UConn stats... Serah Williams career stats are really impressive...!!

[DavidinNaples]

I recently looked up Serah Williams stats from the Wisconsin web site. I was more than impressed. To begin with, Serah started 89 of the last 91 games for Wisconsin. She missed one start freshman year and one sophomore season. She was thrown right into the starting lineup and averaged 25, 30 and 32 minutes per game in her 3 seasons. Her stats get better each year.

1. Points - Serah scored 1,494 points in three seasons. She improved each year, scoring 395, 522 and then 577 points in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Is that good? Aaliyah Edwards went into her senior year with 1,209 total points. Azzi enters this season with 1,014 points in 76 games. Just comparisons...
2. Rebounds - Serah has 782 career rebounds. That is 8.8 rebounds per game played. She is good for 8 to 9 boards a game. Every game...
3. Blocks - Williams blocked 211 shots in those 89 games. She no doubt altered many more shots with her long frame and active feet.
4. Assists & turnovers - Serah does not have point guard totals passing the ball. But, she does have 121 assists total and had 73 last season after a combined 48 in the first two. Turnovers are high at 298 total.
5. Free throws - Serah was fouled a lot and has taken 451 career free throws. She made 341 for a very respectable 75.6% average.
6. Shots - Willams took 1,111 shots which included 39 threes. She shot 52.5% from the field and made 9 threes. (23%) Scoring almost 1,500 points on 1,100 shots is impressive.

Serah was the best player on a mediocre Wisconsin team that had a record of 40-53 her three years. She received lots of attention from opposing defenses. Imagine her results on a team with Azzi, Sarah, Ashlynn, KK, Jana, Caroline, Ice and even Blanca..!! She won't be asked to do as much & her supporting cast will be much improved.
Good luck Serah..!!

 

[Superfan11]

I for one am very excited to see what she brings to this team. I watched some of her highlights against the top teams in the big ten and she was very impressive. It’s going to be nice to have post presence and she actually has a soft touch as well.

 

[Huskee11]

I had not focused on her ability to draw fouls. That is a very good thing especially given that UConn only shot about 12 free throws per game last season and actually committed more fouls than their opponents, 517 to 499.

Getting the opponents' front court into early foul trouble makes the game a lot easier.

 

[mordecai]

Sarah and Serah will most likely be the best 4/5 combination in the country this season.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

The Big 10 is a pretty rag tag bunch, but unquestionably Serah is all that and a bag of chips. She's said she has to adapt to the Huskies intensity level. It occurs there are others in the Big East who can show her defensive intensity that she did not find in the 10, but she'll be just fine.

 

[oldhusky]

I had not focused on her ability to draw fouls. That is a very good thing especially given that UConn only shot about 12 free throws per game last season and actually committed more fouls than their opponents, 517 to 499.

Getting the opponents' front court into early foul trouble makes the game a lot easier.

This is one of the rare team stats were Uconn does not excel, but I think that is partly by design. What I mean by that is Uconn tries very hard to get a good uncontested shot that is open. They had both the passers and shooters to make that happen often, and rarely had to create their own shot where they were more likely to be fouled.

Having said that I hope we get to the line more often than last year, and Serah is a significant reason why we might. I also think Blanca and Kellis might be the kind of players that could draw a lot of fouls.

 

[donalddoowop]

Sarah and Serah will most likely be the best 4/5 combination in the country this season.

Do you know who the other 4/5 combinations are in the country?

 

[JellyBean]

I am not expecting Serah to put up huge numbers here at UConn. I mean it would be a huge plus but when players join new teams with an established pecking order, the new players tend to play small in order to limit their light. I hope Serah can keep her confidence out there and just play. She is going to be a special addition to the program.

 

[dcdon]

Like that familiar song-Que Sera Sara.

 

[cometjo]

My personal hope is that given a national spotlight, Serah can raise some doubt about whether Betts is the best big in next year's draft.

