chen- Geno made her seem like option 2 in the preseason. She’s been somewhat steady but isn’t a true difference maker yet. There’s time but I think she may get passed on the depth chart.
3 Point Shooting- for all the great shooter reputations, we’re not shooting very well as a team. And we take a lot of 3s. If Azzi and or Sarah find their shot this changes quickly.

 

[Bone Dog]

and some trouble defending the 3. About what I expected

I've been wondering about this recently. Has this always been a problem or is it just the last few years that it's been a problem. In other words, is it a feature of Geno's system, or is it a result of recent personnel. I'd suspect the latter, since our front court hasn't been huge and deep over the past few years and this requires more double teams in the paint. But I haven't done the research on past teams. For example, did the Stewie & Stef teams suffer from this, too?

 

[hoophuskee]

It's unlikely that UConn will simply be able to shoot its way to a championship.........it's lock-down defense and control of the boards that will give them the edge or cost them......

IMO it's the other way around. But it's not "literal. (i.e hitting a high % of 3's "every" game)" Because of their offense, not just perimeter shots, that this will give them the edge to win the title or go as far as they can. If their offense "duds" then the chance they beat the more elite inside teams is not so hot. And if their offense duds when they go against a team like ND more than likely they aren't going to come up on top. This team will go as far as their offense takes them. Of course they can't be "terrible" defensively. But their defense can only be so good. But their offense has a potential "prolific" ceiling. Their Big 3 in terms of not only individual play but how they can work together have the potenital to be "prolific" offensively. On the flip-side if their defense is bad, they can still win the game vs the elite teams with their offense if the Big 3 play as they are capable.

Once UCONN's Big 3 shows consistency of hitting 3's, then they'll be scouted/planned to limit this prolific strength before the game begins. This opens up a lot for the others. The key is that all 3 players must be playing at high effciciency by the end of the season and at least shown something in regard to their 3 big games vs ND, SoCal, and SoCar.

 

[JellyBean]

Great comments by all. For me the team, given the small sample size of games, is kind of where I expected them to be at this point of the young season.

Paige- Great leader. Great player. Great teammate. She is playing above expectations.

Sarah- Has the season goes; she improves each game. Her confidence is growing. Command of the rebounds. She can beat you off the dribble, which is impressive for us post players playing on the wings. She is going to be force.

Jana-Love this young lady! High energy. Vocal. Still very raw skill wise but you can see she wants to learn and that is a good thing.

Azzi-Glad that she is relatively healthy. I just love seeing her on court these past 2 games. I expected Azzi to come off the bench and be that spark for the 2nd unit. We need that type of offense coming off the bench and Azzi provides that extra fire power from the 2nd unit.

Ashlynn- Like Jana, I love Ash. She is a team first player. She understands the assignment. She can read the room. She understands her role within the team dynamic and role clarity is a big picture idea. It means a team understands what the person to her left and to her right is responsible for. Ash understands how the machine works. I am surprised that she has not taken a free throw yet this young season. But that is connected to things outside of her control.

Ice- She is where I expected her to be after her increase play from last season. She looks and is playing with confidence. Her passing ability (the hi/lo game with Sarah or Jana) is great. The guards don't look for her when she sets picks from them but that will improve in time. Keep up the great work, Ice!

Kaitlyn- She is all that and then some. Much like Ashlynn, KC knows how to read a room. She just goes about her business playing defense and getting balll into the proper hands when it matters. The sad part, much like Hailey Van Lith at LSU last season, KC is going to suffer that same narrative of "she isn't doing more of X". KC is doing what is expected of her at the time.

KK- I am so proud of this young lady! Much like KC, KK is doing the same thing. She is doing what is expected of her at the time. She plays solid defense. She is not forcing shots. She is playing within the system. You have to applaud that.

Allie- I kind of expected, along with Morgan, would fall victim to the numbers game and would have to be members of the 20/20/20 club. Up or down by 20 points or 20 seconds on the clock.

Q- I kind of expected her to get some minutes this season. Play with a chip on her solider. Command some playing time. Sadly, like Allie and Morgan, she will be a member of the 20/20/20 club. She reminds me of Caroline's playing time situation. The wheels have to fall off before Q can get some serious minutes out there.

Overall, 6 games into the season and most of the team is healthy or recovering, I expected a 6-0 start. This season's schedule and the development of players has allowed a 6-0 start.

 

[BobbyJ]

I always worry about this. Will Azzi’s arrival make it better or worse? Could there be Paige & Azzi watching? And Sarah? And this phenomenon gets worse when the pressure is really on. That 3rd quarter against Ole Miss had a bit of this until Azzi took over. And the closing minutes of the USC game last season the team succumbed to it again, and there were veterans in that lineup.



