Winning Ugly

[LwrcasefaN]

Going off topic a bit, I can't stand the term "moral victory." It should be "morale victory."

As evil as Tennessee may be be, no considerations of morality are involved in winning or losing against them. However, a quad 2 team can get a boos to their morale by staying with them the whole game - or taking them to overtime - but losing.

Yeah, I can be a bit strange

They can call it whatever they want...it's an "L"! lol

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

"Just Win Baby"... keep the train rolling.

For some computer "Glitch" I am not able to see the Post Game Thread. Maybe I don't want to??? BUT, and please excuse me if this has been mentioned, but I always wonder Why:
a. It seems like someone on the opposition has a "Career Game" when they play UCONN,
b. It seems that every time we were playing great defense and keeping Providence from getting the shot they want, keeping them from getting the ball in the lane, etc... and the shot clock is nearing 0, someone throws up a prayer, normally from 3, and it goes in???

I get we were playing the Friars, but I always thought the Devine Spirit was neutral in sports contests.

 

[BobbyJ]

Always appreciate your input. Perhaps you can explain to some here on the BY that it’s OK to shoot 35% with 21 turnovers against an unranked team, so long as you earn the “W”, as the Gamecocks did yesterday. UConn WBB fans are unique in our obsession with “style” points.

Not all but a lot of them I agree. And a lot of that obsession could be eliminated by not overrating the talent level of these kids based on what they did in HS. Being a really good kid doesn't necessarily translate to having great talent.

 

[oldude]

Do you really believe the expectations of Uconn fans are truly out of line.

In answer to your question, I believe the expectations of a number of UConn fans are out of line for any one of a number of reasons. Many fans have absolutely no idea what goes into preparing to play college sports at the highest level. Many fans refuse to give credit to the other teams for competing. Too many UConn fans have adopted a sense of entitlement as if these kids owe them something.

I watched this dynamic play out at TN towards the end of Pat’s legendary career, and in the years that followed under HW. LV fans refused to accept anything less than a national championship run each and every year. Their constant complaining about players and coaches on social media was relentless and mean spirited.

Strangely enough, after a number of disappointing seasons, most LV fans have come around. They generally are happy with a win, however achieved, and share a particularly optimistic view of the program under their new HC.

 

[BobbyJ]

It is not my intention to throw shade at Liv, Evina or Christyn. They are doing the very best they can. We must recognize that there are other seniors on other elite top ten teams that are good and consistently play at a high level.

Going back to their sophomore year to date, we didn’t/don’t know from game to game if they are going to show up or not. There were games where they showed up and stood out like beacons in the night. Then there were big games that they completely disappeared. This was not an issue with UConn teams of yesteryear. Consistency was the order of the day. We knew what to expect, and what we were going to get fr our starters and reserves.

I’m not one to lament over spilled milk, but I was shocked and very disappointed when Boston revealed her intentions to attend SC. She would have given us stability and productivity at the post for 4 years. I was saddened and disappointed to see Liv pick up a foul yesterday using the fly swat technique. A technique she should have abandoned 3 years ago. Aneesah Morrow (at 6-1) showed us what’s possible by her performance during our game, and during this season to date.

UConn is a different team when ONO is on the bench. When she’s on the floor we have a chance. We are substantially hampered defensively when she’s not. There’s no one to adequately sub in for her. DeBerry and Gabriel are not ready, and Dorka nor Edwards are post players.

1st bolded: Bingo. Morrow is where good talent and a non stop motor intersect.
2nd bolded: Exactly.

 

[Huskee11]

I used to dread the UCF games on the AAC schedule. I knew it would be the MMA version of basketball. It usually was.

Lately, it seems like everybody is UCF.

Hopefully, we don’t have the 1990 Detroit Pistons on the schedule.

The referees are conditioned to call about 15-18 foul calls per game against our opponents no matter what the style of play is. A few games much less, only two more (21, Arkansas and UCLA).

