Geno Auriemma ‘pleasantly surprised’ with UConn WBB’s frontcourt development

[BRS24]

For some reason, the share link isn't working for me right now ...

https://www.courant.com/2026/01/04/geno-auriemma-pleasantly-surprised-with-uconn-womens-basketballs-frontcourt-development/

UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma has no idea what changed in Jana El Alfy during the team’s holiday break, but the redshirt sophomore’s numbers look like those of a completely different player over the last three games.​

​

In UConn’s 84-48 rout of Seton Hall on Sunday, El Alfy scored in double digits for the second consecutive game, finishing with 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting, and she was the Huskies’ second-leading rebounder with six, including a team-high three on the offensive glass. The team was plus-15 in her 17 minutes on the court.​

 

[MSGRET]

I just hope she keeps it up for the rest of the season. That would make UConn even more dangerous in the Tournament.

 

[Centerstream]

As I posted in the SH Badass thread...it was the first time all season that I noticed an on court smile on her, and that was before she hit her elbow jumper.
I certainly hope that she keeps up her hard and productive work with many smiles along the way.

 

[Zanzman]

Wasn't the Xmas break sophomore year same timeline for Moriah Jefferson turn around

 

[Geew1992]

Wasn't the Xmas break sophomore year same timeline for Moriah Jefferson turn around

I think junior year. When after they lost to Stanford

 

[Zanzman]

I think junior year. When after they lost to Stanford

Thought that was taking Saniya Chong out of starting lineup and putting Kia Nurse in?

 

[Geew1992]

Thought that was taking Saniya Chong out of starting lineup and putting Kia Nurse in?

It was but pretty sure Stanford didn’t guard her esp at the 3 point line. She went 0-…She went home and came back a different shooter

 

[EricSD]

I do have to say that lately, she's had numbers as good as Williams, but in less minutes. And usually, especially in Q4, Jana isn't in with the starters.

I also liked the look of Serah, Jana, and Blanca on the floor. I wonder if Geno is working on that for the NCAA's when it's likely we may face some BIG teams. I said in one of the threads that I'm disappointed in Williams so far. Sure she's solid, but some of her positioning under the basket and play/decisions there seem to be mistakes freshmen would make, not seniors who were all-conference in a P4.

Still, great for Jana. I hope she pours it on in half 2 of the season!!!

 

[Bone Dog]

Jana’s sophomore leap — incoming!

 

[freshler40]

Jana has greatly improved her jumping and quick first step. I also like her improvement in holding the ball high, firm and finishing around the rim. She is hard to dislodge in the lane. Her teammates/coaches are including her in more action. She doesn't backdown.

 

[ccwarrior]

As many famous coaches have said; “the bench is a great motivator”😉

 

[donalddoowop]

Thought that was taking Saniya Chong out of starting lineup and putting Kia Nurse in?

He took Stokes out of the starting lineup after she took a shot from the elbow and missed late in the game. Nurse started the next game.

 

[donalddoowop]

I just hope she keeps it up for the rest of the season. That would make UConn even more dangerous in the Tournament.

I think all she needs is the opportunity.

 

[PhillyCoach]

Remember, Jana has been at UConn for almost 2 1/2 seasons. She came in as a free wheeling forward who controlled the ball and played over the entire court when playing for Egypt. AT that time Jana did not want to be a full time Center playing down low. Geno mentioned over the years that Jana was stubborn and kind of resisted the change in position. Jana had alot of skills that Geno liked, but the position thing was always an issue. IMHO Jana FINALLY realized that she will be the down low center in Geno's system. She had a revelation that to get more time she had to finally accept the center role. SHE HAS THE SKILLS TO GET IT DONE and maybe it can all come together. Geno always saw the BIG potential of Jana. I wonder who finally was the one who convinced Jana to accept the role and excell?

 

[AmeriConn]

For some reason, the share link isn't working for me right now ...

https://www.courant.com/2026/01/04/geno-auriemma-pleasantly-surprised-with-uconn-womens-basketballs-frontcourt-development/

UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma has no idea what changed in Jana El Alfy during the team’s holiday break, but the redshirt sophomore’s numbers look like those of a completely different player over the last three games.​

​

In UConn’s 84-48 rout of Seton Hall on Sunday, El Alfy scored in double digits for the second consecutive game, finishing with 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting, and she was the Huskies’ second-leading rebounder with six, including a team-high three on the offensive glass. The team was plus-15 in her 17 minutes on the court.​

I don’t know if anyone else saw this. At the beginning of the game, not too long before Jana got in the game, I saw Caroline go over to Jana, bend down talk to her with a very serious face. It definitely was words of encouragement. Jana acknowledged what Caroline was saying, shook her head and smiled. I would like to think those words sparked Jana’s outstanding performance.

 

[Bone Dog]

Remember, Jana has been at UConn for almost 2 1/2 seasons. She came in as a free wheeling forward who controlled the ball and played over the entire court when playing for Egypt. AT that time Jana did not want to be a full time Center playing down low. Geno mentioned over the years that Jana was stubborn and kind of resisted the change in position. Jana had alot of skills that Geno liked, but the position thing was always an issue. IMHO Jana FINALLY realized that she will be the down low center in Geno's system. She had a revelation that to get more time she had to finally accept the center role. SHE HAS THE SKILLS TO GET IT DONE and maybe it can all come together. Geno always saw the BIG potential of Jana. I wonder who finally was the one who convinced Jana to accept the role and excell?

