The one thing about this years team that I enjoyed the most is ..

[HuskylnSC]

The change in attitude. UConn teams are typically comprised of high quality, team oriented players. They are always 'nice'. This years team thanks to 'E', Nika, and Aaliyah left the nice outside the lines and inside the lines were aggressive battlers. They played with and edge that I felt was missing until recently. Christyn picked up the attitude part way through the year. Paige had a bit of it. I didn't see it in some others. They played with skill and joy, but not the edge. There is a certain amount of aggression that championship programs have and I didn't see it after Stewie, Mo, and Tuck left. I think next year it is going to be back in force. I can hear it when Geno speaks of next year and the full court systems. I know some of you are going to call me out and say that KLS, Pheesa, and Crystal had it. And I will say, great players all but Pheesa and Crystal got it when they went pro.

 

[CocoHusky]

That this team stopped an unbelievable bad streak of 8 consecutive OT losses dating back to 1998.

 

[eebmg]

How very special freshman Paige, Aaliyah and Nika have reenergized the program and promise to lead the way to the next era.

 

[Monte]

They supported each other very much.

 

[Hoops66]

I think that I liked the team assists with great passing, as much as anything. Paige, Nika, Liv, and Anna, for sure, but everyone "pitched in."

 

[Bigboote]

I'm with the OP. I think the single thing I enjoyed the most was the change in oncourt demeanor. Early on Geno mentioned that the group of really nice kids let that niceness come through on the court. Then after Arkansas that changed. Still nice off the court, get along great, laugh their tushes off, but at the end of the season they bumped, dived, and scrapped their way to some hard-fought wins that I don't think would have happened earlier in the year.

 

[Calbysdad]

The change in attitude. UConn teams are typically comprised of high quality, team oriented players. They are always 'nice'. This years team thanks to 'E', Nika, and Aaliyah left the nice outside the lines and inside the lines were aggressive battlers. They played with and edge that I felt was missing until recently. Christyn picked up the attitude part way through the year. Paige had a bit of it. I didn't see it in some others. They played with skill and joy, but not the edge. There is a certain amount of aggression that championship programs have and I didn't see it after Stewie, Mo, and Tuck left. I think next year it is going to be back in force. I can hear it when Geno speaks of next year and the full court systems. I know some of you are going to call me out and say that KLS, Pheesa, and Crystal had it. And I will say, great players all but Pheesa and Crystal got it when they went pro.

I've said this before but, to me, Nika was the engine behind the attitude shift. One of my favorite moments was Nika dribbling out a game just over half court and UConn was up 20+. The defender decided to pressure Nika in the last couple seconds and I actually thought Nika might take a swing at her. Can't remember the team but Geno had a huge grin as he started the post game interview. He mentioned the Nika was all fired up...

 

[UcMiami]

I am thankful we got most of a complete season in, had a tournament, and the only person who tested positive was Geno who had already been vaccinated.

And that they beat Baylor to get to yet another FF.

 

[FridaFriend]

I saw growth from a number of players, but I was most surprised and delighted about what happened with Nika. I thought she would only get limited minutes and would not contribute to the game in any way. I thought she might slip into a sad benchwarmer, but she blossomed into a defensive force and then a leadership role. It has really been something special to watch. The season might have ended differently if it hadn't been for her ankle injury.

 

[Littlemin]

I saw growth from a number of players, but I was most surprised and delighted about what happened with Nika. I thought she would only get limited minutes and would not contribute to the game in any way. I thought she might slip into a sad benchwarmer, but she blossomed into a defensive force and then a leadership role. It has really been something special to watch. The season might have ended differently if it hadn't been for her ankle injury.

This potentially is going to come off wrong and I don’t mean it to and mean no disrespect. Nina Muhl was a known, not an unknown, when she came to Uconn. A basketball mind like Greg Popovich does not rave about a player idly. A player doesn’t get recruited by the schools she was recruited by on whims and maybes.
Many posters here dismissed her very quickly because THEY didn’t know about her, so how could she possibly be any good? Further, she didn’t care about scoring, so without gaudy statistics, she couldn’t possibly be an important piece to the puzzle.
You see the dismissal of everything but points with the comments about Ono, who played good ball in the tournament but shot poorly, especially against Arizona. So, she stinks.
I contributed to that with comments about the missed layups but, again in hindsight, games are won and lost by teams, not individuals. IMO, Ono was done a disservice with the simplistic, emotional analysis; there was enough there to share the “blame” from coaches on down. And to be sure, I was a part of that disservice.
As to the topic, without a doubt, my most enjoyable part of the season was the team bonding, the honest and open affection for each other with everyone associated with the team.
Along those lines, a special mention to Evina Westbrook, who just impressed the heck out of me with her play, but more importantly, her leadership, maturity and commitment to a larger responsibility to team building.
Finally, a mention to Christyn Williams, it could not have been easy to sit there and admit the team took Arizona lightly; no excuses, just an honest standup response, beyond admirable in my eyes.

 

[BBallF]

Their youthful enthusiasm which I hope turns to vengeful determination next year.

