We're not in Kansas anymore Post Game Thread

[HopJim]

A win a win guys. With that being said, Geno knew what he was doing when he and his staff created this 2023-24 schedule. I think there are a plethora of lessons that both the coaches and players will learn from in relation to these past 6 games of the season. The azzi injury was definitely not expected, but this team is used to these circumstances unfortunately.

My unprofessional suggestion would be to have KK start over Nika. As much as I looovvee Nika's game and hustle, KK's energy on the back court is much needed this season. Aalyah has to play with more hunger because she is soo talented. I'm not sure about Caroline's status, but Q is a pretty good replacement. I want Q to drive more to the basket because defenses will soon know that she is a shooter. Ice, who also is super talented, needs to drive to the basket with absolute authority and passion. Our biggest issue this season will be our weakness in the front court because no one wants to dominate down there, everyone just wants to shoot.

Overall, Uconn will have many lessons this season, but I still believe come tournament time, they will find their identity. Also, I'm really starting to question the strength and conditioning person for these ladies, but that's a whole other story for another time.

Interesting thoughts. While its always controversial to suggest Geno change his tactics, I have to agree with this input. KK provides as much defense as Nika with more offense, an asset we desparately need. UConn is running the same offense it has for 10+ years that causes several of our non shooters to spend alot of time rotating out past the key. Currently, we don't have great 3 point shooters (excluding Paige), but we have several solid mid range players. The coaching staff is well equiped to take advantage of this skill set via double screens and other plays that prevent the guards from collapsing on Edwards, Ice, and Aurbrey. A number of posters have said its unfair to put too much focus on the frosh but do we have a choice? The talent is there - need to make full use of it.

 

[HuskyNan]

It’s greatly encouraging to me that the seniors have taken ownership and anchored the team. The freshmen will be up and down but the seniors need to be steady

To follow up on this, people worried about the periodically ragged play yesterday should remember that Geno played 4 seniors, 4 freshman, and 1 inexperienced junior reserve. The junior and one senior went out after getting banged up. The three remaining seniors, Nika, Paige, and especially Aubrey, did everything in their power to lead the freshmen to a win. To me, this is really encouraging. The freshmen tried hard but were too inexperienced - but they learned a lot. The seniors remembered they need to lead the way.

The people that want to see the team in late season form in November are fretting but it’s all good. The regular season games are to help the youngsters learn how to play at the next level and to prepare the upperclassmen to lead the team. Mission accomplished.

On edit: I just did the math - the freshmen plus Amari played 83 of 200 minutes, 41.5%. That’s pretty significant time on the court. Ragged plays and turnovers are unsurprising with so many inexperienced players.

 

[oldude]

One additional point about this year’s team. At the start of the season, Geno pretty much knew this team did not have a strong post presence. Dorka graduated, Jana was out for the year and Amari had not demonstrated an ability to fill the void. With that in mind, Geno’s plan was to spread the floor with 3 outstanding shooters, along with Nika, giving Aaliyah, Aubrey & Ice room to operate in the paint.

Fast forward to today. UConn is down to one outstanding shooter. Opposing teams can chase Paige all over the court and pack the lane on defense. The situation requires UConn to come up with a completely different strategy on the fly, with a lot of inexperienced youngsters getting PT while, at the same time, figuring out their roles on this team.

I have confidence in Geno and his coaching staff. The youngsters will make mistakes while they’re learning on the job. But in the end this team will coalesce around a strategy that will focus more on tough defense, transition scoring, attacking the basket off the dribble and, much like Iowa, relying on a superstar to carry the team.

 

[topogigio]

I'm glad to get away from this tournament, as the team looked so disorganized in both games. I also wanted to thank my wife who talked me out of killing myself from watching those Cayman commercials over and over and over and over and over...............................
By the way, where is the nearest Smoothie King?

Very funny, it was Mrs. Gigio I had to talk out of harming herself from the Cayman commercials! She can stay amazingly calm during the games as I scream at the television, but damn, those commercials had her screaming louder than me!

 

[Surly1]

I was pleasantly surprised to be able to catch the game last night and I watched the replay of the UCLA game. UConn is far from a finished product, but something triggered for me watching these games.

Over the past 30 years, being a UConn WBB fan has been almost unfair. The unprecedented success has spoiled many fans, leaving many with lofty expectations. Now, UConn has come back to the pack. The SC's & UCLA's are stocking up on talent. While UConn still has upper tier players, the games as foregone conclusions are over. For some, this is bothersome. For me, it's a new chapter, and I appreciate watching the progress amidst the struggles.

