When Ice and Morgan Return To The Court ...?

[PJCLaw]

When was the last game Blanca was in foul trouble?

I can't recall, and she has cut her TOs way down.

 

[DemonDeac22]

Good discussion by all. Have we heard anything about Morgan’s status? Is she running right now or doing any basketball drills or is she just doing physical rehab?

 

[Longtime fan]

When was the last game Blanca was in foul trouble?

Good point. And she isn't creating unforced errors either. Not many, in any case.

 

[Longtime fan]

Good discussion by all. Have we heard anything about Morgan’s status? Is she running right now or doing any basketball drills or is she just doing physical rehab?

I have heard nothing. From any source. Nor has Gandy ever been mentioned. I think we all know she wasn't going to play, but is there even an anecdote about her ability?

 

[BBallF]

she's also aggressive and tough as nails......

And a solid 6'2".

 

[Soxx]

I suspect if Morgan gets back up to speed, she will take Allies minutes. At least quite a few of them.

I kind of agree about her red-shirting this year especially if she isnt ready by the end of January.

I agree and always felt she brought more to the the team last year (before her injury) than Allie. For this reason, I don't see Geno red-shirting her, if she is fully recovered and ready to play.

 

[ConnMotors]

Of all the current players Morgan is my favorite. However, her coming back in January to play minimal minutes makes no sense. Redshirt should be discussed between her, her family and the coaching staff.

Ice on the other hand is a different story. She has played this season and am not sure that she can take another medical year. Then again I doubt if she would want to.

Geno’s rotation is all set.

He has Serah and Sarah playing in the post. SW is improving with each game and SS is arguably the best overall player in the country. I am still bewildered at how talented she is and how much she can improve. Definitely a Maya clone.

Around the arch you have Ashlynn, KK and Azzi. These three should have parts in a Nightmare on Elm Street movie. On defense the three of them are literally a pain in the ass.

AS when on her pull-up jumpers are daggers like Sue Birds were. And when on point she can bury threes aka Sue as well. KK may not be a sharp shooter but she doesn’t need to be. Just get players the ball without turning the ball over. That she has been doing regularly and is second in the country in doing so. Plus, she can still nail an open three or drive the lane for a spectacular looking layup. is a true marksman. She may miss shots like against Iowa and before you blink she sunk five from downtown. I thought that I saw a few last game from logo land aka Caitlin Clark. Her release is as fast as I have ever seen.

Off the bench: Blanca, this young lady brings it on the minute she steps on the court. The defense is out of this world for a tall player. After a steal her three strides to the basket remind me of Sveta. All of her three point shots always appear to be downward which means that she is elevating prior to shooting.

I’m one for seeing just these six players play in the Final Four Championship Game. If Geno needs others to play when it all counts then Kayleigh, Allie and Jana will get turns. With K9 seeing the floor more so than the others. Then again it comes down to whom your opponents will be. Jana can be a factor against taller, bigger players like Betts or Crooks.

All players will get minutes in the first three rounds on the NCAA Tournament. Then the bench will have a piece of tape on it saying Do not cross this line. That is unless we are up 20 in the fourth, Unfortunately, this is about winning a championship. That’s when Caroline, Ice, Kelis, Ayanna and Gandy will set their feet on the court.

 

[Geew1992]

Of all the current players Morgan is my favorite. However, her coming back in January to play minimal minutes makes no sense. Redshirt should be discussed between her, her family and the coaching staff.

Ice on the other hand is a different story. She has played this season and am not sure that she can take another medical year. Then again I doubt if she would want to.

Geno’s rotation is all set.

He has Serah and Sarah playing in the post. Serah Williams is improving with each game and SS is arguably the best overall player in the country. I am still bewildered at how talented she is and how much she can improve. Definitely a Maya clone.

Around the arch you have Ashlynn, KK and Azzi. These three should have parts in a Nightmare on Elm Street movie. On defense the three of them are literally a pain in the ass.

AS when on her pull-up jumpers are daggers like Sue Birds were. And when on point she can bury threes aka Sue as well. KK may not be a sharp shooter but she doesn’t need to be. Just get players the ball without turning the ball over. That she has been doing regularly and is second in the country in doing so. Plus, she can still nail an open three or drive the lane for a spectacular looking layup. is a true marksman. She may miss shots like against Iowa and before you blink she sunk five from downtown. I thought that I saw a few last game from logo land aka Caitlin Clark. Her release is as fast as I have ever seen.

