UConn Women's Basketball Archives - womenssportsnow.com

UConn beats Baylor 77-58 for 29th straight trip to Sweet 16

Kristina Berg — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 13:19:20 +0000

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Azzi Fudd is still rounding back into form after missing 22 games with injuries this season.

She’s only been back for five games and hadn’t looked like the player that was dominating the game before suffering two knee injuries.

But after going 2 of 8 from the floor in the first half Monday night, the sophomore guard scored 16 of her game-high 22 points in a decisive third quarter, leading second-seeded UConn to a 77-58 win over No. 7 seed Baylor on Monday night. That put the Huskies in a 29th straight Sweet 16.

Fudd said she just stayed confident and her shots began to fall.

“I definitely wouldn’t say (I took) the team on my back, I think everyone played an incredible role tonight,” Fudd said. “But I think (I just kept) that mindset of being aggressive and having my teammates and coaches continue to remind me, ’Don’t stop shooting, keep shooting, keep looking for your shots.”

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It didn’t have to be this way: UConn has gone from great to endangered

womenshoopsworld.com — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 13:50:31 +0000

Despite widespread injuries, Husky reserve players have not seen much court time this season. UConn Athletics photo.

To say UConn has gone through it this year is an understatement.

They have played the nation’s most demanding schedule while battling a steady stream of injuries that have been unceasing since last summer. First, All-American Paige Bueckers tore her ACL, after which star guard Azzi Fudd hurt her knee – twice. Starter Caroline Ducharme missed 12 games in concussion protocol. Starter Dorka Juhasz broke her thumb.

Only two players – Aaliyah Edwards and Lou Lopez-Senechal – have started every game. Pre-season Naismith candidate Fudd (still their leading scorer) has played just nine games. She may or may not return to play this season. Ducharme played her first game of 2023 just this week.

The team was so injury-depleted that they had to postpone the Jan. 8 game against DePaul because they could not dress seven players, as required by the Big East Conference.

Despite all that, the Huskies looked great up and through their close loss to South Carolina on Feb. 5, a game which could have finished differently with better officiating.

But everyone has known for a month that the team was exhausted. After a stretch of five games in 12 days spanning January into…

Coach Geno Auriemma Displays Passion in UConn Women’s Basketball Loss to South Carolina

Eric Mwenda — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 21:31:58 +0000

UConn Women’s Basketball Coach Geno Auriemma Shows Emotion in Intense Game against South Carolina

HARTFORD, CT – The UConn women’s basketball team took the court against South Carolina in a highly anticipated match at the XL Center, and although the Huskies fell short, losing 81-77, the real story of the night was the emotion displayed by legendary head coach Geno Auriemma.

The game was filled with intensity and Coach Auriemma’s technical foul was a testament to his commitment to his team. The incident occurred when Lou Lopez Sénéchal was jostled while attempting to come off a screen with just under four minutes left in the game. Auriemma expressed his frustration with the referee by spiking his water bottle on the court.

“The technical was a result of my emotions getting the best of me,” Coach Auriemma stated after the game. “I couldn’t stay quiet any longer after seeing one of my players getting physically overpowered on the court. It was no longer basketball in that moment.” Coach Auriemma’s display of emotion was a clear demonstration of his passion for the sport and his players.

Despite the loss, the Huskies fought until the final buzzer. Nika Muhl and Lopez Sénéchal eventually fouled out, while Aaliyah Edwards played with four fouls late in the game. Despite the setbacks, the team never gave up and continued to battle until the final buzzer.

Coach Auriemma also spoke about the impact of the way the game is officiated on how the players perform. “The way the game is called affects how the game is played,” he said. “As a player and coach, you have to adjust your strategy to the way the game is being called on that day.”

The UConn women’s basketball program has a long history of success, and Coach Auriemma’s technical foul is just another example of his commitment to his team and the sport. The emotion and intensity shown by Coach Auriemma is what makes college basketball so exciting and captivating to watch.

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