On the right path
Season of inconsistency ends with UConn surging
This wasn’t a vintage UConn team. Geno Auriemma reminded everyone of that before the curtain even opened on the 2019-20 Huskies.
The Huskies had lost two All-Americans in Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson. Replacing was going to be difficult, if not impossible.
So it’s no surprise that the Huskies’ opening act was, well, “weird,” as Auriemma called it. The Huskies slogged their way through a 72-61 victory over California way back on Nov. 10, winning solely on pure talent. There’d be a few more bumps along the way, including losses to Baylor on Jan. 9, Oregon on Feb. 3 and South Carolina on Feb. 10. The last subsequently ended their streak of 253 straight weeks ranked inside the Top 5 of the Associated Press poll.
The Huskies (29-3) had flaws, some bigger than others. Whether they were enough to keep Auriemma and Co. from making a 13th straight Final Four … we’ll never know.
GENO AURIEMMA
2019-20: Auriemma said there’s been times when he’s laughed after winning Coach of the Year. This wasn’t one of them.
This was one of the toughest seasons of Auriemma’s 35-year Hall of Fame career. He faced various ordeals and emerged with his mind intact, starting in November when he was engulfed in the firestorm surrounding Evina Westbrook’s waiver. He also missed two games be
fore Christmas after undergoing a minor medical procedure. He grieved over the deaths of Kobe and Gianna Bryant, and spoke eloquently about their lives before the world at a memorial in Los Angeles. All the while, he had to quell the hysteria that surrounded his team following a trio of doubledigit losses.
Yet come tournament time, Auriemma had a team that was peaking. The Huskies won their final nine games, culminating with a seventh straight American Athletic Conference championship.
Looking ahead: We’ll trust Auriemma’s track record on this one. He’ll have this team back in the conversation for a national championship next year.
CRYSTAL DANGERFIELD
2019-20: Dangerfield came and went without the one thing she wanted most — a national championship. It’s unfortunate because she deserved better. Plagued by injuries earlier in her career, Dangerfield grew into exactly the player that the Huskies expected her to be — a durable, dependable and calming presence. She averaged a career-high 35.4 minutes, 3.9 assists and was at her best in the big games, scoring 16 points against Baylor, 19 versus Oregon and 25 at South Carolina. She’ll be remembered as one of the program’s all-time great point guards.
Looking ahead: Dangerfield will be one of the first point guards off the board in the WNBA Draft.
MEGAN WALKER
2019-20: Walker got into better shape, shouldered more responsibility and blossomed into a go-to scorer, finally realizing the potential that made her a can’t-miss prospect coming out of high school. She led the Huskies in scoring (19.7) and rebounding (8.4), winning AAC Player of the Year. The only knock was her performance in the team’s three losses, in which she averaged only 12 points on 11-of-47 shooting.
Looking ahead: Walker was likely to be an All-American next season, but instead declared early for the WNBA Draft. Mock drafts have had her going as high as No. 6 overall.
CHRISTYN WILLIAMS
2019-20: Williams was an enigma. At times, she was the best player on the floor, flashing the same explosiveness and moxie that fueled her as a freshman. But she also disappeared for stretches, including a four-game span in February where she failed to crack double-digits.
Looking ahead: Walker’s departure means Williams will need to shed her inconsistencies and became a No. 1 scorer.
ANNA MAKURAT
2019-20: The learning curve was steep, but Makurat overcame a few early hiccups — an 0-for-11 start from the floor, a benching against Ohio State — to become a steady starter. The Polish native had a breakout 21-point performance against Tulsa on Jan. 19 and gradually worked her way back into the starting lineup, doing enough to land on the AAC All-Freshman team.
Looking ahead: The training wheels are off. Already one of the team’s best 3-point shooters and passers, Makurat will be in line for big minutes.
OLIVIA NELSON-ODODA
2019-20: Initially, the burden of being the main presence in the post seemed too much to bear for the 6foot-5 Nelson-Ododa. She struggled with foul trouble, and Auriemma chided her for not going hard enough in practice. The low point came when Nelson-Ododa failed to score and was benched in the fourth quarter of a loss to Baylor. There were a few more ups and downs after that, but she closed out the year strong. She was fourth in the country in blocks with 100.
Looking ahead: Like this year, she’ll be the starting center. Her lateseason resurgence is encouraging for a team that will need her to be great.
AUBREY GRIFFIN
2019-20: With her boundless energy, relentless defense and superb athleticism, Griffin became a Swiss-army knife off the bench. She took over games against Seton Hall (25 points and 12 rebounds) and Temple in the AAC quarterfinals (15 points and 16 rebounds). She made the AAC AllTournament team.
Looking ahead: Another offseason in the weight room should do wonders for Griffin, who will be in line for an even bigger role as a sophomore.
KYLA IRWIN
2019-20: Irwin started 18 games, but was best served coming off the bench. Her career ended on an unfortunate note when she fractured her elbow in the AAC semifinals.
Looking ahead: Irwin is interested in playing overseas, but first she’ll need to get healthy. In addition to hurting her elbow, she also broke her finger and underwent foot surgery.
EVINA WESTBROOK
2019-20: One of the most soughtafter transfers never got on the court after the NCAA denied her waiver for immediate eligibility from Tennessee. She practiced and traveled with the Huskies occasionally before undergoing knee surgery in December.
Looking ahead: Westbrook should slide right into the rotation, giving the Huskies an experienced scorer and ball-handler to make up for losing Dangerfield.
MOLLY BENT
2019-20: A fan favorite, Bent made three starts, filling in admirably when Dangerfield sat out a road trip with back spasms. Bent scored a career-high 10 points against Seton Hall on Dec. 5, then matched it later in the season.
Looking ahead: A grade-A student, Bent should have plenty of post-basketball opportunities available to her.
BATOULY CAMARA
2019-20: Camara underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in November, sidelining her for the first three months of the season. She returned against Oregon, but never was healthy enough to crack the rotation. She appeared in 11 games, scoring just eight points.
Looking ahead: Camara’s interests extend well beyond basketball. For instance, she’s working on forming a boarding school in Guinea that would offer educational scholarships and basketball training for girls.
EVELYN ADEBAYO
2019-20: The graduate transfer didn’t pan out, never coming close to matching her production at Murray State. She was essentially a practice player, totaling 23 points all season.
Looking ahead: Adebayo would like to stay involved in the sport, either as a player or coach. She was planning on participating in the “So You Want To Be a Coach” program, held in conjunction with the Final Four, before it was cancelled.
THE FUTURE
Walker’s departure stings, but UConn’s incoming recruiting class will help soften the blow, especially if Paige Bueckers is as good as advertised.
Bueckers, a 5-foot-11 point guard from Minnesota, has been billed as a program-changing prospect, the type of talent that can transcend a team’s style of play. She’s so good, in fact, that Auriemma has already mentioned her name and national championships in the same breath.
And the National High School Player of the Year won’t be coming alone. The Huskies will also add fellow McDonald’s All-American Mir McLean, as well as Aliyah Edwards, Piath Gabriel and Nika Muhl. Collectively, ESPN ranks the class as No. 2 in the country behind Oregon.