Off the bench: Blanca, this young lady brings it on the minute she steps on the court. The defense is out of this world for a tall player. After a steal her three strides to the basket remind me of Sveta. All of her three point shots always appear to be downward which means that she is elevating prior to shooting.

I’m one for seeing just these six players play in the Final Four Championship Game. If Geno needs others to play when it all counts then Kayleigh, Allie and Jana will get turns. With K9 seeing the floor more so than the others. Then again it comes down to whom your opponents will be. Jana can be a factor against taller, bigger players like Betts or Crooks.

All players will get minutes in the first three rounds on the NCAA Tournament. Then the bench will have a piece of tape on it saying Do not cross this line. That is unless we are up 20 in the fourth, Unfortunately, this is about winning a championship. That’s when Caroline, Ice, Kelis, Ayanna and Gandy will set their feet on the court.

I believe Ice has only played 2-3 games. So, the redshirt can happen upon request. My understanding is she has inflamation in the knee she injured her freshman year. So, I would't rush her back. IHer best bet may be to redshirt

 

[JRRRJ]

I can't recall, and she has cut her TOs way down.

You can answer this question very simply with the Per40 spreadseheet. Double-click on any stat in Blanca's row in the summary (pivot) grid on the first tab. A new tab will open with the stat rows from all of Blanca's games.

This shows Blanca had 3 fouls in the Iowa, Xavier and Michigan games in 21, 19 and 8 minutes respectively. Only one or 2 fouls in each of the other games in 18 to 23 minutes. Michigan was the only game that stands out from the foul perspective, especially considering how aggressive she always is on defense and that one game murders her Per-40 rate.

 

[JellyBean]

I don't see Morgan pushing K-9 or Blanca out of their spots. We do know that Morgan, if 100%, will get some minutes. Might not be a lot for the moment, but she will get minutes, and I am sure those minutes will increase based on overall performance.

 

[Ct Dog]

My guess -- and that's all it is -- Morgan gets minutes before Ice. If that's right, then she'll sub in for Ash, and Blanca will sub in for Serah more often.

If the first 5 is:
Azzi Sarah Serah Ash KK

the second 5 will be:
Blanca Kayleigh Allie Morgan Jana.

Of course, Geno won't use 'hockey line' substitutions, which means he'll filter the second 5 into the first 5 gradually allowing a bunch of different combinations.

That second 5 looks like a top 10 team to me!

 

[NYCHUSKIES]

I hope Morgan can play soon. I still believe she has a huge upside to her game and what she can do on the court.

 

[Longtime fan]

I hope Morgan can play soon. I still believe she has a huge upside to her game and what she can do on the court.

What you say may be true, but she has lost some status or, more to the point, some other players have " moved ahead of her." And Allie is one of them. Not to mention Blanca.

 

[stamfordhusky]

The last we heard from Geno (maybe two weeks ago) is that Ice and Morgan are not going to return until "at least" the new year. Since there are only two games left in 2025, what are the implications if one or both of them returns in the first game of January, which is at home against Seton Hall on January 3?

His problem in the new year will be that both Ice and Morgan were solidly in last year's regular rotation, and they earned their place there. Ice was the first front court player off the bench (behind Jana and Sarah). She had developed a fairly reliable midrange jump shot that proved critical in a few games, something that Serah Williams has yet to show. And she rebounded at least as well as Serah has done this year. But she never showed the kind of close-in post moves that Serah has demonstrated, and Geno noted that she preferred to take jump shots than to really mix it up in the paint.

Thus far, Serah’s rebound rate is significantly better this year than Ice’s rebound rate last year. For the year, Serah gets 14.4% of available rebounds while she is on the floor. Last year Ice got 10.6% of available rebounds. Serah‘s offensive rebounding, in particular, is way ahead of that of Ice.

 

[EricSD]

That second 5 looks like a top 10 team to me!

I mentioned this in another thread - our 2nd 5 not only isn't a top 5 team, they aren't a top 25 team. In fact probably not even a top 50 team.