After last season and her challenged sophomore year, I feel fortunate to be able to watch any game with Paige in uniform. She has that unique quality and a style of play that demands your attention. For her, like many of us fans, the year has not unfolded like she envisioned. The injury pallor that has hung over this team continues and their struggles against adversity are on display for all to see. Unfortunate as it may be, it is a compelling drama.

The two games in the Caymans showed that Paige is accepting her role a a shooter. She has to for this team to succeed. Yes, they will get better down the road, and may take their lumps early on against upper echelon teams, but right now, UConn has specific areas that need to improve (rebounding, defense, outside shooting). In the interim, Paige embracing her new role helps to offset these areas, while the freshmen get better acclimated and incorporated.

I've listened to people complain that the game has passed Geno. The man has forgotten more basketball than most people have watched. Like many ultra achievers, the challenge for Geno is not to remain obstinate and hold onto what worked for him previously. UConn may never win another NC under his helm, but he's adjusting to this team like the players are themselves. It is a work in progress, and while we might not like some of his decisions, it appears he is open to and trying new things.

In hindsight, the NC St loss isn't as glaring after the Wolfpack dismantled #3 Colorado yesterday. UCLA is stocked with talent. I wasn't impressed with Kiki Rice as a freshman, but she is the real deal. The Texas game is about a week away and I think it will be a more telling indicator of where UConn stands.

 

[oldude]

KK brings a lot of energy and quickness on D, and some day I expect her to be a great one-on-one defender. But right now she exhibits the same problem Nika had as a freshman. She fouls a lot.

 

[oldude]

Lots of new combinations on the floor. The play where Aaliyah turned towards the basket and Ashlynn hit her in the back with a pass was almost comical. Time will fix this……hopefully….

 

[HuskyNan]

The freshmen had 7 of them and one was a team TO (shot clock?)

 

[PhillyCoach]

Another poster stated that UConn lost the UCLA game because of shooting. I watched both games again and shooting is the most significant factor of the 2 losses. Obviously there are a few other elements that need fixing, but shooting is easily the most important issue. Facts, in both losses the winning team shot the lights out and UConn shot very poorly. Geno said many times that Q is a great shooter, Ice is an outstanding shooter, Nika is an improved shooter and KK & Shade can shoot. The ability is there. The shots will start to fall. IMHO the defense is coming along and can be sufficient to get to the sweet sixteen. I believe all phases are good enough for that. Winning at the sweet sixteen level (and beyond) will depend on shooting. Edwards shot 2 for 12 and Ice was 0 for 6 in that one loss.

It seems that Geno has accepted the injuries and is now focused on the improvement necessary for a March run. Losses now are lessons. The freshmen are a major part of the team's destiny.

WBB now has 12 to 16 very good teams. Making the sweet sixteen is an accomplishment. Getting past that is a big ask this year. I am enjoying the journey. It is a new era in WBB and every game is a fight. That's why you need 10 players to get through the gauntlet. Geno knows.

One final thought. Like many posters, Amari has always been a mystery to me. I think that Geno knows he has to get something from Amari just to survive. Let's see how her minutes grow this season.

 

[SLY63]

Few quick thoughts

1. I think AE is struggling because she is not a 5, and without shooters, opponents are packing it in on her.
2. As bad as our 2 losses look, they we against what looks to be top 5 teams
3. We seem to flip back and forth from great D with anemic offense to good offense with poor defense.
4. Outside of SC, our only chances for a signature win will be in December (given how weak the Big East is), and if we don't get a signature win, it will be hard to get about the 3 line come NCAA tourney time.

In any case Geno has his work cu out for him with the team that he has

 

[Centerstream]

People are glossing over the fact Nika had 7 rebounds, 3 of them offensive. Aubrey (8, Aaliyah (7), and Nika (7) were the leading rebounders. After the disastrous rebounding effort against UCLA, Nika appeared ready to do what the team needed, and that included giving the team additional chances to score. She also had 6 assists that led to 12 points.

I know that scoring is important in the game, obviously, but Nika has become a pretty complete basketball player. She is doing a lot of things, big and small, that facilitate a win. A huge improvement from her freshman year.

There are a few things that will be imprinted in my brain forever, the first is Katie Lou's "shrug" against USF, Amari's assist to Inês while she was on her butt and seeing Nika crying on her chair after being talked to by Geno in her freshman season. In this one, Nika could have easily picked up her ball and gone home to Croatia, but she didn't. Look at her now!!!!!!!

 

[Bald Husky]

I've gotta have a rum cake now.

That rum cake is a recipe 6 generations old. The first must have been cooked on a campfire. lol

 

[huskeynut]

If you have not been a coach or a teacher it is hard to understand how this all works. The many variations that exist can be overwhelming.