This was my sense of Jana coming out of Egypt. She developed a certain style of play for herself based on the opposition she was used to and the low level of guard play there. Her teammates were rarely able to make a post entry pass to her, which meant she had to come out to get the ball and then muscle her way back to the rim. Those were the skills she developed. Coming to Storrs and seeing what top level guard play can do to get her opportunities as well as the threat opposing guards pose to her may have opened her eyes. And she’s still adjusting to this new reality.

Another thing that may have affected her thinking is recognizing how fast moving D1 ball is compared to what she’d experienced before. The kind of quickness that sufficed in high school was not going to cut it any longer. And the ACL injury probably drove this same point home. She hasn’t been quick enough to guard top level 4s outside the paint and may never really be. For example, I don’t think she could keep up with Stuelke on Iowa, or Dugalic if she were on the wing. Practicing with Sarah must also have suggested this problem to her. But I noticed her chase down a fast break from behind against SH, which suggests that she’s really trying to improve in this area.

When Geno said she was frustrated at the prospect of not achieving anything after coming all this way, it may not have been directed at him or his decisions. It may actually have been about her growing sense of what’s really possible for her and what she has to do succeed in this new path.

 

[uconnfan68]

This was my sense of Jana coming out of Egypt. She developed a certain style of play for herself based on the opposition she was used to and the low level of guard play there. Her teammates were rarely able to make a post entry pass to her, which meant she had to come out to get the ball and then muscle her way back to the rim. Those were the skills she developed. Coming to Storrs and seeing what top level guard play can do to get her opportunities as well as the threat opposing guards pose to her may have opened her eyes. And she’s still adjusting to this new reality.

Another thing that may have affected her thinking is recognizing how fast moving D1 ball is compared to what she’d experienced before. The kind of quickness that sufficed in high school was not going to cut it any longer. And the ACL injury probably drove this same point home. She hasn’t been quick enough to guard top level 4s outside the paint and may never really be. For example, I don’t think she could keep up with Stuelke on Iowa, or Dugalic if she were on the wing. Practicing with Sarah must also have suggested this problem to her. But I noticed her chase down a fast break from behind against SH, which suggests that she’s really trying to improve in this area.

When Geno said she was frustrated at the prospect of not achieving anything after coming all this way, it may not have been directed at him or his decisions. It may actually have been about her growing sense of what’s really possible for her and what she has to do succeed in this new path.

Jana had an Achilles tendon injury, not an ACL. Not sure which is worse, but both are psychologically debilitating for a while after actual recovery.

 

[Vowelguy]

Perhaps Jana’s surprise visit back home to Egypt over Xmas rechargered her and/orshe got good advice.

 

[NYCHUSKIES]

Jana plays with a chip on her shoulder, and I love thay for her. However, this way of approaching the game isn't working for her that well. There are times where she has a clean shot at the basket and somehow manages to either get the ball stripped from her or misses the bunny completely. I still have super high hopes for Jana to just wake up one day and have a breakthrough game like she did last year, both times against South Carolina. Then when she tries to draw fouls she ends up turning the ball over.

Im really rooting for her to have a monster BE tournament run because Uconn needs her to be a factor once she is on the floor, whether she starts or comes off the bench.

 

[Scud49]

Jana, give me a couple up fakes with the ball, get those defenders off balance and up in the air, then go up and bank it in off the backboard - wonderful things will open up for you and the team...!

 

[GetReal2day]

Lately, Jana has been keeping the ball up high, finishing strong and fumbling less. Plus I hope those two elbow shots last game are a good sign going forward that she feels confident with that shot. Serah on the other hand does not keep the ball up high, delays too long in the paint, fumbles as many away as she makes and seems to get knocked around very easily. I had super high hopes for Serah, but right now I would like to see what Jana could do with more PT with Sarah and Azzi.

 

[cabbie191]

I do have to say that lately, she's had numbers as good as Williams, but in less minutes. And usually, especially in Q4, Jana isn't in with the starters.

I also liked the look of Serah, Jana, and Blanca on the floor. I wonder if Geno is working on that for the NCAA's when it's likely we may face some BIG teams. I said in one of the threads that I'm disappointed in Williams so far. Sure she's solid, but some of her positioning under the basket and play/decisions there seem to be mistakes freshmen would make, not seniors who were all-conference in a P4.

Still, great for Jana. I hope she pours it on in half 2 of the season!!!

I really go crazy when Jana does well. I think I’m biased because I have traveled to Egypt and it’s one of my favorite places.

But in fairness, Jana usually comes into the game fairly late when the opponents have possibly begun to run out steam, whereas Serah is playing the first part of the game against fresh legs. And Jana often doesn’t have Sarah S out there competing for those rebounds.

Lots of little things can impact a player’s stats - main thing for me is each player’s trajectory during the course of the season.

 

[EricSD]

I really go crazy when Jana does well. I think I’m biased because I have traveled to Egypt and it’s one of my favorite places.

But in fairness, Jana usually comes into the game fairly late when the opponents have possibly begun to run out steam, whereas Serah is playing the first part of the game against fresh legs. And Jana often doesn’t have Sarah S out there competing for those rebounds.

Lots of little things can impact a player’s stats - main thing for me is each player’s trajectory during the course of the season.

The flip side of that is that Jana comes in, at the end, with all the subs so she's not playing with any of the elite starters, but rather Kayleigh, Carol, Ayanna, and maybe Allie.

 

[MilfordHusky]

The flip side of that is that Jana comes in, at the end, with all the subs so she's not playing with any of the elite starters, but rather Kayleigh, Carol, Ayanna, and maybe Allie.

As a reminder, she played with the great Paige Buckets last year.