 

[bantamlaker]

The brilliant play of Paige Bueckers who was the overwhelming choice as college player of the year as a freshman.

 

[huskeynut]

The one thing that was impressive was the way the team rebounded and gelled after the Arkansas loss.

Next was the three freshmen leading the way into the Final Four.

 

[augustaTC]

I simply enjoyed watching a young, enormously talented team grow. Their enthusiasm and, dare I say, love for each other, the unselfishness, and fierceness was a joy to see. Everybody grew: ONO rounded out her game, Christyn, God bless her, became an all-around player (and smiled again!), E was the catalyst, on and off the court, AE was a amazing, and Nika (admittedly my favorite) brought a level of fierce determination not seen in years. And Paige....what can you say, she is otherworldly. Everyone on the team contributed in some way. Next year is going to be something to watch, particularly with E coming back, new freshmen and the transfer from Ohio State. And if I learned anything from watching Stanford play this year, you simply cannot have too much depth. Yikes!!!

 

[Camiam88]

Christyn Williams. She damn near could’ve won MVP of the Big East tournament, and was absolutely clutch for us in the tourney. And she just had the light back in her eyes. I was so proud of her. She also was the centerpiece of our absolute lockdown defense, a role she learned to embrace.

And, of course, Evina. She is just...delightful. What a leader.

 

[meyers7]

The fact that they got a "season" in (for the most part) has to be the best part.

 

[Carnac]

Good observations by all. Looks like most of us saw the season the same way. A very young team came together in very trying circumstances (pandemic/quarantine) that had to raise their game to play and compete at the “elite“ level UConn plays at.

What a contrast between next year’s team and this one with respect to experience. You learn from wins (Baylor) as you do from losses. The 21-22 team will be ready to begin the season (on time hopefully), and equipped to carry the freshmen instead of the other way around.

There are too many players on this team that hate to lose for this team not to be successful. As much as I enjoyed watching this year’s team, I look forward to watching next season’s team even more. For all of the trials and tribulations this team experienced, I thought they reached and achieved their potential.

I never thought this team could win it all. Too many other talented and experienced teams out there. This was not UConn’s year. It was Stanford’s. UConn was one of only 4 of the 64 teams in the tournament to win 4 games. That’s huge! There where a lot of very good teams that didn’t.

I think next year’s team takes that experience and builds on it. Next year’s team will be one of the deepest Geno has had in years. Few teams if any will have the talent depth we will. My expectations for the 21-22 team far exceeds this last one. It’s very possible this next team can go undefeated and win it all. All the ingredients needed to do so will be there.

 

[BRS24]

My most enjoyable aspect of the season was Evina. Evina finally playing. Showing leadership. Completely embracing the UConn way. Playing while not 100%. Her intensity. I didn't see her play before she came to UConn, but the fact that she never complained when her waiver was denied, then had to have surgery, and now returning for another season? Priceless.

 

[Vancat]

My most enjoyable aspect of the season was Evina. Evina finally playing. Showing leadership. Completely embracing the UConn way. Playing while not 100%. Her intensity. I didn't see her play before she came to UConn, but the fact that she never complained when her waiver was denied, then had to have surgery, and now returning for another season? Priceless.

I love Evina! So intense.
Especially since she came from The Dark Side.

 

[jcoton56]

In November, I wouldn't give odds that a season would even be played. My family gets through the Connecticut winter because of UConn women's basketball. You get caught up in it and lo and behold there is April staring you in the face and the worst is behind us. Well thats how I feel this year. They played above their heads IMHO. Not by a lot either, which makes it another tough ending. Having something that is seemingly within reach slip away at the end is not easy, but gosh there were tons of great moments with plenty more to come. Hard part is that November is far, far in the future as we plan the Xs and Os and line ups and matches for what will surely be a memorable season. Go Huskies!

 

[Urshurak]

The team chemistry, considering how young they are, was remarkable. With that, came unselfishness. Probably too much so!

IN the grand scheme of things, this was a truly remarkable team!!!!!

 

[Ozimoto]

I really enjoyed this season. Yeah, I was disappointed initially in how it ended, but once you sat back and looked at the season and what was accomplished by a pretty good group of human beings (and basketball players) how could you be disappointed? A group of young women came together and built a team under the direction of one of the finest coaching staffs ever assembled through a year interrupted by uncertainty, isolation (no travel home to rest and recharge) and strong competition and they went much farther into the tournament than any rational observer could reasonably expect.

To quote "Flounder" from "Animal House" when contemplating next season, "this is going to be great!"

 

[MSGRET]

What I liked most of this season was that this team had leadership from two players that were playing their first season at UConn. Evina and Paige. Yes CW & Liv were there but more in the background. But from the start of the season you could see that Evina was the senior leader and both CW and Liv yielded that to her. While at the same time Paige came in from the start and led the team on the floor and the other players followed her lead. The biggest surprise for me was that how well this team handled the challenges of the season and had only three players that had more than 10 games as starters at UConn. After Anna got hurt I thought it would hurt the team, but both AE and Nika stepped in. I can't remember the last time that 3 Freshman had such a prominent roll at UConn and I can't wait to see what's going to happen next year with who we have and with who is coming on board at UConn.