The team Geno thought he had on paper does not exist today. Jana and Azzi are done for the season. Caroline is a big question mark. Did you notice as she sat on the bench, she is wearing ear plugs? Ayanna has yet to be cleared to play. Four key players lost.

So he and the team have to adjust to the new reality. This going going to take time and some experimenting with lineups and rotations. There is going to be some ugly play on the court. The freshmen, I include Ice in this group, are going to have their go and bad and not so bad games. But there will be growth and a maturity that will develop for this group. That is what is needed for this team to be considered a contender for the national championship.

From the UCLA game to last night there was improvement. The team played a full game, not just two quarters. Paige went out early with 2 fouls and others stepped up to keep it going. It was ugly but the team did not collapse. Aubrey was a beast that Kansas had no answer for. Senior leadership showed and led the way. Nika did Nika things on the court. She rebounds, dishes dimes, plays aggressive defense and does score.

People question Nika and Paige playing together. Relax, they are both adjusting to the new reality. Both are smart, highly competitive players. The will figure this out. Both live and breath basketball.

Geno builds these difficult OOC schedules to find out what he's got and how they react to adversity. A lot of adversity this past weekend. This is not necessarily bad.

I for one, intend to enjoy this season, good and bad. Come march, I believe we will be fine.

 

[jabstep]

KK brings a lot of energy and quickness on D, and some day I expect her to be a great one-on-one defender. But right now she exhibits the same problem Nika had as a freshman. She fouls a lot.

Yeah, but those weren't really fouls. At least European fouls. She has adjusted well to Geno's request.
I believe KK will adjust quickly. Hopefully, she is taking hundreds of 3 pointer shots a day like Paige, Azzi, and her new teammate next year Allie Z. Who is a bucket

 

[Hist-teacher]

I'm just very concerned that Paige is logging more than anticipated minutes (we obviously need her) but she's been so prone to injury and she's gonna be physically harassed by every team we play. Gonna wear her down just like what happened to Lou last year. Someone else must step up (not sure who that is).

 

[pvdoggy]

I'm just very concerned that Paige is logging more than anticipated minutes (we obviously need her) but she's been so prone to injury and she's gonna be physically harassed by every team we play. Gonna wear her down just like what happened to Lou last year. Someone else must step up (not sure who that is).

Paige is only averaging 28 min/game, not a lot. If anything she may like to play more.

 

[freshler40]

Lots of new combinations on the floor. The play where Aaliyah turned towards the basket and Ashlynn hit her in the back with a pass was almost comical. Time will fix this……hopefully….

Edwards has had a habit of not glancing at the ball or where it's being passed to, perhaps this has impacted her ability to cleanly handle passes on short notice. We need her on the floor as this team needs size and inside scoring. The past two games against taller/talented players showed this up in spades. She, Ice and Patterson are major keys to a better season.

 

[oldude]

Edwards has had a habit of not glancing at the ball or where it's being passed to, perhaps this has impacted her ability to cleanly handle passes on short notice. We need her on the floor as this team needs size and inside scoring. The past two games against taller/talented players showed this up in spades. She, Ice and Patterson are major keys to a better season.

Agreed. But in the instance when Ashlynn hit Aaliyah in the back, the turnover was clearly on Ashlynn.

 

[Cuango]

I was pleasantly surprised to be able to catch the game last night and I watched the replay of the UCLA game. UConn is far from a finished product, but something triggered for me watching these games.

Over the past 30 years, being a UConn WBB fan has been almost unfair. The unprecedented success has spoiled many fans, leaving many with lofty expectations. Now, UConn has come back to the pack. The SC's & UCLA's are stocking up on talent. While UConn still has upper tier players, the games as foregone conclusions are over. For some, this is bothersome. For me, it's a new chapter, and I appreciate watching the progress amidst the struggles.

After last season and her challenged sophomore year, I feel fortunate to be able to watch any game with Paige in uniform. She has that unique quality and a style of play that demands your attention. For her, like many of us fans, the year has not unfolded like she envisioned. The injury pallor that has hung over this team continues and their struggles against adversity are on display for all to see. Unfortunate as it may be, it is a compelling drama.

The two games in the Caymans showed that Paige is accepting her role a a shooter. She has to for this team to succeed. Yes, they will get better down the road, and may take their lumps early on against upper echelon teams, but right now, UConn has specific areas that need to improve (rebounding, defense, outside shooting). In the interim, Paige embracing her new role helps to offset these areas, while the freshmen get better acclimated and incorporated.

