Something to Ponder....this year's achievements and next year's potential

[cferraro04]

It is a tough to predict how we are going to do in the post season this year...given that we don't as of yet know who will be on our active roster

However, at this point...this team has already proven that they are a resilient bunch of players. They have had an amazing season playing with 6 - 9 players all season and often with only 7 players. They have had their best players on the bench, they have had on a few occasions more points sitting on the bench than what was out on the floor. To be 24 and 4 with the level of competition they have played is nothing short of amazing. In fact, I would submit that this is probably on of Geno's best coaching seasons of his career. He has had to do a lot with less and keep in mind he lost his mother this season and it took an emotional toll on him. It isn't just the team that is resilient...our coaching staff is also resilient. Our Associate coach is undefeated when she has had to go solo.

I can only imagine what kind of games we would have given those four teams who beat us if we had Paige, Azzi, Caroline, Ice Brady all healthy...

And, since I am pondering the above...it is worth further ponderance what next years healthy roster will look like:

Aaliyah Edwards - 6'3" Forward
Paige Bueckers - 5'11" Guard
Azzi Fudd - 5'11" Guard
Aubrey Griffin - 6'1" Guard / Forward
Caroline Ducharme - 6'2" Guard
Nika Muhl - 5'10 Guard
Ice Brady - 6'3" Forward
Ayanna Patterson - 6'2" Forward
Amari DeBerry - 6'5" Forward
Ines Bettencourt - 5'9" Guard
KK Arnold - 5'9" Guard (#6 recruit)
Ashlynn Shade - 5'10" Guard (#15 recruit)
Qadence Samuels - 6'2" Wing (#41 recruit)
Jana El Alfy - 6'4" Center (unranked because she is an international player)

How do you sum that up? Oh, I know! "Are you kidding me?"

 

[cgshuskie]

Next year looks really awesome, this year, not so much, unfortunately!!!

 

[cgshuskie]

We really needed Paige, this year....

 

[Bone Dog]

Nika claims she is 5’11” now.

 

[Littlemin]

Oh great, another post with left handed compliments to those playing while lamenting the loss of those who are not. And a bit of a clue, there is not a person on the face of the earth who can predict sports outcomes even if they know who is on the “active roster“.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful but I guess I am being just that, but can’t you people wait to discuss “what might have been” and “next year“ until this year is over; you know, out of respect for those lesser players pouring their collective heart and soul into this year and giving many fans truly a season to remember while the “best players” are “on the bench”.

 

[GoingPostal]

It is a tough to predict how we are going to do in the post season this year...given that we don't as of yet know who will be on our active roster

However, at this point...this team has already proven that they are a resilient bunch of players. They have had an amazing season playing with 6 - 9 players all season and often with only 7 players. They have had their best players on the bench, they have had on a few occasions more points sitting on the bench than what was out on the floor. To be 24 and 4 with the level of competition they have played is nothing short of amazing. In fact, I would submit that this is probably on of Geno's best coaching seasons of his career. He has had to do a lot with less and keep in mind he lost his mother this season and it took an emotional toll on him. It isn't just the team that is resilient...our coaching staff is also resilient. Our Associate coach is undefeated when she has had to go solo.

I can only imagine what kind of games we would have given those four teams who beat us if we had Paige, Azzi, Caroline, Ice Brady all healthy...

And, since I am pondering the above...it is worth further ponderance what next years healthy roster will look like:

Aaliyah Edwards - 6'3" Forward
Paige Bueckers - 5'11" Guard
Azzi Fudd - 5'11" Guard
Aubrey Griffin - 6'1" Guard / Forward
Caroline Ducharme - 6'2" Guard
Nika Muhl - 5'10 Guard
Ice Brady - 6'3" Forward
Ayanna Patterson - 6'2" Forward
Amari DeBerry - 6'5" Forward
Ines Bettencourt - 5'9" Guard
KK Arnold - 5'9" Guard (#6 recruit)
Ashlynn Shade - 5'10" Guard (#15 recruit)
Qadence Samuels - 6'2" Wing (#41 recruit)
Jana El Alfy - 6'4" Center (unranked because she is an international player)

How do you sum that up? Oh, I know! "Are you kidding me?"

That's a great roster. No question about it, but didn't we go through the same process last year? Injuries, as we all know, are random. As they say "the best laid plans", etc. This year was supposed to be everything last year wasn't. How'd that work out? I have zero expectations for next year. On paper Uconn is the best team. Boston is gone from SC . The stars are aligned but fate will write the script.

 

[my2cents]

Our team this year is bad......lets see, we are 24-4 playing the #1 hardest schedule in the country, we are ranked #2 in the NET and #2 rated in RPI. Real UCONN fans know how gritty and tough this team is, and could go all the way.

