Williams returns and UConn takes AAC title
UNCASVILLE, CONN. » Gabby Williams wasn’t going to let a hip injury sideline her from the American Athletic Conference title game.
She missed UConn’s semifinal win after tweaking a long-standing injury in her left hip in the Huskies’ quarterfinal victory. She made her presence felt Tuesday night.
The senior forward had 19 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals in No. 1 UConn’s 70-54 win over 19th-ranked South Florida in the AAC championship. UConn earned a trip to the NCAAs for the 30th straight year.
“It was made when I woke up this morning,” Williams said of when she knew she was going to play. “I knew that if I was going to make the decision to play, I would have to go out there and attack it. I didn’t want to show I’m halfway there. I was going to play like I always do.”
Auriemma was impressed with his senior forward’s play.
“It was hard to take her out tonight,” the Hall of Fame coach said.
Williams had help from Azura Stevens, who earned MVP honors of the tournament despite coming off the bench for two of the three games. She scored 13 points for the Huskies (32-0) and is the team’s first reserve player to win MVP since Charde Houston did it in 2008.
“We don’t see Azura as someone who doesn’t start for us,” Auriemma said. “She’s the same as anyone else in the starting lineup. We choose to start a smaller lineup, but if we ever wanted to change it wouldn’t be because we
didn’t like the performance of someone else, it would be because we wanted a different look. We have a starting six.”
This was the fourth straight year that these teams met for the AAC title. South Florida had lost the first three meetings by an average of 32 points and has never beaten UConn in 26 all-time meetings. Then again, no one has beaten the Huskies in the conference since league play began in 2013. The Huskies are 101-0.
Kitija Laksa scored 26 points to lead South Florida (26-7).