Last Dance
Juhasz embracing final season with Huskies
HARTFORD — Dorka Juhász grabbed the defensive rebound and dribbled to the opposite end of the court.
She stopped atop the 3-point arc and without much hesitation released the ball. It hit nothing but the net on its way down.
Juhász clenched her fists and grinned from ear to ear.
The UConn women’s basketball team was up by nearly 50 points over Kutztown in Sunday’s exhibition at that point in the third quarter, but that’s not what mattered.
What mattered was Juhász was back and better than she was at this point last season.
Juhász decided in April to return to Storrs for her final year of collegiate eligibility. With the season officially starting Thursday (UConn hosts Northeastern at 7 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion), this is Juhász’s year to own.
She’s back and fully recovered from her wrist injury she suffered in the Elite Eight win over NC State. After transferring from Ohio State, she is no longer the new kid and instead brings the comfort and confidence that comes in the second year of being on a team. She’ll be an every-game starter with the opportunity to impress WNBA and professional scouts if she chooses to take advantage.
Juhász came back for this. And now, it’s her time to show she’s ready.
“One year makes a big difference,” Juhász said Sunday. “… Just coming back, I knew I was going to be one of the oldest and I really need to step it up and that was my biggest motivator to be there for the team so that they can lean on me and all of that. So, I think that just gave me an extra fire to come back a different Dorka.”
Juhász arrived in Storrs last fall as a transfer looking to pick up minutes off the bench. The Huskies already had solid frontcourt starters in Olivia NelsonOdoda and Aaliyah Ed