AN AIR OF VINCIBILITY
After years of near-perfection, inexperienced Huskies could be in for a stumble this season
UConn fans are in for a new experience this season, as their beloved powerhouse program is sure to go through a strange season. It’s completely possible — even highly likely — that the Huskies lose a game this season before making it to the tournament.
I don’t profess to know everything about UConn women’s basketball or this season’s team in particular. I’ve been allowed to watch one 20-minute stretch of practice and one exhibition prior to writing this, and I don’t have any psychic powers so I’m not going to act like I know how this season is going to play out. What I do know is based on facts and the almost constant candor of coach Geno Auriemma.
The facts are simple: UConn lost three key players to the WNBA, has an inexperienced bench and can’t play defense at the level it usually does.
Numerous times over the past month, Auriemma has of talked of the struggles his team will face this season, from defense to passing to depth. He has said that fans should expect to see a team that doesn’t play the same as his teams of the past.
Despite the negatives, UConn is still going to be good because it’s UConn. The Huskies have more natural talent than any team in the country, so while they may not win game after game in effortless fashion, they’re still going to win a lot. This team might not look the same or play the same, but the results are going to be pretty similar.
At one point in the fall, Auriemma said he sometimes wishes his team would lose a game so it would give the players some added fight. This season, that wish will likely come true at least once. If not, the Huskies will at least have some close games against some tough teams — Notre Dame, Baylor, Oklahoma, the list goes on.
When it comes to the Huskies bench, there’s cause for concern. No one on the bench has played meaningful minutes for UConn, which will be problematic considering Auriemma’s going to need to use the reserves significantly more this year.
UConn has had bright spots in practice this fall, with sophomore Megan Walker and freshman Christyn Williams stepping up to likely take starting spots. While they’ve been good early on, there’s still a learning curve they’ll have to deal with that’s going to result in some rough early games for the pair. They’re going to need time to adjust to their new roles and the amount of minutes they’ll be asked to play.
Something the Huskies have going their way this season is their self awareness. The players realize the talent on this team isn’t the same as last season’s. They know they’re being looked at differently this year — rightfully so — and want to surprise people by overcoming their faults and playing better than expected.
I’m a big believer that the amount of fight and tenacity a team has can translate onto the court in big ways, so seeing the players acknowledge their problems and talk about the new intensity that they’re trying to play at to make up for those problems leads me to believe that they’re going to be OK in the end.
I don’t know if UConn is going to win the national championship this season. What I do know is that the Huskies are going to stumble some, maybe even fall at one point, but the lack of belief in this team might just be the beginning of a comeback story.