In any event, I think teams with less talent are following the UCF model more and more now.

We sure could have used Dorka banging back last night.

 

[Surly1]

You know with all the injuries and Covid and UConn still finds a way to win and win ugly. This squad does not play the UConn BB that we are accustomed to seeing. The reason is simple. We have not had the same starting lineup out there all season and have been missing key players all season. We've heard it all. No energy, alot of standing around, turnovers, not enough scorers etc etc. The problem comes down to not having the same players on the floor for consecutive games to learn how to play in the game together as a team. You cant build on team chemistry until you play together for a few games. UConn hasnt had that this season and just when we get Nika Azzi and Christyn back Dorka is now out. Griff and Paige are still out. Its almost amazin we have only 4 losses. Many teams with pretty much their full roster have that many losses. What else can go wrong? That phase we have been repeating all season. Now we wait for Dorka and Paige to get back and hope things will change. Lets face it she was everything last season. Now we have Caroline and Azzi to play along side her.

We're all disappointed with the play and so is Geno and you can see it on his face and hear it in his interviews. Im sure the team is disappointed too Those of you who have played sports know it takes time to build team chemistry. In BB it all starts with a good point guard. We've lost alot of key players this season and still managed to win Ugly. We didnt look good last nite against Providence. Providence did look good against us and we still maintained a double digit lead most of the game. Yeah Providence isnt ranked but either was Missouri when they beat SC without their top player. Either was Auburn and they beat Tenn. Stuff happens.

Last nite Evina shot the ball better, Edwards looked more confident and played well and Christyn looked really good for the third game in a row and she played with energy. Again we had 4 players in double figures and we shot over 50% Christyn is taking on the status much like Caroline has and thats encouraging. So there is improvement and we're learning to play without Paige which IMO is huge going into the NCAA's with Paige or without her. Without her we may still struggle. With her we are right up there with SC and Stanford.

You know what? We dont look like we're playing together as a team and thats because of all the continued injuries and players in the lineup and out of the lineup. It is very difficult to put a team together that can play together when you dont know who is playing, game after game. Christyn has stepped up big time. Caroline has stepped up big time. Azzi is showing signs of being a star. We have to get them the ball in position to score because they are our scorers.

We have a tuff game with Creighton at home followed up with Butler and a tuff Tenn team all home games The familiarity of being home with a home crowd should help motivate the Huskies. Hey things are going to get better. Right now we are stumbling forward almost like we're not sure whats gonna happen next and we're finding a way to win. Thats the way it is for now until everybody gets back and even then it will take some games to gain chemistry. We've got the pieces to the puzzle to win it all however we are missing some of those the pieces right now and thats why we cant finish the puzzle.

In the game against Providence, the talent disparity between the two teams passes the eye test. From a talent perspective, Providence should have lost by a minimum of 30, like they did against so many previous UConn teams. The question has to be asked as to why UConn struggles to play a consistent 40 minutes. Even the most passionate supporter has to be flummoxed by the egregious turnovers, the consistent lack of focus for 4 quarters and the dispassionate play at times.

Yes, continuity has suffered almost repeatedly due to the rash of injuries and pandemic related absences. That only partially explains things. This is a senior laden team with a healthy blend of talented underclassmen. The above listed problems should not continue this late in the season. Again, it has to be asked why. In listening to Geno’s postgame rants, he is clearly exasperated. However, he has also been extremely honest in stating he doesn’t like the way his team plays when Paige is not on the court.

So, did UConn overachieve last season? Are the senior trio overrated as to how talented they are? Or, is Paige the only player capable of executing Geno’s vision or style of play he prefers? UConn has talent & skill. They are a great bunch of young women. But something is missing, something is not clicking. Can a healthy Paige turn things around or will it have to be a case of addition by subtraction?