 

[schmendrick]

despite the disappointing end, this is a fun, dynamic team on the rise. So, quite simply, amid the vicissitudes of daily life, what I enjoyed most about this year's team is they have given me something to look forward to.

 

[AgStatesman]

How much they seemed to enjoy each other. You spend so much time together you might get a bit sick of it and they never showed that.

 

[MooseJaw]

I really enjoyed this season. Yeah, I was disappointed initially in how it ended, but once you sat back and looked at the season and what was accomplished by a pretty good group of human beings (and basketball players) how could you be disappointed? A group of young women came together and built a team under the direction of one of the finest coaching staffs ever assembled through a year interrupted by uncertainty, isolation (no travel home to rest and recharge) and strong competition and they went much farther into the tournament than any rational observer could reasonably expect.

To quote "Flounder" from "Animal House" when contemplating next season, "this is going to be great!"

I have your back! Anyone who quotes Flounder has a special and unique perspective on life and basketball. 🏀

 

[Urshurak]

I have your back! Anyone who quotes Flounder has a special and unique perspective on life and basketball. 🏀

Is Flounder one of those characters in an animated movie? I'll have to look up Animal House. Disney?
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Just kidding. One of my favorites. The above was a true question from my sister.....sigh

 

[Carnac]

My most enjoyable aspect of the season was Evina. Evina finally playing. Showing leadership. Completely embracing the UConn way. Playing while not 100%. Her intensity. I didn't see her play before she came to UConn, but the fact that she never complained when her waiver was denied, then had to have surgery, and now returning for another season? Priceless.

Things happen for a reason. Sometimes we don't see the benefit of things that don't go our way at the moment. She had a second surgery AFTER receiving the news of the denial of her waiver request and appeal. While the news of her denial was devastating to her and us, in hindsight, it worked out best for her. I'm not sure that playing on that knee without that second surgery would have had favorable results for her.

Even after the surgery and the completion of her rehab, she related that the knee was not 100%, citing that during practice, she had some good days, and some not so good days. We saw Geno give her periodic rest breaks during their games, and not because she was tired. She took some hard falls and landed awkwardly a couple of times during the season that made me hold my breath, because of my concern for her knees.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

I've said this before but, to me, Nika was the engine behind the attitude shift. One of my favorite moments was Nika dribbling out a game just over half court and UConn was up 20+. The defender decided to pressure Nika in the last couple seconds and I actually thought Nika might take a swing at her. Can't remember the team but Geno had a huge grin as he started the post game interview. He mentioned the Nika was all fired up...

I actually thought that the change in attitude in the second half against Arizona was when Nika played more and the game stabilized a bit for UConn. But for some ill-advised UConn drives into the teeth of the Arizona's defense (which cut off passing lanes, making sure that the driver was closed off) after they cut the deficit to 5, I believe, the margin could have been less than 10 at the end and they may not have needed to start fouling every possession.

Geno did say before the game that he didn't like the look of the team without Nika.

It is going to be interesting how the rotation goes next year.....there is no doubt that Azzi will get a lot of time (her HS highlights indicates she's got IT, just like Paige) but I would be curious if the others coming in have the kind of fire we see in Nika and Aaliyah.....and that includes Saylor (we haven't seen her in extended play when there was something at stake).

There was one moment near the end of the Arizona game when Nika stayed with Aari for 3Qs of the court, sticking with her like a glue before getting called for a foul re: the little bumps - Geno had to call her over and asked "What are you doing?" (lip read) Aaliyah had done a similar thing earlier, got called too. (And yet, when an Arizona player really decked Paige away from the ball, there was no foul). Yep, now wonder Geno referred to them as players who play UConn style (hardnosed).

Still, they never looked like they were going to be seriously in the game.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

The change in attitude. UConn teams are typically comprised of high quality, team oriented players. They are always 'nice'. This years team thanks to 'E', Nika, and Aaliyah left the nice outside the lines and inside the lines were aggressive battlers. They played with and edge that I felt was missing until recently. Christyn picked up the attitude part way through the year. Paige had a bit of it. I didn't see it in some others. They played with skill and joy, but not the edge. There is a certain amount of aggression that championship programs have and I didn't see it after Stewie, Mo, and Tuck left. I think next year it is going to be back in force. I can hear it when Geno speaks of next year and the full court systems. I know some of you are going to call me out and say that KLS, Pheesa, and Crystal had it. And I will say, great players all but Pheesa and Crystal got it when they went pro.

OH, I don't know why anyone couldn't see it in the way Kia and Gabby played but the balance of the team was hanging by a thread, with no depth and yet they extended that winning streak to what? 111 consecutive games....maybe the pressure of keeping that streak alive just got to them, that's why the lost the unfortunate way they did in the FF. Maybe Geno could have used Azura more the following year when these two were seniors during the SF but that's on him....especially since Gabby wasn't fully healthy.

What I do enjoy most of this team is the unabashed joy they show when they celebrate - it's a notch above their predecessors. Maybe the unusual circumstances of the pandemic, maybe it's just them....and then couple this with the fearless way the freshmen played until the FF.