“Those guys are gonna be under a lot of scrutiny”: Geno Auriemma sets expectations from Sarah Strong, Jana El Alfy and Ice Brady before UNC game
Head coach Geno Auriemma prepares UConn players Sarah Strong, Jana El Alfy, and Ice Brady for Friday's game versus UNC in Greensboro. The three bigs account for a significant portion of the Huskies' frontcourt playing time, with each playing more than 15 minutes each game. They will face the No. 14 Tar Heels, who average 42.7 rebounds and 5.7 blocks as a team.
The Hall of Fame coach warns his players about the potential battle of the bigs in UConn's first road match against a highly ranked team. Auriemma said:
"Those guys are gonna be under a lot of scrutiny. We've talked about this in our staff meetings. They're going to be up against it whenever they face an experienced group of post players."
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Despite blowout wins, the No. 2 Huskies (2-0) allowed Boston University and South Florida to grab 30 and 27 rebounds, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Tar Heels (3-0) lead the Atlantic Coast Conference. UNC has delivered 19-point wins over Charleston Southern, UNC Wilmington and North Carolina A&T.
Four of their players — Alyssa Ustby, Blanca Thomas, Maria Gakdeng and Ciera Toomey — play more than 13 minutes and average more than five rebounds per outing.
UConn Huskies are off to a good start this season
It is year five of the Paige Bueckers and Geno Auriemma project, and the Huskies are still hunting for the program's 12th national championship.
The Huskies are adamant about giving the chip to the superstar senior guard, who will likely be picked first overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
The Huskies are without Nika Muhl and Aaliyah Edwards this season, as they now play for the Seattle Storm and the Washington Mystics, respectively. UConn also lost Inês Bettencourt and Amari Deberry in the transfer portal.
Despite their departures, UConn made up by bolstering the squad. Six other players who redshirted for the team are retained on the roster, including El-Alfy and Brady. Strong, who was touted as the No. 1 recruit of her class, committed for the Huskies in April, while Kaitlyn Chen was picked up after an impressive season with Princeton.
UConn's matchup with North Carolina will be the team's first major test of the season. The Huskies' non-conference schedule, considered the toughest in the nation, will feature games against Louisville, Tennessee, USC, Iowa State, Notre Dame, and a road game against defending national champion South Carolina.