 

[Oracle9]

You know with all the injuries and Covid and UConn still finds a way to win and win ugly. This squad does not play the UConn BB that we are accustomed to seeing. The reason is simple. We have not had the same starting lineup out there all season and have been missing key players all season. We've heard it all. No energy, alot of standing around, turnovers, not enough scorers etc etc. The problem comes down to not having the same players on the floor for consecutive games to learn how to play in the game together as a team. You cant build on team chemistry until you play together for a few games. UConn hasnt had that this season and just when we get Nika Azzi and Christyn back Dorka is now out. Griff and Paige are still out. Its almost amazin we have only 4 losses. Many teams with pretty much their full roster have that many losses. What else can go wrong? That phase we have been repeating all season. Now we wait for Dorka and Paige to get back and hope things will change. Lets face it she was everything last season. Now we have Caroline and Azzi to play along side her.

We're all disappointed with the play and so is Geno and you can see it on his face and hear it in his interviews. Im sure the team is disappointed too Those of you who have played sports know it takes time to build team chemistry. In BB it all starts with a good point guard. We've lost alot of key players this season and still managed to win Ugly. We didnt look good last nite against Providence. Providence did look good against us and we still maintained a double digit lead most of the game. Yeah Providence isnt ranked but either was Missouri when they beat SC without their top player. Either was Auburn and they beat Tenn. Stuff happens.

Last nite Evina shot the ball better, Edwards looked more confident and played well and Christyn looked really good for the third game in a row and she played with energy. Again we had 4 players in double figures and we shot over 50% Christyn is taking on the status much like Caroline has and thats encouraging. So there is improvement and we're learning to play without Paige which IMO is huge going into the NCAA's with Paige or without her. Without her we may still struggle. With her we are right up there with SC and Stanford.

You know what? We dont look like we're playing together as a team and thats because of all the continued injuries and players in the lineup and out of the lineup. It is very difficult to put a team together that can play together when you dont know who is playing, game after game. Christyn has stepped up big time. Caroline has stepped up big time. Azzi is showing signs of being a star. We have to get them the ball in position to score because they are our scorers.

We have a tuff game with Creighton at home followed up with Butler and a tuff Tenn team all home games The familiarity of being home with a home crowd should help motivate the Huskies. Hey things are going to get better. Right now we are stumbling forward almost like we're not sure whats gonna happen next and we're finding a way to win. Thats the way it is for now until everybody gets back and even then it will take some games to gain chemistry. We've got the pieces to the puzzle to win it all however we are missing some of those the pieces right now and thats why we cant finish the puzzle.

Well said. I saw a statement from a Uconn mens BB player speaking to Sanago and I think Tyrese Martin having been out with injuries and spoke to how the team is working on getting their chemistry back. They only had those two major injured players but still have to do that. I think there is a underestimation of the dynamics of continuity and team chemistry.

 

[Tonyc]

In the game against Providence, the talent disparity between the two teams passes the eye test. From a talent perspective, Providence should have lost by a minimum of 30, like they did against so many previous UConn teams. The question has to be asked as to why UConn struggles to play a consistent 40 minutes. Even the most passionate supporter has to be flummoxed by the egregious turnovers, the consistent lack of focus for 4 quarters and the dispassionate play at times.

Yes, continuity has suffered almost repeatedly due to the rash of injuries and pandemic related absences. That only partially explains things. This is a senior laden team with a healthy blend of talented underclassmen. The above listed problems should not continue this late in the season. Again, it has to be asked why. In listening to Geno’s postgame rants, he is clearly exasperated. However, he has also been extremely honest in stating he doesn’t like the way his team plays when Paige is not on the court.

So, did UConn overachieve last season? Are the senior trio overrated as to how talented they are? Or, is Paige the only player capable of executing Geno’s vision or style of play he prefers? UConn has talent & skill. They are a great bunch of young women. But something is missing, something is not clicking. Can a healthy Paige turn things around or will it have to be a case of addition by subtraction?

