Hobbled Huskies Limp Into Big East Play
The Story: The No. 17-ranked UConn women have again been beset by injuries this season, with Azzi Fudd and Caroline Ducharme joining Ayanna Patterson and Jana El-Alfy on the sidelines for long stretches — if they've even played at all.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The Huskies (6-3) play one more nonconference game on Saturday, at the XL Center against No. 18 Louisville, before they begin facing Big East opponents. At this point, it's a surprise that Geno Auriemma hasn't channeled his inner Ted Lasso and hung a yellow "believe" sign in the locker room to get them through.
• El Alfy tore an Achilles tendon in July and will miss the season. Patterson is yet to play as she's recovering from offseason knee surgery — and she might not make it back this season. Fudd tore an ACL last month and appeared in just two games, and Ducharme has now missed five games with neck spasms.
TIME DOESN'T HEAL ALL WOUNDS: UConn first started battling the injury bug two years ago, when Paige Bueckers went down with a knee injury, Ducharme battled back spasms, Fudd had a foot injury, and Aubrey Griffin missed the entire season while recovering from back surgery. Then, Bueckers missed all of last season with a torn ACL, Fudd's lingering knee injury returned, and only Aaliyah Edwards and Lou Lopez Senechal played in all 37 games.
• Making things worse is that Bueckers' return put the Huskies among the preseason favorites for the NCAA title — they were ranked No. 2 in the preseason Associated Press poll — but they're down to a short bench and an even tighter rotation yet again.
ON BUECKERS' SHOULDERS: The Huskies have had to rely upon Bueckers perhaps more than they should, with the redshirt junior guard now averaging 19.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 22.7 assists in 28.9 minutes per game.
• The lack of depth inside, with El Alfy out and Ice Brady also working herself back into shape after she missed all of last season, her first, with a right knee injury, means the Huskies have had to go small more often than they wanted.
• Edwards, who is averaging 15.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, is playing a team-high 30.9 minutes a game and has played 35 or more minutes three times, including in Sunday's win over then-No. 24 North Carolina.
• What's the solution? Well, Geno's had Bueckers play all over the court — she was playing the four for stretches against the Tar Heels — and though she's a capable rebounder who had a season-high four blocks, it's not a position she's used to playing. (Thankfully, it won't, or at least shouldn't, happen often.)
WHAT DID GENO SAY? "We have to find a way to get more people consistently engaged around [Bueckers]. If she's not getting enough assists, that means we're not doing a good job moving without the ball because she would find you if we are, and that's been a serious problem for this team for quite some time now."
TOUGH TESTS AWAIT: The Huskies usually load their nonconference schedule with marquee opponents to offset a mediocre Big East, but after facing Louisville, they'll take on No. 19 Marquette and No. 20 Creighton in two of their first three conference games.
— Zac Boyer
Morning Reads
• Linebacker Jackson Mitchell will play in the Hula Bowl, a college all-star game that oddly hasn't been renamed since it moved to Orlando two years ago.
• Former Kansas State cornerback Jordan Wright, who played two seasons for the Wildcats after being named a junior college all-American in 2021, will transfer to play for Jim Mora and has one year of eligibility remaining. He's the first transfer the Huskies have landed this cycle.
• It's not like it was realistic for him to play at UConn anyway, but former Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, who's from Glastonbury, will transfer to Wisconsin.
• Caitlin Clark has signed a NIL deal with Gatorade, which is adorable because Paige Bueckers signed with Gatorade more than two years ago.
Top photo: Azzi Fudd attempts a shot in the Huskies’ game against Dayton. (Courtesy of UConn athletics)
