‘Remarkable’ resilience
Determined Huskies look to take another step forward vs. Friars
STORRS — There was no official diagnosis yet, but the assumptions were already grim for UConn women’s basketball graduate student Aubrey Griffin’s left knee injury when she approached head coach Geno Auriemma with an important question this weekend.
“How much more eligibility to do I have?” she said.
Six days after suffering a knee injury last Wednesday in UConn’s game at Creighton, there remains no definitive word on Griffin’s status. Initial examination showed the knee was “very, very unstable.”
Auriemma said Tuesday afternoon that Griffin was undergoing additional testing and the team would know more later Tuesday or Wednesday morning. While Griffin is eligible for the WNBA Draft, the combo guard/ forward does have an additional year of collegiate eligibility remaining because of the pandemic.
“I don’t expect any good news,” Auriemma said Tuesday of her injury status. “… I think everybody is kinda ready for the worst.”
The No. 13 Huskies will play their second game without their sixth player Wednesday night in their first home game of 2024, hosting Providence at 6:30 p.m. in Hartford. The game will be a welcome home celebration for former Husky and current Friars’ assistant coach Kaili McLaren.
UConn beat Georgetown by nearly 30 points in D.C. Sunday in its first game without Griffin as all nine available players saw the floor. But the biggest holes left by Griffin’s absence remain: rebounding and production off the bench.
Griffin (second on the team with 6.0 rebounds per game) was the only true experienced reserve.
Freshman Qadence Samuels and redshirt freshman Ice Brady are expected to provide a spark off the bench, but Auriemma wants to see even more from the two moving forward. Both greatly impacted the team’s defense last week at Creighton and Georgetown. Samuels recorded six rebounds (three shy of her career high) in Omaha while Brady played 22 minutes in D.C. (just four
shy of her career high).
“I want Ice to contribute more because she’s skilled enough and I want Q to become more,” Auriemma said. “Are they going to both be able to become ever any versions of Aubrey? No, they won’t. I don’t care how much they try. But they need to be better versions of themselves and that’ll be good enough for now.”
If Griffin’s injury is season-ending, she’ll become the fourth Husky to miss the remainder of the 202324 season due to injury following Jana El Alfy (Achilles), Azzi Fudd (knee) and Ayanna Patterson (knee). UConn is also currently without junior guard Caroline Ducharme, who’s missed the last 11 games due to neck/ back issues.
It’s the third straight season the roster has been obliterated by injuries. One analytic expert told Auriemma it could be because of the effect of the pandemic, but there’s yet to be any solid proof either way. Others blame the team’s strength and conditioning coach, Andrea Hudy, since she re-joined the staff three years ago.
But Auriemma, his staff and his players all say there’s not one reason or person to blame.
“We work with Hudy and she’s the best strength coach in the country,” Paige Bueckers said. “Like the narratives and people wanting, it’s natural to want to blame something, but there’s just some things that are unexplainable. And I think she’s the best strength coach in the country. She does so much for us. She dedicates her life to her job. And so, we do everything right in the weight room. We do everything right on the court and still unfortunate situations can happen.”
Added Auriemma: “This is the best, most comprehensive, thorough, technological sports science staff that we’ve had ever at UConn, from top to bottom. From orthopedic surgeons down to, you know, our analytics people that sit by their computer every day and stare and try to figure things out. We’ve never ever been this comprehensive in every everything we do.”
All the injuries, however, have helped the Huskies, especially the senior class, to become more resilient while learning to lean on each other even more off the court. They know they have no other choice.
They’ve learned to digest the immediate feelings of disappointment and transform it to motivation on the court.
“Our seniors, this is all they know. They know (playing in the COVID-19) bubble and they know playing somewhat shorthanded,” Auriemma said. “… I think the reaction now is, ‘Yes. You know, upset, really, really upset and heartbroken.’ But maybe the resilience of these kids is something that’s pretty remarkable. I don’t know.
“But if they’re feeling it, which I’m sure they are, they’ve learned how to put it aside and play. That’s kind of quite remarkable. I think they’ve handled it way better than I have (in) most of these instances for sure, way more than I have.”
The biggest lessons the team has learned within the past week following Griffin’s injury, and throughout the past two seasons too, is to live in each moment and be grateful for who they do have.
On Tuesday, the team hosted Saint Joseph women’s basketball, including Blue Jays head coach and former Husky Wendy Davis, at practice. The visit gave the Huskies another perspective following yet another injury.
“It’s just a reminder that you’re playing for something and someone other than yourself and it’s always nice to see their smiles and laughs and just to see how attentive they are in watching us play,” Aaliyah Edwards said. “… It’s always, like, welcoming that you’re playing in a position that they look up to you and see and aspire to be in your position. So, it’s just that extra motivator to do well in practice.”