I mentioned this in the Marquette post game thread precisely because of comments like yours. I'm not picking on you - a lot of people over the years have opined at where a team comprised of our subs would be ranked. The Marquette game perfectly illustrated how "bad" a team of starters based on our subs would be.

We were outscored in Q4 by 8, but at one point Marquette went on an 11-0 run with Blanca, Allie, Kayleigh, Caroline and Jana on the floor. It got even worse when Ayanna and Kelis came in, but then settled as Marquette took their starters out.

Don't get me wrong. Our subs are super. Pairing them with several starters on the floor has given other starters rest and let our core subs shine at various times. Blanca, Kayleigh, and Allie have all been terrific at times, and Jana has often been solid.

But putting them all out there without any starters - they are an average team at best.

 

[HopJim]

I mentioned this in another thread - our 2nd 5 not only isn't a top 5 team, they aren't a top 25 team. In fact probably not even a top 50 team.

I mentioned this in the Marquette post game thread precisely because of comments like yours. I'm not picking on you - a lot of people over the years have opined at where a team comprised of our subs would be ranked. The Marquette game perfectly illustrated how "bad" a team of starters based on our subs would be.

We were outscored in Q4 by 8, but at one point Marquette went on an 11-0 run with Blanca, Allie, Kayleigh, Caroline and Jana on the floor. It got even worse when Ayanna and Kelis came in, but then settled as Marquette took their starters out.

Don't get me wrong. Our subs are super. Pairing them with several starters on the floor has given other starters rest and let our core subs shine at various times. Blanca, Kayleigh, and Allie have all been terrific at times, and Jana has often been solid.

But putting them all out there without any starters - they are an average team at best.

Both sides of this question could be correct. As they stand now, its unlikely our subs would be ranked. IF the women's Huskie subs became their own team, with Geno/CD etc. coaching, they would at worst, be a very good team, perhaps even barely making the Top 20. Compare them to Vanderbilt the past couple years and you could make the case that the talent was comparible. Vaddy had a few weeks in and out of the top 20, doing much better this year.

 

[Skeets]

I mentioned this in another thread - our 2nd 5 not only isn't a top 5 team, they aren't a top 25 team. In fact probably not even a top 50 team.

I mentioned this in the Marquette post game thread precisely because of comments like yours. I'm not picking on you - a lot of people over the years have opined at where a team comprised of our subs would be ranked. The Marquette game perfectly illustrated how "bad" a team of starters based on our subs would be.

We were outscored in Q4 by 8, but at one point Marquette went on an 11-0 run with Blanca, Allie, Kayleigh, Caroline and Jana on the floor. It got even worse when Ayanna and Kelis came in, but then settled as Marquette took their starters out.

Don't get me wrong. Our subs are super. Pairing them with several starters on the floor has given other starters rest and let our core subs shine at various times. Blanca, Kayleigh, and Allie have all been terrific at times, and Jana has often been solid.

But putting them all out there without any starters - they are an average team at best.

I can't argue with your post. Facts are facts. But you are talking about a very small sample size. Even UConn starters get out scored on thankfully rare occasions.

I'm still of the opinion that if 5 subs were drilled and coached as a team, they would be a pretty good D1 team. The talent is there. I'm just guessing here but do they practice as a team? Most probably not. They practice so that they can sub for someone in the starting 5. They work on developing chemistry, but not with each other, but with members of the starting 5. At the end of the day, all this is like discussing how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

Merry Christmas to all BY'ers.

 

[Bone Dog]

I can't argue with your post. Facts are facts. But you are talking about a very small sample size. Even UConn starters get out scored on thankfully rare occasions.

I'm still of the opinion that if 5 subs were drilled and coached as a team, they would be a pretty good D1 team. The talent is there. I'm just guessing here but do they practice as a team? Most probably not. They practice so that they can sub for someone in the starting 5. They work on developing chemistry, but not with each other, but with members of the starting 5. At the end of the day, all this is like discussing how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

Merry Christmas to all BY'ers.

