#10 UCONN -vs- PROVIDENCE on Saturday 03.02.2024

Paige has never lost a conference game. Edwards is about to get her 100th career start. Nika got that in the last game.

Undefeated in conference play. Here we go, all together now, let’s get ready to rumbbbbbbbbbbbbblllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

There are not many of us still posting.  Can we really afford to ignore anyone?  If so, you will probably want to ignore me because I am one of those people who thought UConn would be the best team in WCBB this year.  And why not?  We have been so for the better part of 30 years now...ever since that first title in 1995.  Why should this year be any different?  And I am pretty sure the coaches and players thought the exact same thing coming into this season too.  The early season pollsters also agreed....until carpetbaggers Morrow and Van Lith joined LSU and they supplanted us as pre-season #1.  That is the standard that Geno has set...and also spoiled us with.  Sadly, injuries will foil us once again and we will fall short of that.  But coming into this season, it was a legitimate feeling that I was not alone in experiencing.  And you know what?  With Paige, Azzi, Aubrey, KK, Ash, Q and maybe even Aaliyah and Nika coming back next year, I am probably going to go into next season thinking we are the best team in the country again too!  

I also have to respectfully disagree that two players scoring 45 of our 67 points vs 'Nova constitutes a team effort.  To me, a team effort is when we have 4 or 5 double digit scorers.  Sure....KK had 6 boards/4 steals, Nika had 6 assists, and others had numbers in the box score so yes, they did contribute to the win.  But the object of the game is to put the ball through the hoop so you can score more points than your opponent and we only have two players who can do that consistently - Paige and Aaliyah.  Some of the others have had isolated games where there scored well but we can't count on them to show up in big games.  Most of them are, after all, freshmen.

Let me close by saying we are all on the same team here but we all have our own individual perspectives about the team.  When I point out what I view as our shortcomings, I am just expressing my honest opinions....which all of us should be free to do here without anyone ignoring us.  I don't blame the team for our shortcomings....injuries to talented contributors and the inexperience of freshmen thrust into starting roles (and performing admirably under the circumstances) have scuttled our pre-season dreams once again.  But I am a spoiled UConn fan.  Anything short of a national championship is usually a disappointment, particularly when we have such a talented roster going into a season.  

I've been trying to catch glimpses of UConn alum Kaili McLaren, now an Asst Coach with Providence. She is on the bench...three seats from the right.