 

[JellyBean]

Next year looks very interesting. Fourteen players and hopefully everyone is at 100%. But I am not going to get my hopes up. I am just going to enjoy this season.

 

[GoingPostal]

Next year looks very interesting. Fourteen players and hopefully everyone is at 100%. But I am not going to get my hopes up. I am just going to enjoy this season.

I agree Jelly Bean. This is an exceptional group of young women. Let's enjoy their grit and talent this season, but can't we get our hopes for next year?

 

[#12in21]

Follow the lead of our team. One game at a time. Figure out how to win with whoever is available to play. No what ifs - just go out there giving everything you got and believe in each other. That's what this team has done all season. Let's reflect that attitude as a fan base, they deserve that from us. What ifs are fruitless exercises and speculations on what may come down the road can wait until after these guys cut down the nets for #12!

 

[meyers7]

Oh great, another post with left handed compliments to those playing while lamenting the loss of those who are not. And a bit of a clue, there is not a person on the face of the earth who can predict sports outcomes even if they know who is on the “active roster“.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful but I guess I am being just that, but can’t you people wait to discuss “what might have been” and “next year“ until this year is over; you know, out of respect for those lesser players pouring their collective heart and soul into this year and giving many fans truly a season to remember while the “best players” are “on the bench”.

One can still enjoy this year, while thinking about "what might have been", or dreaming of next year.

We're fans, not players. We don't have to live in the now, or real world. We can live in "what if" or "just wait til". Part of the fun of being a fan.

 

[Rowdy831]

This team is a more complete team than they had last year at this point and last year they went to the final. What could have been? This season is far from over and there is no reason to think they won't compete again, maybe win this time. No one knows the future and no one know what might have been, but we all know what is here and now and it looks pretty darn impressive.

 

[PvP]

I am all focused on the remarkably gritty team we have this year and feel that if we can get Azzi back in time to play at her potential, we have to be a favorite to rack up number 12!

That being said, given the topic of this thread, I would posit that despite the obvious potential of next year's squad, there would seem a need for one highly experienced big from the transfer portal to replace Dorka for one year until the young bigs get up to speed. I don't know if this proposed add is crucial to a other championship but I think she would guarantee it happening!

 

[Bills Fan]

This team is a more complete team than they had last year at this point and last year they went to the final. What could have been? This season is far from over and there is no reason to think they won't compete again, maybe win this time. No one knows the future and no one know what might have been, but we all know what is here and now and it looks pretty darn impressive.

One thing I think I do "know," is that we need another infusion of top level talent (Can you say Azzi?) if we are going to win the NCAAT and if we get her back healthy, we do have a reasonable chance of getting this years' NC .
At the same time I believe with the 5 new players (Ice, Jana, KK, AS, and Q, see my post yesterday on this topic) we should feel free to speculate on the 2023-24 team. If we can't do that on a message board then why so much discussion on recruiting and signed recruits?

 

[Littlemin]

One can still enjoy this year, while thinking about "what might have been", or dreaming of next year.

We're fans, not players. We don't have to live in the now, or real world. We can live in "what if" or "just wait til". Part of the fun of being a fan.

You can live wherever you want, I never intimated you shouldn’t. And no, the referenced post was not remotely about enjoying this year for what it is. And like it or not, I find these constant, continuous references to unavailable players to be tedious and a tad disrespectful to those successfully performing in pretty much uncharted waters.
The way I look at this team, I essentially see a point guard who was benched for the NCAAs last year, a player from a mid-major playing her first year in a rather tough to learn system at THE iconic woman’s program, two bigs who averaged about half a game and less than 8 PPG and 6 RPG each last year, and a player who didn’t play a minute last year, yet they have managed to have a one game better record than this time last year against a harder or completely comparable schedule. So as I said I find those posts tedious.
Feel free to disagree.

 

[Happydad745]

Unless Amari makes a big turnaround in the off season, she will not be seeing much playing time....neither will Ines. That will be determined in the future, too much going on for rest of this season to be concerned about it.

 

[CL82]

You can live wherever you want, I never intimated you shouldn’t. And no, the referenced post was not remotely about enjoying this year for what it is. And like it or not, I find these constant, continuous references to unavailable players to be tedious and a tad disrespectful to those successfully performing in pretty much uncharted waters.
The way I look at this team, I essentially see a point guard who was benched for the NCAAs last year, a player from a mid-major playing her first year in a rather tough to learn system at THE iconic woman’s program, two bigs who averaged about half a game and less than 8 PPG and 6 RPG each last year, and a player who didn’t play a minute last year, yet they have managed to have a one game better record than this time last year against a harder or completely comparable schedule. So as I said I find those posts tedious.
Feel free to disagree.

And I see the six ranked team in the nation in the AP poll, who sitting at the top of their conference and is likely a number one seed in the NCAA tournament.