This is exactly why @EricLA is right. The notion that our ‘second 5’ is a top team in itself only makes sense if we mean that potentially they might eventually become comparable with what other top teams actually are right now. And even this is implausible on its face in almost every case, since it includes so many assumptions that run contrary to our experience. Still, as an expression of our enthusiasm for the non-starters, it is a wonderful bit of hyperbole. As it happens, I am a fan of enthusiasm and hyperbole. But I must also admit that this one can’t be taken nearly as seriously as some of our other habitual enthusiasms.

 

[sun]

I don't know why many folks don't want to acknowledge the need to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances such as nuisance injuries or illness affecting one or more of the team's superstars.
It doesn'r need to be a serious injury, but even Nika was subjected to a concussion. Isn't it relatively routine in WCBB for players to twist their ankle, get a severe, painful hematoma, bone bruise or to get poked in the eye?
I think that UConn needs to have every 3 point shooter availablle & ready to play for each and every game that they can muster.
The Boy Scout motto to "Be prepared" doesn't only apply to the Boy Scouts. Geno makes millions to prepare the team for any and every contingency. To not do so would be irresponisble because UConn is a multi-million operation and being in the running for a NC and/or undefeated season is generally considered to be a once in a lifetime opportunity.
I doubt that Geno would want to forfeit his NC bonus money by not being fully prepared for the obvious risks of injury that all players deal with each and every game.

un·fore·seen - not anticipated or predicted.
"insurance to protect yourself against unforeseen circumstances"

 

[Bone Dog]

I don't know why many folks don't want to acknowledge the need to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances such as nuisance injuries or illness affecting one or more of the team's superstars.

It's because of standard jinx rules. People generally don't want to think bad luck into existence. Having pointed this out, I will now insert some cotton wadding in my ears and commence the good karma chant: la la la la la la la la la la

 

[Skeets]

This is exactly why @EricLA is right. The notion that our ‘second 5’ is a top team in itself only makes sense if we mean that potentially they might eventually become comparable with what other top teams actually are right now. And even this is implausible on its face in almost every case, since it includes so many assumptions that run contrary to our experience. Still, as an expression of our enthusiasm for the non-starters, it is a wonderful bit of hyperbole. As it happens, I am a fan of enthusiasm and hyperbole. But I must also admit that this one can’t be taken nearly as seriously as some of our other habitual enthusiasms.

Please noticed that I didn't say "Top team". I said a pretty good D1 team. You think otherwise?

 

[Bone Dog]

Please noticed that I didn't say "Top team". I said a pretty good D1 team. You think otherwise?

I am aware. Your post was much more judicious. I wasn’t thinking of what you said in particular, but of the more general phenomenon @EricLA was talking about. This often shows up as a casual remark, as for example the one that introduced the idea in this thread by @Ct Dog. Not everyone who invokes this trope is so judicious.

As for your question, my guess is that our second 5 as they’re playing right now would be a mediocre D1 team. That’s probably a lot better than the second 5 on any other team would do. However, if we were to rewrite reality and get them a ton more playing time than they’ve actually earned so far, I suspect they’d be more than a pretty good team. Some would need to improve their conditioning in order to play 25+ minutes in D1 games. One way to see this would be to ask if they could win a starting spot on other teams. Blanca and Kayleigh could probably become the regular starters on most if not all D1 teams. I suspect they’d have been competitive for starting spots on Iowa or UNC or USC as is, but probably not UCLA or Texas or LSU. Jana and Allie are probably only a couple months away from starting on most if not all top 100 teams.

If the fifth player were Kelis, even though the skies the limit for her talent, she is still pretty green. Could she start as an SG on Gonzaga? Yes, maybe, but probably not right away. If it were Morgan, we can all see the problem. Same if it were Ice or Ayanna or Carol.

If we’re talking only about potential, I’d say some second five on the current roster could well become the top D1 team. After all, I have a feeling many of them will be starting for UConn within a year or two.

 

[Tonyc]

I believe Morgan and Ice will redshirt. They are really good players but as of now there arent enough minutes to play the players who are healthy let alone those coming back from injury. Its that simple.