Nice post. I will say yes we need Paige to run things. I believe Paige at the point will turn this team around because of what she can do and what she represents when shes on the floor. She is a leader and coach on the floor. Paige makes things happen.

 

[Jmsdawg]

It's hard to go from the Stewie years to what we have now. I know one of the often cited reasons is parity, but it's more of a regression to the mean by UConn and not so much the rest of the pack catching up.

Stevie was a generational player who sustained the team when other players struggled, the same can be said for Boston and SC. UCONN regression has been with regards to the elite teams but even there UCONN has generally been at the top of the elite stack. This year UCONN‘s generational player is out with an injury as are several other top players. Recognize this year as an anomaly and continue to support the team, GREATNESS is near!

 

[HuskyNan]

"Just Win Baby"... keep the train rolling.

For some computer "Glitch" I am not able to see the Post Game Thread. Maybe I don't want to??? BUT, and please excuse me if this has been mentioned, but I always wonder Why:
a. It seems like someone on the opposition has a "Career Game" when they play UCONN,

When scouting opponents, the coaching staff will decide what player or scheme they need to defend and which player, or shot(s), can be given up since they’re low percentage. Often, you hear an announcer say “State U’s Mary Smith is 3-25 on three pointers for the season” then Smith makes a slew of threes against UConn. That’s usually because the coaching staff has decided to double-team the primary offensive player and leave the poor-shooting Mary Smith open on the perimeter. Sometimes the open player can make the Huskies pay for this plan, sometimes not, but when they do, they often get that career night because they’re essentially unguarded.

 

[msf22b]

Lately, it seems like everybody is UCF.

It’s pretty sad when fans of other programs have to come here to reassure UConn fans we still have a good team.

Huske 11: a possible explanation

Nan: The entitlement quotient of UConn fans...is not that they win, but how, style being an essential component of UConn dominance.

They've had games, even in the Stewie era where they stunk up the joint;

The Hall of Fame game in Springfield, where Stewie, couldn't get out of her own way, the Baylor game where she held herself scoreless and considered quitting,
The Dayton NCAA regional game in Albany, where they were out-hustled and out-scored in the first half. Even the Texas game in Bridgeport where it took a rookie, Pheesa, to bring things back to order.

But, in all those games (that they won) they either displayed their vaunted skill or fight...occasionally both; a bit like what happened at DePaul the other night; where both showed up.

Last night was a formless slog, a win, that in no way represented what this program stands for...You can just look at Geno's face in the interview room to understand his disgust at what his vaunted program has become, "good team." or not.

He knows that unless there is a cathartic minute, that even the addition of Paige
will not make up for what we are now witnessing on the floor.

I can't recall seeing as unhappy a player as E, last evening.

 

[freshler40]

I used to dread the UCF games on the AAC schedule. I knew it would be the MMA version of basketball. It usually was.

Lately, it seems like everybody is UCF.

Hopefully, we don’t have the 1990 Detroit Pistons on the schedule.

The referees are conditioned to call about 15-18 foul calls per game against our opponents no matter what the style of play is. A few games much less, only two more (21, Arkansas and UCLA).

In any event, I think teams with less talent are following the UCF model more and more now.

We sure could have used Dorka banging back last night.

It does seem like a war out there! The game has gotten very rough and big body dominated. A continuing problem seems to be refs conditioned to call even without seeing. Many calls in last night's game were very late or even in one case went to the monitor and was reversed. No wonder there is so much confusion. What's a mother to do??? This was a choppy game to watch. There were many calls away from the ball and zero flow, even with water on the floor there was no flow! At least it got played and is in the record books. Yea!

 

[BobbyJ]

In the game against Providence, the talent disparity between the two teams passes the eye test. From a talent perspective, Providence should have lost by a minimum of 30, like they did against so many previous UConn teams. The question has to be asked as to why UConn struggles to play a consistent 40 minutes. Even the most passionate supporter has to be flummoxed by the egregious turnovers, the consistent lack of focus for 4 quarters and the dispassionate play at times.