I’d add that there’s also more coaching talent out there these days, especially as the W has matured. More women especially have gotten experience playing at every level and have a lot of wisdom to bring to teams. And it’s not just head coaches. There’s a lot of very professional staffs out there. This is the legacy of Geno and Tara and Pat and, yes, even Muffet. They set the standard high for coaches and more of them have responded to their example.

When those 2-3 players are on the floor together the others are not just watching. They’re in specific areas for spacing to open room for those 2-3 to get the majority of the shots, hopefully against favorable matchups. Good half court offenses are designed to run through and maximize the best talents of a team, not necessarily to get everybody equal touches and shots. If the others get shots because an action breaks down, or off transition or an offensive rebound that’s fine, but it’s not expected in a game plan. That’s why off ball garbage collectors and rim runners like Griffin can be so valuable and change games. It’s also why Auriemma tells subs to find a way to impact games without having the ball a lot.

 

[ashfan]

I'm curious what fellow BY'ers think about the team thus far with regards to pre-season expectations, and the small sample size of reality that we've seen thru the first 6 games (7 if you count the exhibition game)... For me so far...

Paige - as good as I expected her to be, she's at least matched, if not exceeded, what I could have hoped for. She COULD score 40 points a game if she wanted to, and you can tell that when she takes over a game for a period of time, she's almost impossible to stop. I really do hope she goes out with a NC - what a cherry on top of the terrific sundae that has been her stellar UCONN career...

Sarah - she has far exceeded my expectations. I'd seen snips of her from HS and various games she played, and in the all-star type games (McD AA etc.), she wasn't a superstar in the games. But boy has she blown me away so far at UCONN. Aside from her 3 point shooting, which is only at about 25%, she's just outstanding at everything else. Literally EVERYTHING. Scoring, ball handling, defending, rebounding, dishing assists, blocking, etc. She has been the biggest surprise for me on a team that was already slated as a NC contender

Kaitlyn - I know there was, and continues to be, a lot of debate as to whether she should start or not. I think she should be the starter, and I think she will continue to grow and get better in her role as her chemistry and time with the team increases. Having said that, my expectations were a little bit higher than what I've seen so far, especially with some of her decision making and turnovers. a 2:1 assist/TO ratio is not terrible, but I hope it gets better, as well as her 3 point shooting.

As a side note - for the most part, the 3 point % for the 8 core players thus far is horrible for players not named Paige or Ash. Not a single player of the remaining 6 has a % north of 25%.

Ash - I did expect her to start at the beginning of the season. I think of all the guards, she is the toughest and most physical. You can see where she has improved and she's about what I expected this season with a nice sophomore jump. I do think she will swap with Azzi as far as starting goes in the near future as I think Azzi's scoring prowess will be more important than Ash's physical prowess, but part of that is Ash gets less touches. She's not really been asked to be a main scoring threat... her play so far is about what I expected...

Ice - she's been a bit of an enigma with a few weak games to start the season, but over all she's just about what I expected this season. She will never be 6'5", so people can't expect her to be a post player "like that". But I've iso-watched her at times and her movement and athleticism is improved, as her play within what UCOONN is trying to run. She's a tad more turnover prone than I'd like, but I think overall she's solid and knows her role on the floor. Excited for progression as she continues to learn and improve.

Jana - again, aside from 1 bad game, she's been coming on strong. If not for Geno's over-the-top preseason assessment of her skills, I'd say she's better than I expected. IMHO she has a ton of upside, you can tell she WANTS to be great, is frustrated when she makes a mistake, but that's the kind of attitude you can hone and work with - much better that than a lackadaisical player. Believe it or not, she's the 3rd leading scorer on the team - basically tied with Azzi for PPG - and I think she's just nibbling around the edges of what she can do. You can tell she's not comfortable yet, but that's to be expected for a kid who not only is a "freshman" from a playing perspective, but is also coming back from missing the entire season last year.

Azzi - hard to really evaluate her (3 games), but if the last game is any indication, we can expect great things from her. I think her defense and all around game is better than I expected (maybe it's the same as it was before her injury but it's hard to recall), and it's been great to see her score in so many ways, but her 3 point shot is way off - surprisingly so. I hope/expect that to improve.

KK - love her attitude and energy, but she's one player who I expected more from this season. She wasn't a great shooter last season, and it doesn't look like she put any work into that in the off-season, so for me thus far, that's a bummer. But her A/TO ratio is sick (in a good way - 19 assists, 2 TO's). I see her as the starter for sure next season, but for now she's great off the bench.

Qadence, Morgan, Allie - lumping them together...

• Q - was expecting a bigger leap for her. She's very athletic and like an energizer bunny, but has trouble putting the ball in the basket. It seems that she still gets confused on where she's supposed to be. It seems like she's 11th on the depth chart on an 11 player team at this time.
• Allie and Morgan - on a team with 8 core players that is a NC contender, it's not surprising that they are "only" averaging 10-11 MPG. And that's with 0 MPG vs. Ole Miss and only 4 each vs. NC (Azzi was not available that game and Q did not play). Both are taking good shots and will be very good. Looking forward to seeing how they progress!

