When you lose 3 top ten draft picks to the WNBA off a team without a lot of depth to start with, it’s difficult to imagine that the team you put on the court the following year could be better than either of the 36-1 teams that made it to OT in the last two national semifinal games. But watching this year’s version of the UConn Huskies closely over their first 8 games, and particularly in their convincing win in South Bend over the previous #1 team in the nation, it occurred to me that this may be the best UConn WBB team since the graduation of the Big 3. Here is my analysis of the top 6 players on this year’s team, and why I believe it could be better than either of the past two teams.
Pheesa is one of the best low post players in college basketball. Her array of shots, rebounding prowess and ability to defend in the paint made her a consensus 1st team AA as a sophomore. Unfortunately, Pheesa played out of position for much of last season trying to blend in with Z, who basically played the same position. This year, Pheesa is stronger, her rebounding is up, she’s dominating the paint and she has once again become UConn’s “go to player” when they need a basket. On multiple occasions vs ND, whenever the Irish appeared poised to make a run, the Huskies dumped the ball into the post and Pheesa restored order by hitting difficult shots she makes routinely.
Crystal need only stay healthy to be better than last season. She is poised to be one of the very best pg’s in the nation. She is fitter than ever, clearly in command on the court and we are starting to see the array of incredible shot making and passing exploits from her that will only get better as the season progresses. The high, fall-away bank shot Crystal hit over the outstretched hand of Turner at ND was an absolute thing of beauty.
Lou, like Crystal, need only stay healthy to be better than last season. So far, so good on her surgically repaired ankle, which is clearly in evidence when you watch Lou move and elevate on the court. She too is stronger, her rebounding is up, and she seems to be doing whatever it takes to insure UConn wins. In the past, if Lou wasn’t hitting 3’s, she could disappear in a game. ND is a testament to how far Lou has come. She missed all of her 3’s, and yet rebounded well, played solid defense, set up her teammates and eventually found ways to score at critical points in the 2nd half.
Megan is not Gabby, but they fill the same roll, an undersized forward, battling larger opponents. Megan will never be as versatile a defender as Gabby, but she is a better shooter and her exceptional strength allows her to body up opposing posts to more than hold her own. After the ND game, MM lamented the fact that her team had done a bad job feeding Turner in the post. Once she looks at the film, she will see the reason Turner was not as effective was the result of a really strong defensive effort by Megan throughout the game. Megan is good right now. By March, Megan will be very good.
Christyn had her coming out party in South Bend. She is not the defender that Kia was….yet. But offensively, Christyn is not only better than Kia, she may be the best offensive player on the team. Aside from her ability to score, there are so many things she does well that demonstrate exceptional skill and a high B-Ball IQ. Her ability to use either hand, the way she uses her body to put a defender on her hip, her poise when handling the ball and her sixth sense to turn on the jets and run the court when a bucket is at hand. How many times did Christyn beat the entire ND team downcourt for easy layups?
Liv is a work in progress and not at Z’s level yet, but UConn doesn’t need her to be. She is smart, athletic and runs the court exceptionally well for a big. She’s starting to understand her role: defend, rebound and finish at the rim. Liv’s emphatic rejection of Mabrey’s shot in the 2nd half at ND was a key play in the game. By March, she will be a very solid reserve.
Finally, Geno has made several changes this season that allow this team to excel. Specifically, UConn employs multiple defensive packages that minimize the loss of 2 NDPOY’s. On offense, UConn is playing at a faster tempo and everyone on the team appears to have “the green light to hunt their own shot.” To be certain, there are several teams capable of winning the championship this year. But if UConn finds a way to win in Waco and Louisville, they should once again be the #1 overall seed at the Big Dance, coming out of the friendly confines of the TUC in Albany, NY to make their 12th straight FF, and from there………
Sometimes it’s good to trust your eyes instead of just reading numbers.
That was their 3rd game ever together against St. John’s. Last years team was down the entire game against ND at home if you don’t recall. 2 years ago almost lost to Tulane. 
