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Message: [QUOTE="NycUcWbbFan, post: 5001502, member: 13453"] Excellent post. The game you cited ([URL='https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/2023-11-16-18-connecticut_w.html']Thu, Nov 16, 2023[/URL], a (5)+4 game) was the third game of the season. Imagine if the running game is one of the team’s points of emphasis every game. Some of the highest point-scoring UConn Teams (see [URL='https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/connecticut/women/']list[/URL]) featured running games: [LIST] [*][URL='https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/connecticut/women/1999.html']1998-99[/URL] at 91.2: Sue Bird got injured; minutes and box scores are N/A pre-2001-02 season; [*][URL='https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/connecticut/women/2015.html']2014-15[/URL] at 89.3: (5)+3 where minutes ranged from 18.3 to 28.7; [*][URL='https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/connecticut/women/2018.html']2017-18[/URL] at 89.4: (5)+2 where minutes besides Nurse’s were under 30 minutes and ranged from 15.5 to 33.1. [/LIST] The 2024-25 team most resembles the 1998-99, but a good proxy of the minutes played would be 2014-15 but on a (5)+4+ rotation with a flatter minutes distribution. If the team’s point of emphasis is a running game, i.e. the starters and every rotation afterwards relentlessly probing and unleashing a running game from its defense, it helps this balanced, versatile young team: [LIST] [*]go-with-the-flow players who typically tend to overthink (Aubrey, Q, Ice, Ayanna and maybe all the freshmen), can get in the flow quicker; [*]this keeps Geno from overplaying some of his players, in favor of a high-powered offense where “everybody eats”. [/LIST] With four point guards (KK, Kaitlyn, Paige and Morgan) + energizer bunny Ash + aggressive perimeter defenders Aubrey and Q, the 2024-25 team can harass opposing point guards to create offense from turnovers. [/QUOTE]

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