Yes, continuity has suffered almost repeatedly due to the rash of injuries and pandemic related absences. That only partially explains things. This is a senior laden team with a healthy blend of talented underclassmen. The above listed problems should not continue this late in the season. Again, it has to be asked why. In listening to Geno’s postgame rants, he is clearly exasperated. However, he has also been extremely honest in stating he doesn’t like the way his team plays when Paige is not on the court.

So, did UConn overachieve last season? Are the senior trio overrated as to how talented they are? Or, is Paige the only player capable of executing Geno’s vision or style of play he prefers? UConn has talent & skill. They are a great bunch of young women. But something is missing, something is not clicking. Can a healthy Paige turn things around or will it have to be a case of addition by subtraction?

JMO but my answer to these two questions is yes. You make very good points here and I would add this. UConn attempts and for the most part succeeds at recruiting high level talent out of HS. But until he and his staff get long term access to that talent when they get to campus, even they don't know what they're really getting in terms of BB IQ. Most of the time the HS competition just isn't good enough for the kid to have to exhibit it. With a Bueckers or possibly a Fudd it can be pretty obvious at a young age but I'd consider them outliers or exceptions. They hope that the kid either has that instinct and ability to feel and read the game or can develop a good bit of it over a season or two. If they can have 2 or possibly 3 of those types on the floor most of the time, that's when a team can be special. But when GA sees the physical talent that just doesn't "get it" I can understand him getting frustrated. He can give them the answers to the test but they have to be able to check the right boxes. And the will and passion to really improve their fundamental skills like shooting, passing, and footwork in the offseason is a whole other discussion.

 

[Bigboote]

Outsiders view: There are no ugly wins.

Of course, I have never experienced sustained stompdowns by my team like UConn has had in the past. Indeed, we might be 20-1 with a gaudy list of teams we have beaten but very few were stompdowns and many could be considered "ugly." Indeed, two of our ugly wins had our opponents jumping out to huge first quarter leads.

A win is a win.

I'd rephrase that to say "There's nothing wrong with an ugly win." I think the occasional ugly win is a good way for a team to prepare for adversity, a physical team in the postseason, etc.

 

[eyeroll]

It's hard to go from the Stewie years to what we have now. I know one of the often cited reasons is parity, but it's more of a regression to the mean by UConn and not so much the rest of the pack catching up.

I think it might look like regression but it's actually relative compared to other schools. I think this is actually due to the rising talent. Even though she's injured, we have a generational talent (and I don't use this word but it should be clear to everyone at this point that Paige falls into that bucket). We've done well to get our share of those players. We also have a lot of other really talented players that most really good D1 teams would want. I think if folks step out of their UConn colored glasses, you can see that the overall talent level has increased across the board. If you look past the senior class this year, all the next classes are loaded with legit talent. Although there have been individual classes like this before, I don't think it's been anywhere as consistent as it will become after this year. So, outside of those very few generational talents, I think there is a lot more parity.

I think though, that it doesn't change the advantage a handful of schools have as far as coaching. I look at Seton Hall as an example - with the talent they have, I don't know how they aren't better than a .500 team, especially when I see what Shea has been able to do at Vandy with less talent in her first year. So, I do think that's still a pretty important variable in the overall equation of team success.

 

[eyeroll]

I used to dread the UCF games on the AAC schedule. I knew it would be the MMA version of basketball. It usually was.

Lately, it seems like everybody is UCF.

Hopefully, we don’t have the 1990 Detroit Pistons on the schedule.

The referees are conditioned to call about 15-18 foul calls per game against our opponents no matter what the style of play is. A few games much less, only two more (21, Arkansas and UCLA).

In any event, I think teams with less talent are following the UCF model more and more now.

We sure could have used Dorka banging back last night.

