Everybody talking about the downfall of the UConn Huskies do not watch women’s college basketball. Geno Auriemma’s team has dealt with an absurd amount of injuries this season.
And it is still a No. 3 seed in March Madness!
UConn was placed in the Portland region of the NCAA Tournament bracket. It was placed in a corner with Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Baylor and USC, among others.
If that route to a Final Four is not difficult enough, the Huskies will have no more than eight players throughout the remainder of the year. Amari DaBerry will not be available for the remainder of the postseason while recovering from a concussion. Aaliyah Edwards is dealing with a broken nose.
Assuming that Edwards is at full strength for the First Round, UConn will have eight healthy players.
- Paige Bueckers
- Aaliyah Edwards
- Ashlynn Shade
- K.K. Arnold
- Nika Muhl
- Ice Brady
- Qadence Samuels
- Ines Bettencourt
That’s it!
The good news is that Muhl, Bueckers, Edwards, Arnold and Shade averaged 29.9 minutes or more per game this season. The bad news is that they will have to play even more during the most grueling stretch of the year.
Bettencourt saw an average of just 5.7 minutes. Samuels saw just 12.4. That is not good either.
The Huskies are essentially going to run a six-woman rotation for the entire NCAA Tournament, which is exhausting. All five starters are rarely going to come off of the court!
This is actually a recurring theme over the last three years.
UConn cannnot stay healthy.
- 2021/22
- Aubrey Griffin back surgery (out for season)
- Azzi Fudd foot injury (missed 11 games)
- Paige Bueckers tibial plateau fracture (missed 19 games)
- Nika Muhl foot injury (missed three games)
- COVID outbreak (4 games postponed)
- Christyn Williams illness (missed three games)
- Dorka Juhasz foot injury (missed two games)
- Head coach misses game due to illness
- Caroline Ducharme concussion (missed four games)
- Dorka Juhasz broken wrist (out for season)
- Azzi Fudd had the flu during national championship
- 2022/23
- Paige Bueckers torn ACL (out for season)
- Ice Brady dislocated patella (out for season)
- Dorka Juhasz broken thumb (missed seven games)
- Chris Dailey collapses during game
- Azzi Fudd knee injury (missed eight games)
- Nika Muhl concussion (missed one game)
- Head coach misses two games due to illness
- Aubrey Griffin injury (missed two games)
- Azzi Fudd knee injury (missed 13 games)
- Caroline Ducharme concussion (missed 14 games)
- Dorka Juhasz sprained ankle (missed one game)
- 2023/24
- Ayanna Patterson knee surgery (out for season)
- Amari DeBerry back surgery (missed preseason)
- Jana El Alfy torn achilles tendon (out for season)
- Azzi Fudd torn ACL (out for season)
- Caroline Ducharme neck spasam / concussion (out for season)
- Aubrey Griffin torn ACL (out for season)
- Amari DeBerry concussion (out for season)
Goodness gracious!
Yes, UConn women’s basketball has not been as dominant as we became accustomed from 2012 to 2016. Yes, they have one of the best players in the country in Bueckers.
They have struggled to stay healthy. They will have just eight players available for the NCAA Tournament.
That’s tough.