 

[Bone Dog]

I’ve now watched a season’s worth of highlights and it’s clear that Serah is a great talent already. She is a stubborn defender and a strong offensive player. She has good post moves and a solid midrange game She can hit the occasional 3 but this is not her best thing.

How does she compare to other recent UConn posts? She is a better offensive player, more skilled and with better range, than Liv was as a senior. And she is comparable to her as a defender and rebounder and runs the court about as well.

Compared to Aaliyah when she was a senior, her game is quite similar, good post moves, strong defense and rebounding. And her midrange is also comparable. Aaliyah may have had a better drive down the lane or along the baseline. She also produced a lot of steals that led to fast breaks, and she was really good at finishing on the break. Serah runs the court well and can finish too.

Dorka as a senior was a slightly more confident and prolific perimeter shooter, but not nearly as effective as a low post scorer. As a defender and rebounder she was comparable. Serah seems to have quicker feet and more speed in the open court.

The upshot is that Serah strikes me as an upgrade to our post play, not just in respect to Ice and Jana, but also to Liv and Dorka. Only Aaliyah was a comparably well-rounded a talent, though she was not a perimeter threat.

That said, I also think Sarah is a significantly greater talent than all of them. Her offensive talents are more extensive both at range and around the rim than Liv, Dorka or Aaliyah. Serah has really good low post moves, but they are not as flexible or extensive as Sarah’s. And on defense and as a rebounder Sarah is clearly also the best.

But this is not a competition. Sarah and Serah will complement each other very well, I expect and they each will have better seasons this year than last, perhaps even Serah’s best ever. It won’t necessarily be a matter of simple stats. I think we’ll see two incredibly confident players dominating opponents in ways that may astound us. At Wisconsin, her frontcourt partner, Carter McCray (10.6 pts, 7 rebounds), was a solid player, but not nearly what Sarah will be for her this season.

 

[Grayjay]

I imagine frequent double-teams would raise turnover numbers.
She'll see less of that here.

 

[Bald Husky]

I am not expecting Serah to put up huge numbers here at UConn. I mean it would be a huge plus but when players join new teams with an established pecking order, the new players tend to play small in order to limit their light. I hope Serah can keep her confidence out there and just play. She is going to be a special addition to the program.

I don't think Serah will have a confidence problem, and I don't think she will have a problem fitting in. She is a senior, and she has banged with the best of the BIG. I expect her to really stand out this season, and I have to agree that there will not be a better 4/5 combo in the country. I don't know who the other combos around the country are, but in my opinion, it doesn't matter. They will be the best, and I believe Serah will really bring her draft stock up by the end of the season. First round W draftee, guaranteed.

 

[PhillyCoach]

Serah always mentions the intensity and strong competition of her new team. She knows she has to IMPROVE. She is smart, willing and able. Seems like she will be the best she has ever been. I think we are in for a jaw dropping season -- from the entire team.

 

[Bone Dog]

Serah always mentions the intensity and strong competition of her new team. She knows she has to IMPROVE. She is smart, willing and able. Seems like she will be the best she has ever been. I think we are in for a jaw dropping season -- from the entire team.

I’m just picturing the high-low passing game we could see this season. Given Sarah’s perimeter shooting, she may spend more time passing into the low post and shooting from the top of the key. But I suspect Serah will get to showcase her passing and shooting from the elbow and beyond too.

 

[meyers7]

Do you know who the other 4/5 combinations are in the country?

Well UCLA will have Betts/Betts? or Betts/Gardiner? or Betts/Dugalic?.

S. Carolina will have Edwards and Dauda? Okot?Tac?

Texas hmmm, Oldacre and Booker?

Might be a couple others, but I like ours.

 

[Bone Dog]

UCLA will have Betts/Betts? or Betts/Gardiner? or Betts/Dugalic?.

Interesting question. Betts and Dugalic have a lot of experience playing with each other. Will little Betts be able to displace Angela? Maybe.