For me, the most important thing is to see improvements (even small ones) as the season goes along, and I think we will. You can tell the team has great chemistry, then want to be really good, they have had a few games now where they took a serious punch and came back from it (both UNC and Ole Miss), and that the sign of a mature team, or at least a team with mature leadership. It's early and they will only get better (as will the rest of WCBB), but I think this team, as good as they have been so far, still has a lot of room to get better, and that's going to be exciting to watch!

Short term, understandable that Azzi takes playing time from Ashlynn; long term, a huge mistake. Likewise, putting Chen over KK is another strategic mistake. The two sophomores are the near- and long-term future of the team. They should be allowed to spread their wings now.

 

[BobbyJ]

Great comments by all. For me the team, given the small sample size of games, is kind of where I expected them to be at this point of the young season.

Paige- Great leader. Great player. Great teammate. She is playing above expectations.

Sarah- Has the season goes; she improves each game. Her confidence is growing. Command of the rebounds. She can beat you off the dribble, which is impressive for us post players playing on the wings. She is going to be force.

Jana-Love this young lady! High energy. Vocal. Still very raw skill wise but you can see she wants to learn and that is a good thing.

Azzi-Glad that she is relatively healthy. I just love seeing her on court these past 2 games. I expected Azzi to come off the bench and be that spark for the 2nd unit. We need that type of offense coming off the bench and Azzi provides that extra fire power from the 2nd unit.

Ashlynn- Like Jana, I love Ash. She is a team first player. She understands the assignment. She can read the room. She understands her role within the team dynamic and role clarity is a big picture idea. It means a team understands what the person to her left and to her right is responsible for. Ash understands how the machine works. I am surprised that she has not taken a free throw yet this young season. But that is connected to things outside of her control.

Ice- She is where I expected her to be after her increase play from last season. She looks and is playing with confidence. Her passing ability (the hi/lo game with Sarah or Jana) is great. The guards don't look for her when she sets picks from them but that will improve in time. Keep up the great work, Ice!

Kaitlyn- She is all that and then some. Much like Ashlynn, KC knows how to read a room. She just goes about her business playing defense and getting balll into the proper hands when it matters. The sad part, much like Hailey Van Lith at LSU last season, KC is going to suffer that same narrative of "she isn't doing more of X". KC is doing what is expected of her at the time.

KK- I am so proud of this young lady! Much like KC, KK is doing the same thing. She is doing what is expected of her at the time. She plays solid defense. She is not forcing shots. She is playing within the system. You have to applaud that.

Allie- I kind of expected, along with Morgan, would fall victim to the numbers game and would have to be members of the 20/20/20 club. Up or down by 20 points or 20 seconds on the clock.

Q- I kind of expected her to get some minutes this season. Play with a chip on her solider. Command some playing time. Sadly, like Allie and Morgan, she will be a member of the 20/20/20 club. She reminds me of Caroline's playing time situation. The wheels have to fall off before Q can get some serious minutes out there.

Overall, 6 games into the season and most of the team is healthy or recovering, I expected a 6-0 start. This season's schedule and the development of players has allowed a 6-0 start.

Very good points particularly on Shade, Brady, Chen, and KK. People have to realize that very good teams don’t function in a way that allows everyone to be a focal point or star. They maximize their best assets to win games.

 

[MooseJaw]

Sadly, it's the present and future of major collegiate sports and UConn women's basketball will possibly fall back into the good but not great level of basketball programs once Geno retires.........perhaps more of the recruits who were willing to sacrifice to come to UConn due to Geno's legendary coaching and winning ways, will look for the astounding financial opportunities at the over funded major collegiate programs..........

I fail to see how this fits into the thread. Perhaps you could explain how you view the current team to date. I in general enjoy your posts, however this one leaves me wondering if I am missing something. I think I understand what you have written, just don't understand how it fits this thread.

 

[Charliebball]

I fail to see how this fits into the thread. Perhaps you could explain how you view the current team to date. I in general enjoy your posts, however this one leaves me wondering if I am missing something. I think I understand what you have written, just don't understand how it fits this thread.

It doesn't........I was responding to this post.......I think UConn has as good a chance as any top program to win the NC if they can shoot consistently and play great defense inside and out..........let's see how they fare against Louisville and ND.......that will tell us more about how good this year's team really is....

"It seems as though the "super" team concept is very real in the desire of the top schools to create one thru portal, nil, conference realignment, etc. But, like NCAA football and NCAA Men's basketball, it has fallen upon itself and created one mess of equivalency which one can say is either very exciting or very depressing?"