Potato/potahto, I guess.

 

[Blue Ghost]

It is a tough to predict how we are going to do in the post season this year...given that we don't as of yet know who will be on our active roster

However, at this point...this team has already proven that they are a resilient bunch of players. They have had an amazing season playing with 6 - 9 players all season and often with only 7 players. They have had their best players on the bench, they have had on a few occasions more points sitting on the bench than what was out on the floor. To be 24 and 4 with the level of competition they have played is nothing short of amazing. In fact, I would submit that this is probably on of Geno's best coaching seasons of his career. He has had to do a lot with less and keep in mind he lost his mother this season and it took an emotional toll on him. It isn't just the team that is resilient...our coaching staff is also resilient. Our Associate coach is undefeated when she has had to go solo.

I can only imagine what kind of games we would have given those four teams who beat us if we had Paige, Azzi, Caroline, Ice Brady all healthy...

And, since I am pondering the above...it is worth further ponderance what next years healthy roster will look like:

Aaliyah Edwards - 6'3" Forward
Paige Bueckers - 5'11" Guard
Azzi Fudd - 5'11" Guard
Aubrey Griffin - 6'1" Guard / Forward
Caroline Ducharme - 6'2" Guard
Nika Muhl - 5'10 Guard
Ice Brady - 6'3" Forward
Ayanna Patterson - 6'2" Forward
Amari DeBerry - 6'5" Forward
Ines Bettencourt - 5'9" Guard
KK Arnold - 5'9" Guard (#6 recruit)
Ashlynn Shade - 5'10" Guard (#15 recruit)
Qadence Samuels - 6'2" Wing (#41 recruit)
Jana El Alfy - 6'4" Center (unranked because she is an international player)

How do you sum that up? Oh, I know! "Are you kidding me?"

Dorka and Lou will definitely be missed next year. We could only lament what it could have been with everyone healthy. I wish Lou had one more year. She has been so great.
But saying all that, we can still win it all this year if Azzi comes back and Caroline gets back into form. it would help with the bench and minutes.
Aaliyah has been a force this year too. Is she 6'1 or 6'3? I've seen different reports and I always wondered if she really is 6'3.

 

[wingsfan055]

Biggest question marks for next year are the health status of Paige, Azzi & Brady. We're assuming a lot that they'll all be "as good as new" after major injuries or surgeries. Biggest "weakness" next year will again be lack of physical, inside game. Hopefully, Jana, Brady will contribute, along with AP and DeBerry. We'll need it. Stanford (with their twin towers of Brink/Betts) will be tough to beat - their strengths are UConn's weaknesses. SC will also be a top team with their physical, inside dominance, even with losing Boston. Cardoso might be the best center next year. Plus, we're losing 2 key scorers (Lou, Dorka). CD should hopefully pick up the slack, if she can stay on the court. Looks like we'll have more PG depth from the incoming class, which is needed. Also, I'm assuming AG is coming back, but that's no guarentee if she wants to graduate and go pro. So, lots of potential but a lot of question-marks as well.

 

[Littlemin]

And I see the six ranked team in the nation in the AP poll, who sitting at the top of their conference and is likely a number one seed in the NCAA tournament.

Potato/potahto, I guess.

Not sure of your last sentence, my post you answered was only praising the team, not remotely knocking them. It that wasn’t clear to you, maybe the context was lost because it was not stand alone but rather a response to another poster. Or maybe it was just poorly written.

 

[meyers7]

The way I look at this team, I essentially see a point guard who was benched for the NCAAs last year, a player from a mid-major playing her first year in a rather tough to learn system at THE iconic woman’s program, two bigs who averaged about half a game and less than 8 PPG and 6 RPG each last year, and a player who didn’t play a minute last year, yet they have managed to have a one game better record than this time last year against a harder or completely comparable schedule.

And like I said, people can enjoy/appreciate this team and what they've done/are doing this year, AND still dream about "what might have been", or "what might be".
Dreaming about stuff doesn't negate what THIS team has done.

So as I said I find those posts tedious.

And some people find whiny posts tedious, Karen.

 

[Blond D.]

Oh great, another post with left handed compliments to those playing while lamenting the loss of those who are not. And a bit of a clue, there is not a person on the face of the earth who can predict sports outcomes even if they know who is on the “active roster“.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful but I guess I am being just that, but can’t you people wait to discuss “what might have been” and “next year“ until this year is over; you know, out of respect for those lesser players pouring their collective heart and soul into this year and giving many fans truly a season to remember while the “best players” are “on the bench”.

I think those "lesser" players are showing they arent so "lesser" They are stepping up and getting done what needs to be done.
I enjoy looking ahead and adding what we will have next year to the GREAT team we have this year. It makes next year look so much sweeter since we already have a sweet team this year.