 

[sun]

NCAA Division 1 players are just about the equivalent of semi-pro players.
I don't know about each of their individual medical status, but if either of them are cleared to return to practice, IMO they have an obligation to their teammates, the school and themselves to make every effort to return and try to hone their BB skills to make a comeback before the end of the season.
Aubrey did last year as have other injured players.
If it's necessary to redshirt, then that's their choice.
But I think that they owe it to the university to try to earn their scholarship and NIL money.
Why would either of them want to sit on the bench and use a redshirt year if they didn't need to and while they can still be an asset to the team?
This could end up being a dream season, and to not participate when they may be able and medically cleared to put in the work would be a lot like giving up on the university, their teammates and themselves.
There's a certain amount of personal pride involved to try to contribute to the team.
I hope that they both get the required medical clearance so that the issue of whether to redshirt or not can be put to rest.

 

[Old Man UConn]

The last we heard from Geno (maybe two weeks ago) is that Ice and Morgan are not going to return until "at least" the new year. Since there are only two games left in 2025, what are the implications if one or both of them returns in the first game of January, which is at home against Seton Hall on January 3?

Of course, we all know that Geno did not remotely guarantee that would happen. One or both of them may be further delayed. But his comments suggest that sometime in the first few weeks of January, they should be physically able to return, and would by then have had time for some amount of regular practice.

There has been a lot of discussion recently, both by Geno himself and on the Boneyard, about how many players can be in the "regular rotation", I.e., getting minutes before garbage time and/or in competitive games. He suggested that 10 "regular rotation" players might be the max, or might be too many.

Recently, the regular rotation has included the 5 starters plus Blanca, K9, and Allie, with Jana "on the borderline". That is either 8 or 9 regular rotation players, near Geno's self-declared maximum.

His problem in the new year will be that both Ice and Morgan were solidly in last year's regular rotation, and they earned their place there. Ice was the first front court player off the bench (behind Jana and Sarah). She had developed a fairly reliable midrange jump shot that proved critical in a few games, something that Serah Williams has yet to show. And she rebounded at least as well as Serah has done this year. But she never showed the kind of close-in post moves that Serah has demonstrated, and Geno noted that she preferred to take jump shots than to really mix it up in the paint.

Before her injury (in February, as I recall), Morgan was often the first player off the bench, and had somewhat the same role that Blanca now has as a 6-2, aggressive, do-it-all player. Morgan was very good at that, although perhaps not as good as Blanca has been this year. And it's important to note that Morgan was coming off a high school injury last year, and surprised the coaches with how quickly she picked up the system despite missing all the preseason practices. So it seems likely that she will need minimal ramp-up time this year to get back to her last year's level of play once she is physically healthy.

What do you think Geno will do when these two players become available? Will he add them both to the regular rotation, bringing the rotation to 10 or 11 players depending on how he views Jana? Or will they both "wait their turn" behind Serah and Blanca respectively? Or maybe one of them will bull her way into the rotation? I can easily imagine that Geno may come to see Morgan as a more reliable backup PG and ball handler than Kayleigh. Or he may find that Blanca gets in foul trouble often enough (just as Morgan did last year) that it becomes reasonable for them to split minutes in that "hybrid" guard/forward role. It's harder for me to see how Ice can break in to the regular rotation, especially if Geno continues to give heavy minutes to the "small lineup" option with Sarah as the 5.

I suppose it will be a "good problem" to have, but that doesn't make it any less vexing for Geno.

If Morgan cannot come back as a full time player, consider a redshirt year. By doing this she gets a full healthy year. he could contribute this year but presently there is no PT for her, ICE would/will be valuable player.

 

[Stagnant]

The “no playing time” argument for Morgan. I don’t buy that at all. Morgan’s strength is her versatility. You can put her anywhere on the court.

Geno actually needs someone off the bench to become consistent and reliable. Again, look at the Michigan and Iowa games. Geno only really trusts his top 6 players. Jana, Allie, and Heckel are trying to get to that point… but they aren’t there yet. And the proof is those games. Heckel 1 minute in the first half. Jana won’t play if the game is in single digits. And Allie is in the same boat as Heckel. May come in during the first half of a close game; but if she makes a mistake… she will be pulled.

It is true though that the season is really moving now. There should be progression if Morgan is coming back. We should see her participating in warm ups pretty soon. We should hear that she is practicing. The next two weeks are crucial.