New article about Ines

[sun]

She's been spending much of her time working out at UConn & is serious about improving her offensive skills.
The players are competing among themselves to improve & to earn PT.

“Coach told me that I had to work hard and work a lot and that's what I'm doing to get better and earn my minutes," Bettencourt said. "He said the coaches will help me do that.”

She knows she has her work cut out for her.

Confidence, comfort level key to growth of UConn women's basketball's Ines Bettencourt

Bettencourt was not recruited to UConn until after 2021 national Player of the Year Paige Bueckers was lost for the season following knee surgery in August.

www.sfgate.com

 

[EricLA]

First, what a nice article! Thanks for posting it!

Second, not sure what to expect from her this season. She's certainly NOT a walk-on caliber player, but just how good CAN she be? Only time will tell.

Third, I'm glad she is not only a super hard worker, but also realistic. Not only is she competing against Paige, Azzi and Nika for time at the 1-2 spots, but now a very highly rated duo of Arnold and Shade have arrived, so you basically have 6 players for 2 spots of playing time.

Of course, when you start Paige, Azzi and Nika, one will technically be a "3", but with a roster of 14 and so much talent at the 3-5 spots (and with players who can play multiple positions), I think it will be hard (but not impossible) for her to carve out PT. She was thrown into the deep end last season, and learned a lot. But... this season, realistically, she needs to be a better option for Coach than either Shade or Arnold for her to get anything substantial.

I put a poll out there earlier - "who will be the biggest surprise of the newbies". I'm really hoping Ines is the biggest surprise of the returning players (her and Amari are my biggest hopes). Go Ines!!!!

 

[Bone Dog]

I think there’s no limit to what Inês can make of herself. She was an underdeveloped talent when she arrived, and she had a distinctive drive and energy about her. Now she’s focused on improving herself. The only question is whether she has the time to accomplish her goals. I’m not betting against her. There’s fire in those eyes.

 

[Bigboote]

Love this girl. It's difficult to process just how far she had to come last year to become a contributor after enrolling around the first week of classes. I can't wait to see what she does this year.

 

[itsasport]

If heart and hard work alone were enough, Molly Bent would have been a starting guard at UConn.

Ines, on the other hand, has shown flashes of Division 1 basketball skills and the ability to perform under pressure. UConn is the best place in the world for a player to achieve their maximum potential. It is fantastic that she is going for it.

A team cannot have too many guards (perhaps not 14.) This year, she will be able to gives other players a rest and to fill in for injured players. But, by the time that Azzi, Nika, and Paige are gone, Ines will be a valued part of the guard rotation.

 

[Next 12]

Never underestimate the underdog. She has shown the proper desire and respect for the UCONN program and before she is done,Ines will be a Significant contributor to UCONN's offense. The comparing of Ines to Molly Bent was not accurate as Ines was, is a more accomplished player in my opinion. GO INES!! GO HUSKIES!!!!

 

[FormerCTrez]

She's been spending much of her time working out at UConn & is serious about improving her offensive skills.
The players are competing among themselves to improve & to earn PT.

“Coach told me that I had to work hard and work a lot and that's what I'm doing to get better and earn my minutes," Bettencourt said. "He said the coaches will help me do that.”

She knows she has her work cut out for her.

Confidence, comfort level key to growth of UConn women's basketball's Ines Bettencourt

Bettencourt was not recruited to UConn until after 2021 national Player of the Year Paige Bueckers was lost for the season following knee surgery in August.

www.sfgate.com

I love that Ines is working hard, and I’ll be cheering her on, along with the other members of the team.

 

[JoePgh]

What I notice most about Ines is that she is unflappable. She has subjected herself to a lot of psychological/emotional pressure over the last year -- changing her college plans at the very last minute, stepping into a high-powered college program knowing she had less preparation than any of her teammates, making new friends in a new language, and performing very well under stress against Princeton and Maryland.

I think she possibly could have helped cut down the turnovers against Ohio State. Perhaps if that was a regular season game rather than the Sweet 16, Geno would have given her that chance. But she has shown that if the team needs a playmaker who can execute the coach's plan without brain cramps or undue risk taking, she can offer just that kind of performance.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

She is the type of player that makes coaching so much fun and rewarding!

 

[MSGRET]

You can tell that she's put in the work over the summer just by looking at her. She's put on not only muscle, but has toned her physic and doesn't look like she did when she arrived last year. Hope she is able to play and help the team win #12 in April.

 

[DEpup]

I wonder if Ines even knows how good she can be let alone the coaches. I have to think it was difficult to get all the opportunities for development where she grew up. I think this type of catch up can give her the opportunity to make bigger jumps than maybe other players.

 

[Bone Dog]

I just think of that iconic moment when Inês chased down a fast break to block the shot from behind. That’s some Maya-level intensity.

 

[Bald Husky]

Gosh, I want this girl to succeed so bad. She has a great attitude, and I'm sure she can compete for minutes in our offence. I hope Geno gives her a chance to play behind our starting guards, as the talented freshmen will still need some work to be completely trustworthy to fill in. I trust Ines, and with her work ethic I just want her to be given a chance to prove herself. She bailed us out last year, give her a chance.