I think we saw last season that having a really powerful frontcourt was not enough to slow the Huskies down. UCLA also needed stellar guard play, and they didn’t get it. As a result, even a patchwork frontcourt often anchored by an undersized superstar in Sarah was able to run them off the court. Has UCLA’s guard corps gotten any better in the meantime? Time will tell.

 

[msf22b]

The combination of a true back to the basket banger and scorer with the rest of our fore and backcourt talent signifies that this is one of those years that Geno
will begin the season confident of our chances.

This may be one of the great all-time UConn teams
Go UConn, go Tony

 

[Bills Fan]

Well UCLA will have Betts/Betts? or Betts/Gardiner? or Betts/Dugalic?.

S. Carolina will have Edwards and Dauda? Okot?Tac?

Texas hmmm, Oldacre and Booker?

Might be a couple others, but I like ours.

The only team with a frontcourt anywhere close to our Serah/Sarah is UCLA with Betts and either Gardiner or Dugalic. While I might give Betts a slight edge over Serah, it would only be slight and only due to her extra height-it looks like Serah Williams is a better mid-range shooter than LB and none of their small forwards are even in the same discussion as SS.

Bone you asked a question about the UCLA backcourt. Actually they might be the 2nd best backcourt in the country behind us. Rice is excellent as a PG and well above average as a shooter (does she ever miss a FT?) and this year they will be adding 2 really good players, to go with Rice and Jaquez: Leger-Walker and the portal addition, Kneepkens, a well above average to outstanding shooter from the arc. This team is a stacked as we are and I didn't even mention the "little Betts", Their depth rivals ours for a top 10 rotation but my $$$ are on us beating them again in the Final Four.

Oh and one more thing. We have Geno and IMHO, Couch is not even in the top 10 of women's college BB coaches. As was noted by the ESPN analyst on the SVP show after our
beatdown of the Bruins in Tampa, (and as also noted by DT during that same SVP show) she had no clue as to how to respond to what UCONN was doing. I have watched that game many times and she always seemed flustered, and certainly not in control, and Geno was as cool, calm and collected as I've ever seen him on the sideline, which had to rub off on the players.

 

[Bone Dog]

The only team with a frontcourt anywhere close to our Serah/Sarah is UCLA with Betts and either Gardiner or Dugalic. While I might give Betts a slight edge over Serah, it would only be slight and only due to her extra height-it looks like Serah Williams is a better mid-range shooter than LB and none of their small forwards are even in the same discussion as SS.

Bone you asked a question about the UCLA backcourt. Actually they might be the 2nd best backcourt in the country behind us. Rice is excellent as a PG and well above average as a shooter (does she ever miss a FT?) and this year they will be adding 2 really good players, to go with Rice and Jaquez: Leger-Walker and the portal addition, Kneepkens, a well above average to outstanding shooter from the arc. This team is a stacked as we are and I didn't even mention the "little Betts", Their depth rivals ours for a top 10 rotation but my $$$ are on us beating them again in the Final Four.

Oh and one more thing. We have Geno and IMHO, Couch is not even in the top 10 of women's college BB coaches. As was noted by the ESPN analyst on the SVP show after our
beatdown of the Bruins in Tampa, (and as also noted by DT during that same SVP show) she had no clue as to how to respond to what UCONN was doing. I have watched that game many times and she always seemed flustered, and certainly not in control, and Geno was as cool, calm and collected as I've ever seen him on the sideline, which had to rub off on the players.

You make some good points. Rice is an excellent PG. But she wasn’t good enough last spring, and maybe she didn’t have enough help from Jones Jaquez and Arnisalo. Will it be a different story with Kneepkens and Leger-Walker? Maybe, but frankly I doubt it. The one has a smooth perimeter game and the other is a strong guard who knows how to get to the rim. But I think Geno has too much size and quickness for them to cope with.

