NC State women's basketball opponent scouting report: Connecticut
Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma is hoping to lead his team to a 13th straight appearance in the Final Four.
The NC State women’s basketball team is standing in the Huskies’ way. For the Wolfpack, a win Monday evening, with a 7 p.m. tip on ESPN, would get NC State to its second Final Four in program history, joining the 1998 squad.
Here is a preview of Connecticut.
Connecticut Season Recap
Six games into the season, Connecticut was 5-1. The one loss was to No. 1 South Carolina on a neutral court. The Huskies had a halftime lead on the Gamecocks, but the second half was a different story. Connecticut was outscored 16-3 in the fourth quarter of a 73-57 setback.
Then came the significant injury.
Sophomore guard Paige Bueckers, the consensus 2021 player of the year in women’s college basketball, hurt her knee. Bueckers would be out for over two months, not returning until Feb. 25.
In Connecticut’s first game without Bueckers, the Huckies lost at Georgia Tech. Ten days later, UConn was beaten at home by Louisville. After a Feb. 9 rare conference loss at home to Villanova, Connecticut was 15-5 overall, and 10-4 without Bueckers.
That included Connecticut’s first loss to an unranked team since 2012 and first conference defeat since 2013.
However, UConn then won five in a row leading up to Bueckers’ return, and the Huskies enter Monday evening on a 13-game winning streak. All but one of those wins, a 52-47 NCAA Tournament second-round triumph over Central Florida, has been by at least 14 points. Eight of the victories have been by at least 30 points.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
DJ Lagway
Florida QB to return vs. LSU
- 2
Dylan Raiola injury
Nebraska QB will play vs. USC
- 3
Elko pokes at Kiffin
A&M coach jokes over kick times
- 4New
SEC changes course
Alcohol sales at SEC Championship Game
- 5
Bryce Underwood
Michigan prepared to offer No. 1 recruit $10.5M over 4 years
Huskies Players To Watch
Bueckers remains the headliner, even if she has eased her way back since returning from her knee injury. She had not played more than 20 minutes in a game until the NCAA Tournament, but over the past three contests Bueckers is averaging 12.0 points while logging 30.0 minutes per game.
Prior to her injury, Bueckers was averaging 21.2 points per contest. She is a high percentage shooter, making 53.9 percent of her shot attempts. Occasionally, Bueckers will get hot from long range. She made 4 of 5 threes against Georgetown in the Big East Tournament and 3 of 7 in a win over Notre Dame prior to her injury.
Senior guard Christyn Williams has been a reliable four-year performer for Connecticut. She leads the Huskies in scoring at 14.5 points per game, and Williams has been a double-digit scorer all four years at UConn, including a career-best 16.3 last season.
Freshman guard Azzi Fudd adds to Connecticut’s strong perimeter game. Fudd is a dangerous three-point shooter. She has made a team-high 55 from beyond the arc despite missing eight games with a foot injury, and Fudd is shooting 43.7 percent on three-pointers.
Senior forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa leads Connecticut’s frontcourt. The 6-foot-5 Nelson-Ododa averages 9.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots per game. She had a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds in the Sweet 16 win over Indiana.
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