Really spot on comment. Obviously we hate that, but it's a really smart play when you don't have the talent. Be physical and try to throw folks off their game. Unfortunately, without the officials doing anything - it'll probably continue. I don't know much about the history of the NBA, but maybe this was one of the reasons they started making rules more beneficial for the offense. At some point, teams won't be able to showcase their talent and games will just become so "unattractive" that they will have to make changes. I feel like I'm starting to see that a lot more this year, so hopefully some respite comes in the not-too-distant future. I don't blame the officials for any win or loss, but it's hard not to notice how bad they seem to be this year across the board for all teams. Is it just me noticing?

 

[Puppy Love]

In the game against Providence, the talent disparity between the two teams passes the eye test. From a talent perspective, Providence should have lost by a minimum of 30, like they did against so many previous UConn teams. The question has to be asked as to why UConn struggles to play a consistent 40 minutes. Even the most passionate supporter has to be flummoxed by the egregious turnovers, the consistent lack of focus for 4 quarters and the dispassionate play at times.

Yes, continuity has suffered almost repeatedly due to the rash of injuries and pandemic related absences. That only partially explains things. This is a senior laden team with a healthy blend of talented underclassmen. The above listed problems should not continue this late in the season. Again, it has to be asked why. In listening to Geno’s postgame rants, he is clearly exasperated. However, he has also been extremely honest in stating he doesn’t like the way his team plays when Paige is not on the court.

So, did UConn overachieve last season? Are the senior trio overrated as to how talented they are? Or, is Paige the only player capable of executing Geno’s vision or style of play he prefers? UConn has talent & skill. They are a great bunch of young women. But something is missing, something is not clicking. Can a healthy Paige turn things around or will it have to be a case of addition by subtraction?

Yes, there are four very talented seniors. But this is the first year they have all played together and they don’t have a junior class backing them up. One of the ways that seniors get very good is the consistency of playing together over a long time. Evina has two years and Dorka has less than one. With Aubrey hurt and Anna M. having left, no consistency there, either. Additionally, with Paige hurt, there is no consistency at point guard and that probably hurts the most. Geno once said (paraphrasing) that he never won a national championship when he didn’t have the best guard in the country. There is so much pure talent on this team, I‘d expect them to win most games. It just won’t be pretty.

 

[LoboDays]

Refs make decisions before games begin about how they will call the game. A good example are the recent playoff games in the NFL. There were very few penalties called compared to the regular season when flags fly on every other play. The refs just let things go. When this happens, regardless of the sport, players need to see what is happening and adjust to it. If they are allowing physical play, you can’t just stand there and take it and then complain. You adjust your game and match up to the opponent.

In very few games, UCONN takes the floor with a smaller line up. Underneath, we have 2 6’5” and 1 6”3”players. There is no way we should be manhandled or out hustled as we have seen in recent games.

At full strength, we have a legitimate shot at the NC if they play better than we have seen so far. But if our bigs don’t start dominating underneath, it will be very diffiicult to win in later rounds.

 

[Vowelguy]

Noted that the Cardinal turned it over 18 times against AZ last night. Despite that ugly statistic, I suspect that Stanford fans are very happy with the result of the game.

No one should be happy with 18 turnovers and I'm sure Tara isnt.

But surely you're not comparing playing Arizona vs playing Providence?

 

[oldude]

No one should be happy with 18 turnovers and I'm sure Tara isnt.

But surely you're not comparing playing Arizona vs playing Providence?

What I am suggesting is that just about every team this season has struggled at times, including SC & Stanford. Too many BY’ers react as if UConn’s struggles are unique, despite the remarkable string of injuries and illnesses that have afflicted this team. Winning an ugly game is not something to be ashamed of imo.

 

[LoboDays]

What I am suggesting is that just about every team this season has struggled at times, including SC & Stanford. Too many BY’ers react as if UConn’s struggles are unique, despite the remarkable string of injuries and illnesses that have afflicted this team. Winning an ugly game is not something to be ashamed of imo.