I’m right there with you on the comparison of Serah to LB. She may not be as strong, but she’s quicker and has a more varied arsenal of offensive weapons. And the quickness advantage is all on her side. And this is without taking account of what Blanca might bring to the equation. Or Ayanna.

And I think you’re right on target about Cori Close. There seems to be something missing from her approach and she doesn’t have a clue what it is. I think they look like a final four team on paper. But if I put on my turban and gaze into my crystal ball, I might guess that they'll get eliminated in the elite eight.

 

[Cuango]

I pretty much agree with everything you said but just wanted to add that although I am convinced Close just doesn’t have “the goods”, the additions of Kneepkens, Leger-Walker, and especially Little Betts, are serious business. I think Sienna may well turn out to be better than Big Sis! That is a lot of talent to add to a team that is coming off a FF appearance! I still like our chances but I do think UCLA is going to be extremely formidable this season! Let’s just say I’m very glad Dawn is not coaching UCLA!

 

[Bone Dog]

I pretty much agree with everything you said but just wanted to add that although I am convinced Close just doesn’t have “the goods”, the additions of Kneepkens, Leger-Walker, and especially Little Betts, are serious business. I think Sienna may well turn out to be better than Big Sis! That is a lot of talent to add to a team that is coming off a FF appearance! I still like our chances but I do think UCLA is going to be extremely formidable this season! Let’s just say I’m very glad Dawn is not coaching UCLA!

I kinda agree about Sienna. She looks quicker and may have better skills at both ends than Lauren did as a freshman. But I think this may not materialize for UCLA this season.

 

[Bills Fan]

I kinda agree about Sienna. She looks quicker and may have better skills at both ends than Lauren did as a freshman. But I think this may not materialize for UCLA this season.

....and she doesn't have the height of big sis which was primarily responsible for Lauren's ability to dominate other 6'3" post players. Visualize for a moment Lauren minus 3-4" . She would not have been the standout she was this year. Good? Yes. An AA? Likely not, except for the fact that the "C" position had very few standouts who played on top 25 teams where they would get loads of media coverage. Teams such as UCONN, ND, USC, S. Car. Texas, TCU, Duke, UNC, NCSt and MD all had fair to above average players, but no AA level standouts. Obviously I didn't see every team, but it just might be that our new Serah was the best of the non-UCLA post players.

 

[Skeets]

I don't think Serah will have a confidence problem, and I don't think she will have a problem fitting in. She is a senior, and she has banged with the best of the BIG. I expect her to really stand out this season, and I have to agree that there will not be a better 4/5 combo in the country. I don't know who the other combos around the country are, but in my opinion, it doesn't matter. They will be the best, and I believe Serah will really bring her draft stock up by the end of the season. First round W draftee, guaranteed.

I believe "draft stock" is what it is all about. Moving from Wisconsin (where that heck is that? some place in Canada?) to UConn puts Serah on the big stage and under the bright lights. Not to mention the potential of being an important piece in an NC.

 

[PhillyCoach]

I have to agree that UCLA has some very good players. According to some, maybe the best (or at least top two.) However, I think we all spend a little too much time on just "what players do you have" versus what systems are used, teamwork, and the most important--what changes can be made if the game is not going as expected. I believe that Geno has the most productive system of practice (players are making these decisions continuously) and teamwork is the number one priority. Think of all the teams who have one big scorer (that's their system) or two scorers. Once they are shut down (Geno loves to focus on that) then the team sputters trying to figure out what to do next.
Very few teams can change their offense when their primary plans are scuttled. Most teams have some variation on D and can switch to zone or man. UCLA sure looked like they had no clue when the game did not unfold as planned. Coach Close was frantic because they had no second plan. IMHO UCLA will be a top team, but UConn has a major advantage with coaching and changing to a new system when things don't go well. Again, from what I see--most teams are too limited in their offenses. South Carolina did not do much to change either when things went wrong. How do we know Geno has the best SYSTEM -- 12 titles.