"That's brutal for everybody else" - Geno Auriemma hails Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron for masking Notre Dame's squad depth issues
Geno Auriemma’s No. 2 UConn Huskies will face Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles' No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Thursday. The Huskies are coming off a blowout win against No. 22 Louisville and boast an 8-0 record. On the other hand, their ACC foes are coming off a 31-point win against Syracuse, led by their backcourt stars.
Ahead of the clash, Auriemma commended Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron's skills and approach to the basket. Even though he highlighted Notre Dame's persistent issues with depth, the coach said it is equally disruptive for the opposition, as it gives the three backcourt players more minutes on the court.
"I think their three guards are so, so good. They're so aggressive offensively, they're so skilled offensively, they put so much pressure on pushing the ball up the floor, attacking the basket, being able to make shots," Geno Auriemma said on UConn Daily. (19:10 mark)
"Everybody talks about their lack of depth ... but at the same time those three ain't coming out and that's brutal for everybody else. So, I can't wait for the rest of their team to get healthy, so hopefully a couple of those guys get rest and get them off the court so we don't have to deal with them."
Four Notre Dame players are ranked among the top eight in major statistical categories. Kate Koval is second in blocks per game with 3.67, and Hidalgo is third in scoring (24.6 points per game) and second in steals per contest (4.11). Miles and Liatu King are eighth in assists per game (6.6) and rebounding (11.0 rebounds per game), respectively.
Geno Auriemma's UConn continues to deal with injuries
Like last season, Geno Auriemma continues to see his players fall to injuries. In addition to the recent loss of Azzi Fudd, Ayanna Patterson, Aubrey Griffin and Caroline Ducharme are also on the Huskies’ injury report.
Patterson aggravated a pre-existing shoulder injury in November and will undergo surgery soon, ending her season.
Aubrey Griffin is expected to return to the court soon. She is recovering from an ACL injury and has begun participating in simulated games. Ducharme is on the same timeline, recovering from head and neck issues. However, the guard is listed as day-to-day.
Right when Azzi Fudd was returning to her sharpshooting ways, she injured her knee and headed back to the locker room in the game against Louisville on Dec. 7. Reports indicated that it was a minor knee sprain, forcing Auriemma to adjust for the game against Notre Dame.