It not about winning or losing. It’s about performance. Teams can perform well but come up short on the scoreboard. If a team wins ugly, it’s a W but no coach will be pleased with poor performance. Especially Geno watching his team perform against a team that wouldn’t make the tourney if they expanded it to 128 teams. Performances SHOULD be critiqued.

 

[oldude]

It not about winning or losing. It’s about performance. Teams can perform well but come up short on the scoreboard. If a team wins ugly, it’s a W but no coach will be pleased with poor performance. Especially Geno watching his team perform against a team that wouldn’t make the tourney if they expanded it to 128 teams. Performances SHOULD be critiqued.

I’m sorry, but it is about winning and losing. If you believe that Geno would be happier if his team played a great game and lost, as opposed to the Huskies pulling out an ugly win, you are mistaken. Geno absolutely hates losing.

I’m not suggesting that Geno doesn’t care about execution and effort, because clearly he does. But as he’s said many times before, “The only thing you learn from losing is how to lose.”

 

[tchalla1]

You know with all the injuries and Covid and UConn still finds a way to win and win ugly. This squad does not play the UConn BB that we are accustomed to seeing. The reason is simple. We have not had the same starting lineup out there all season and have been missing key players all season. We've heard it all. No energy, alot of standing around, turnovers, not enough scorers etc etc. The problem comes down to not having the same players on the floor for consecutive games to learn how to play in the game together as a team. You cant build on team chemistry until you play together for a few games. UConn hasnt had that this season and just when we get Nika Azzi and Christyn back Dorka is now out. Griff and Paige are still out. Its almost amazin we have only 4 losses. Many teams with pretty much their full roster have that many losses. What else can go wrong? That phase we have been repeating all season. Now we wait for Dorka and Paige to get back and hope things will change. Lets face it she was everything last season. Now we have Caroline and Azzi to play along side her.

We're all disappointed with the play and so is Geno and you can see it on his face and hear it in his interviews. Im sure the team is disappointed too Those of you who have played sports know it takes time to build team chemistry. In BB it all starts with a good point guard. We've lost alot of key players this season and still managed to win Ugly. We didnt look good last nite against Providence. Providence did look good against us and we still maintained a double digit lead most of the game. Yeah Providence isnt ranked but either was Missouri when they beat SC without their top player. Either was Auburn and they beat Tenn. Stuff happens.

Last nite Evina shot the ball better, Edwards looked more confident and played well and Christyn looked really good for the third game in a row and she played with energy. Again we had 4 players in double figures and we shot over 50% Christyn is taking on the status much like Caroline has and thats encouraging. So there is improvement and we're learning to play without Paige which IMO is huge going into the NCAA's with Paige or without her. Without her we may still struggle. With her we are right up there with SC and Stanford.

You know what? We dont look like we're playing together as a team and thats because of all the continued injuries and players in the lineup and out of the lineup. It is very difficult to put a team together that can play together when you dont know who is playing, game after game. Christyn has stepped up big time. Caroline has stepped up big time. Azzi is showing signs of being a star. We have to get them the ball in position to score because they are our scorers.

We have a tuff game with Creighton at home followed up with Butler and a tuff Tenn team all home games The familiarity of being home with a home crowd should help motivate the Huskies. Hey things are going to get better. Right now we are stumbling forward almost like we're not sure whats gonna happen next and we're finding a way to win. Thats the way it is for now until everybody gets back and even then it will take some games to gain chemistry. We've got the pieces to the puzzle to win it all however we are missing some of those the pieces right now and thats why we cant finish the puzzle.

Very astute assessment, TonyC,--as you aptly explained, we should reasonably expect glitches in our offense and imbalances due to a lack of continuity in player personnel. However, the most glaring deficiency with the UConn players against Providence was the lack of focus, the lack of effort and the lack of hustle and desire... They mailed it in.