Geno was heavily interested in both Courtney Paris and Abby Waner, but not so much in either of their sisters.
I'm pretty sure Fernandes was approached AFTER Buck gave her verbal.
Just to correct a few messages here; Correction #1-Buck was not given an offer until her junior year and signed in November of her junior year, when Fernandes was already on the UConn roster. Per a CT writer's personal report from what was Buck's sophomore year and Fernandes' senior year (a writer whose name I cannot mention out of respect for the confidence requested-I know this is annoying, I'm sorry), Chris Dailey watched a regular season Stonington High School game and liked Buck's mobility in the post, her long arms and ability to get in the passing lanes as a post, and her hard work on the block while being hacked by smaller and much less athletic high school post players. Geno then watched the state championship game that year, both times the coaches there to see Buck, and was in fact more impressed with Fernandes as a scorer, but primarily because he couldn't understand why she didn't have better offers than Western. Geno knew from the start that in taking Fernandes, he was getting a three sport athlete more than a basketball player, a smart girl who would work hard, push others, and maybe even improve enough to come off the bench towards the end of her career.
Correction #2 from a comment made about him offering her to fill a back-up point guard role-it's possible that because he missed out on Gemelos and a few other guards, he did want to take at least one in the Tina class of forwards and centers, but Fernandes was not a point guard in high school. There were three other seniors in the Stonington starting lineup (two other guards and one forward) along with then sophomore Buck at center. Fernandes played off guard, averaged 18 points, and only handled if and when they were pressed and the guards therefore brought it up by committee. Fellow senior Morgan Rein was their point guard. Fernandes was NOT a point guard and was never expected to be at UConn. You might be wondering how the **** I remember or even take an interest in any of this, but my sister was an all-conference player a few towns away that year, so I saw Buck many times and Fernandes two or three times. Even though I was never sure how she could get minutes at UConn, Jacqui was a very good scorer by southeastern Connecticut standards, and I enjoyed watching. Still wonder if the offer was made to give them an advantage for Buck over Muffet and VanDerveer, both of whom had already traveled to CT before Geno saw Buck. I guess in the end it doesn't even matter though. Bottom line; good for Fernandes that she had such a great high school career and worked hard enough to impress Geno in landing a scholarship.