I've listened to people complain that the game has passed Geno. The man has forgotten more basketball than most people have watched. Like many ultra achievers, the challenge for Geno is not to remain obstinate and hold onto what worked for him previously. UConn may never win another NC under his helm, but he's adjusting to this team like the players are themselves. It is a work in progress, and while we might not like some of his decisions, it appears he is open to and trying new things.

In hindsight, the NC St loss isn't as glaring after the Wolfpack dismantled #3 Colorado yesterday. UCLA is stocked with talent. I wasn't impressed with Kiki Rice as a freshman, but she is the real deal. The Texas game is about a week away and I think it will be a more telling indicator of where UConn stands.

Unless Geno and company manage the greatest turnaround in history, this team has very little chance to beat Texas! I just hope we see substantial improvement by then. A win is pretty unlikely, I think, but win or lose, what everyone should be hoping for is clear improvement, especially from the freshmen!
I also hope that we will continue to see Amari getting meaningful minutes as we go forward. It is pretty clear we’re going to lose some games this year so I think Geno should bite the bullet and go all out to give her a chance to improve in actual games. Ines is another question mark for me? Why are we not seeing her in any games. I realize she is not a star but from what I remember from last year, she certainly doesn’t play any worse than some of the freshmen on occasion.
I will say this; while I really can’t see us winning against Texas, we do have Paige! If we can somehow keep the game close, then Paige could swoop in and win it at the end! Mostly, what I’m hoping to see against Texas is; improved play by the freshmen, Aaliyah out of her funk, and rabid, cohesive play on defense! If those three things happen, then win or lose, we can feel a bit more optimistic for the remainder of the season!

 

[The CDR-Ret]

I was pleasantly surprised to be able to catch the game last night and I watched the replay of the UCLA game. UConn is far from a finished product, but something triggered for me watching these games.

Over the past 30 years, being a UConn WBB fan has been almost unfair. The unprecedented success has spoiled many fans, leaving many with lofty expectations. Now, UConn has come back to the pack. The SC's & UCLA's are stocking up on talent. While UConn still has upper tier players, the games as foregone conclusions are over. For some, this is bothersome. For me, it's a new chapter, and I appreciate watching the progress amidst the struggles.

After last season and her challenged sophomore year, I feel fortunate to be able to watch any game with Paige in uniform. She has that unique quality and a style of play that demands your attention. For her, like many of us fans, the year has not unfolded like she envisioned. The injury pallor that has hung over this team continues and their struggles against adversity are on display for all to see. Unfortunate as it may be, it is a compelling drama.

The two games in the Caymans showed that Paige is accepting her role a a shooter. She has to for this team to succeed. Yes, they will get better down the road, and may take their lumps early on against upper echelon teams, but right now, UConn has specific areas that need to improve (rebounding, defense, outside shooting). In the interim, Paige embracing her new role helps to offset these areas, while the freshmen get better acclimated and incorporated.

I've listened to people complain that the game has passed Geno. The man has forgotten more basketball than most people have watched. Like many ultra achievers, the challenge for Geno is not to remain obstinate and hold onto what worked for him previously. UConn may never win another NC under his helm, but he's adjusting to this team like the players are themselves. It is a work in progress, and while we might not like some of his decisions, it appears he is open to and trying new things.

In hindsight, the NC St loss isn't as glaring after the Wolfpack dismantled #3 Colorado yesterday. UCLA is stocked with talent. I wasn't impressed with Kiki Rice as a freshman, but she is the real deal. The Texas game is about a week away and I think it will be a more telling indicator of where UConn stands.

Thank God there is a week before @ Texas.

Time for practice to get the Freshmen up to speed and build their confidence, as they will be more like Sophomores the next time they will be in back-to-back(-to-back) games in the Big East Tournament. The games in Europe will soon to show the maturity needed at this level of play for the newest Huskies, and well before the conference "grind out the wins" with two major OoC tests in 1/27/24 at Gampel vs. uNd Irish, and 2/11/24 @ Columbia, SC (the REAL USC)...

Playing major minutes WHILE the game is being decided will bring HUGE dividends when the games count in the "WIN and Stay In!" time of the year. [Let our opponents use the "Lose and Go Home!" saying....]

Go Huskies!

 

[David54]

Did Geno not do post game pressers past 2 games?.

 

[HuskyNan]

Did Geno not do post game pressers past 2 games?.

Audio only

UConn Women beats Kansas in the Caymans 71-63 behind Bueckers & Griffin | FOX SPORTS 97-9 | Husky HQ

(Photo: Ian Bethune) Paige Bueckers and Aubrey Griffin combine for 42 points as the Huskies hold off the Jayhawks in the Caymans Saturday Night

979espn.iheart.com