UConn’s males’s and ladies’s basketball groups are each within the Elite Eight concurrently for the primary time since 2014. One other notable reality? Each gained their respective championships that yr. Oh, and the identical factor occurred in 2004.
There may be nonetheless a variety of basketball left to play earlier than doubtlessly lifting the trophy, however Saturday was already an thrilling day for UConn followers. Dan Hurley’s males’s crew noticed an incredible 30-0 run against Illinois. In the meantime, the ladies’s crew simply performed in this system’s thirtieth consecutive Candy 16.
Though the lads’s crew has been a heavy favourite to defend their nationwide title, Geno Auriemma’s ladies’s squad would’ve been excused for not even making it this far. It isn’t that the ladies’s crew is not proficient — they’ve set the usual by way of the years — however the 2023-24 Huskies have been counting on a seven-player rotation on account of accidents and inexperience.
Auriemma’s crew was trying like one of many strongest groups within the nation throughout preseason, however then 5 Huskies suffered season-ending accidents.
The Huskies nearly had a significant slip up late within the recreation in opposition to Duke. After trailing by 20 within the third quarter, the Blue Devils had climbed again to make it a five-point recreation with underneath a minute remaining. The primary wrongdoer?
“The fatigue issue grew to become an enormous situation as a result of it compelled us to vary our recreation plan,” Auriemma mentioned postgame. “We bought up 20 as a result of we simply pushed it, pushed it, pushed it. After which I felt like, ‘OK. We’d like a breather right here or we’re not going to have the ability to end the sport.’”
Regardless of taking that breather, the Huskies bought it achieved behind a 24-point efficiency by redshirt junior guard Paige Bueckers. She additionally contributed 5 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Bueckers gained 11 main awards in 2021 throughout her freshman season, however she sat out all of final season with a torn ACL. She is again to her common self, having led UConn with 21.9 factors per contest this season, while also improving her defense.
Evidently, the Huskies are glad to have her again.
“I am not likely shocked when the ball goes within the hoop for her,” senior ahead Aaliyah Edwards mentioned. “A number of the strikes that she will get main as much as the bucket is fairly spectacular, however that is simply how Paige performs basketball, and it is stunning to observe.”
Edwards has been one other dominant participant for UConn. She entered Saturday’s recreation averaging 17.5 factors and 9.5 rebounds per contest. She was UConn’s key participant final yr, after they made it to the Candy 16 however fell quick in opposition to Ohio State.
UConn solely checked in six gamers in opposition to Duke, however the crew nonetheless bought the job achieved. Earlier this weekend, Auriemma mentioned not having many gamers out there turns into more durable in March due to what’s at stake. Nevertheless, he mentioned this crew appears to have a bit additional vitality this time round.
“We are not as mentally or bodily worn out like we had been final yr presently,” Auriemma defined. “I believe having Paige makes us a bit extra assured than perhaps we had been final yr presently. I believe [KK Arnold] provides us a distinct ingredient that we did not have final yr presently. I’d say these two issues in all probability are the largest distinction.
“There’s a variety of similarities, too, sadly. It does not really feel the identical. I believe our practices and every little thing that we have achieved main as much as this feels a bit bit completely different than it did final season… I believe we’re in a greater mind set than we had been final yr.”
