Women
Nelson-Ododa still has room for improvement: She’s still not strong enough and doesn’t consistently finish around the rim. Both of these are things she’s working on, she said, and she’s been hitting the weight room a lot.
“A little bit at a time she’s getting better every day,” Auriemma said. “You know, it’s weird, some kids have really bad game habits because they can’t transfer what happens in practice over to the game. … She’s just the opposite. She gets in the game and does four or five things and I’ll go ‘Man, I didn’t know she could do that. That’s not the same kid I see in practice.’ So she likes playing games. She likes the competition, and she’s gotten better every time we’ve put her out there.”
Going into Saturday’s game (1 p.m., XL Center), the Huskies will also be without Batouly Camara. Auriemma said there’s no timetable for her recovery from a sprained MCL sustained in practice, but that she’s begun doing more each day.
Between injuries and transfers (Lexi Gordon), UConn’s bench will be smaller than usual. Their bench hasn’t hurt them yet this season, but it’s a concern that lingers and forces the starters to put much of the game on their own shoulders.
Freshman Christyn Williams has been shouldering her fair share lately, putting up 28 points against Notre Dame and 17 against St. Louis.
“I’ve been working on being more consistent and those past two games have really made a difference so hopefully I can keep it going,” Williams said.
Against Seton Hall — a fast-paced offensive team that relies heavily on 3pointers — Williams said she’s excited for a team that will test her defensively, which is an area she’s been working on improving.
UConn’s game against the Pirates will be their last home game until Jan. 9 against Cincinnati.
Although Auriemma didn’t have much to say about the game, he had nothing but praise for Seton Hall coach Anthony Bozzella.
“He does a heck of a job,” Auriemma said. “The circumstances that he walked into were not ideal to say the least, and he’s done a great job recruiting. He’s coached those kids really, really well. … and it’s not easy to make the NCAA Tournament at Seton Hall and he’s done that...”