The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Griffin steps up to provide a spark for UConn offense
HARTFORD — UConn women’s basketball redshirt junior Aubrey Griffin stood just above the key and had her eyes glued to the ball.
She stood between two South Carolina players and kept on her toes, waiting for the moment.
As soon as South Carolina’s Kierra Fletcher released the ball for an intended pass to Zia
Cooke, Griffin sprinted and met the ball in the air before it reached Cooke.
Griffin intercepted the pass and ran unguarded all the way to the other end of the court to complete the steal-and-score play. UConn point guard Nika Mühl sprinted all the way down to meet Griffin with a high five under the basket before the two got back on defense.
It was the type of play Griffin has executed throughout the season. The New York native is just 13 months removed from season-ending back surgery, yet she is playing the best basketball of her career at UConn.
While she didn’t get to play her true junior season last year because of the back injury — including sitting out UConn’s loss to South Carolina in the NCAA title game — she’s demonstrating now what it means and looks like to be an upperclassman.
During UConn’s 81-77 loss to South Carolina on Sunday, Griffin not only fueled the Huskies’ aggressiveness but was their main motor in keeping them within reach of the reigning champs throughout the entire game.
“From being out last year, I was watching and I was like, ‘Dang. I wish I was playing out there,’ I knew that next time I got the opportunity to I was gonna do everything I could to help my team,” Griffin said
Sunday. “And I think we did. Everyone did something well today, and I’m proud of my teammates. It’s a learning experiment. So, I think next time, we’ll definitely be ready.”
UConn coach Geno Auriemma knew Aaliyah Edwards and Lou Lopez Sénéchal would likely be the biggest targets of South Carolina’s defense. His star power forward and top 3-point shooter would be closely guarded all night, so he needed an offensive threat the Gamecocks wouldn’t focus on as much.
Before Sunday’s game, he approached Griffin.
He told her in order for the Huskies to have a chance at taking down the No. 1 team, they needed her to be not just good, but great. They needed her to start the game with her foot on the gas and never once take it off.
Griffin understood the assignment.
Against the Gamecocks, Griffin played fearless. She ran through traffic in the lane like the defenders inside didn’t exist. She contorted herself around players under the basket for perfectly timed shots while also drawing foul after foul.
Griffin was the only player on either team to play all 40 minutes. She finished with 17 points (her seventh-straight game in double figures), four rebounds, one assist and one steal. She led UConn by drawing seven fouls and going 7 of 9 from the free throw line — the only other player with more trips to the line was South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston (9 of 11 and drew eight total fouls).
“I thought Aubrey came out really aggressive, right from the opening tap, which is something that we’ve been talking about,” Auriemma said. “There’s been quite a number of games where she starts off very, very slowly and then picks it up as the game
goes on. And, you know, I talked to her about it.
“We couldn’t afford to do that today. Couldn’t afford to have her wait till halftime before she changes into another gear. It had
to start that way and she pretty much did. I thought her ability to get to the basket was really, pretty good. And her defense was really good.”
Griffin showed up for her team when it needed her the most on Sunday.
At 3:49 in the third quarter, with UConn down by three, Griffin dribbled atop the arc with four seconds remaining on the shot clock. She slowed down her dribble and pump faked. And her defender did exactly what she hoped for by jumping up in attempt to block the shot. That’s when Griffin made her move. She drove to the basket while the defender was still in the air.
Griffin made the bucket and drew a foul, completing the threepoint play and tying the game for the fifth time in the third quarter.
The Gamecocks were up by six with 10 seconds left in the game and Griffin again did her thing.
She weaved out of South Carolina’s full-court press to grab the inbound pass from Edwards. She dribbled through a South Carolina triple team until she reached half-court and then sprinted toward the basket.
She stopped just short of the key and again drew a foul while her shot found its way into the bucket.
The Huskies’ bench jumped up. Muhl reach out and highfived Griffin while Edwards came over and gave her a chest bump.
While Griffin made her free throw to make it a three-point game, the Huskies ran out of time to complete the comeback, falling to South Carolina for the first time ever at home.
Asked after the game what it means to play like an upperclassman, Griffin responded: “I would say. like. don’t waste time. Like, play every game like it’s your last and go hard every single second, because even then you don’t even know if that might be your last game. I think just going hard every chance you get.”
On Sunday, against the No. 1 team in the country, that’s exactly what Griffin showed.