UConn enjoying deep rotation

STORRS, Conn. — The low point for Connecticut women’s basketball Coach Geno Auriemma this season didn’t come when star Paige Bueckers went down with a knee injury in early December.

He said it came in January, when the team, already missing Bueckers, junior forward Aubrey Griffin (season-ending back injury) and top freshman Azzi Fudd ( right foot injury) found out it would have to visit Oregon without senior guard Christyn Williams (Central Arkansas Christian), who tested positive for covid-19.

With just six players in the rotation, UConn was dominated by the Ducks 72-59.

The Huskies (25-5) have had eight players miss at least two games this season with illness or injury, resulting in 10 different starting lineups.

Connecticut lost to unranked teams for the first time since 2012 and saw Villanova snap the program’s winning streak against conference opponents at 169 games on Feb. 9.

But everyone except Griffin is now back. The team is on a 10-game winning streak and in the five games since Bueckers’ return on Feb. 25, UConn has been outscoring opponents by 35.8 points per game. A nowhealthy Connecticut dominated Villanova by 30 points in the Big East title game and nine Huskies are now playing at least 15 minutes per game.

“Most people’s benches tend to shorten as the NCAA Tournament comes along and ours has gotten bigger,” Auriemma said. “So, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out, but I would rather have this situation than the one I’ve dealt with for the last three months.”

The injuries have allowed players who otherwise would have had minor roles on the team to gain significant experience, allowing Auriemma to substitute liberally. That means foul trouble is less of an issue; there are options if one of his younger players struggles with the spotlight of the NCAA Tournament and fatigue should not be a factor, allowing more pressure on defense and transition on offense, he said.

Evina Westbrook, who starred at Tennessee before transferring to UConn in 2019, has transitioned this season from a starter to playing the Huskies sixth woman role.

Bueckers, last year’s national player of the year, continues to work her way back from the tibial plateau fracture and torn meniscus in her left knee. She has seen her playing time increase since her return from just under 13 minutes per game to just under 20 minutes.

Auriemma said she will have no minutes restriction during the NCAA Tournament and he has not ruled out returning her to the starting lineup.

Williams