 

[Shenandoah]

Ines looks like she's been working out with Daniel Bellinger from the NY Giants!

 

[JellyBean]

Great article and thanks for sharing. Like everyone here, I am rooting for Ines. I love her quote about the confidence part and how her confidence has grown since last year. A year under her belt and she understands the expectations, the sky is the limit for her. Definitely rooting for her and Amari.

 

[Scud49]

Seems like a great kid - and loves being with her teammates doing some goofy stuff too.

 

[Bald Husky]

Excuse me, but how about a little respect. Just because Ines was brought in at the 11th hour doesn't mean she is not a very good player. She saved our bacon last year, so maybe a little Husky loyalty is deserved. UConn would not have grabbed her if she was a poor player, and I think she did a very credible job helping us under very tough circumstances. The Sophomore jump is a real thing and I am anxious to see how Ines will perform before she is relegated to mop up service. Ines is a foreigner so she was not picked up in any recruiting polls. I did not see anything that would convince me that she could not help us this year, so I am giving her the benefit of the doubt and giving her a fighting and owed chance to contribute to our season.

 

[Jim]

Yes, Ines was brought in at the last minute to fill in following Paige’s injury. But the injury situation gave her much more playing time and one-on-one coaching in practice than would normally be afforded to an end of the bench player. And it showed. By the end of the year her defense was getting pretty good. She was just reluctant to shoot even when open. With increased confidence to take the shot, I think she will force the incoming freshmen to get up to speed quickly or they will lose out on playing time.

 

[CL82]

Seems like a great kid - and loves being with her teammates doing some goofy stuff too. View attachment 89269

Lol barely recognized Azzi.

 

[Surly1]

I think there’s no limit to what Inês can make of herself. She was an underdeveloped talent when she arrived, and she had a distinctive drive and energy about her. Now she’s focused on improving herself. The only question is whether she has the time to accomplish her goals. I’m not betting against her. There’s fire in those eyes.

I don't think as fans we can truly appreciates the circumstances Ines faced last season. She literally was thrown into the fire. She arrived in Storrs, a new country, new environment, as an unknown to all her teammates. First year of college is a fascinating time and experience, filled with uncertainty. She entered the program at the last minute, unprepared emotionally, mentally and physically, and facing an upgrade in competition, high expectations and life under a magnifying glass.

Kudos to her for surviving the year and appreciating the learning lessons and experiences, the competition for playing will be fierce, Ines seems definitely ready for the challenge. All of the foreign born players, at least at UConn, are mature young ladies who represent their native lands well and give honor to wearing the UConn uniform.

Ian rooting for her to have a very successful season.

 

[wingsfan055]

Showed flashes last year, but also mistakes. Big heart (and physical conditioning!), but she needs to show she can hit an outside shot consistently or beat the defense with her dribble if she wants meaningful minutes in this lineup. A lot of competition, including the new freshmen.

 

[Gus Mahler]

I don't think as fans we can truly appreciates the circumstances Ines faced last season. She literally was thrown into the fire. She arrived in Storrs, a new country, new environment, as an unknown to all her teammates. First year of college is a fascinating time and experience, filled with uncertainty. She entered the program at the last minute, unprepared emotionally, mentally and physically, and facing an upgrade in competition, high expectations and life under a magnifying glass.

Kudos to her for surviving the year and appreciating the learning lessons and experiences, the competition for playing will be fierce, Ines seems definitely ready for the challenge. All of the foreign born players, at least at UConn, are mature young ladies who represent their native lands well and give honor to wearing the UConn uniform.

Ian rooting for her to have a very successful season.

Here's hoping she can get hot from three.

 

[JellyBean]

Showed flashes last year, but also mistakes. Big heart (and physical conditioning!), but she needs to show she can hit an outside shot consistently or beat the defense with her dribble if she wants meaningful minutes in this lineup. A lot of competition, including the new freshmen.

Like someone stated, as the season progressed, Ines showed improvement, given the amount of minutes she was on the floor. In terms of shooting, a lot depends on the situation; time and score, who is on the floor, what play is drawn up and the options that are available. Ines mentioned confidence in the article and having or not having confidence plays a huge role in how a player plays. Throw in the fact that she was added to the team a little later, she was probably trying to figure out a lot of things in the process.

It is always tricky for new players to come to a team, even more challenging is when that player is coming from overseas and trying to adjust to that team. If Ines came in jacking up shots from everywhere, she probably would have never seen the floor again. Ines did the right thing, intentionally or unintentionally, by just doing the little things out there. Her confidence is going to be sky high this season and she looks like she welcomes the challenge of the competition for playing time.

 

[HuskyNan]

Someone needs to be able to play when the game is decided so that Paige, Azzi, et al don’t get burned out. Geno doesn’t want a drop off in effort so Ines‘ continued improvement is important. I’m rooting for the kid big time. Make Geno play you early in the game, Ines!