The UConn Blog - 2020 Big East women’s basketball media dayEscalators are for cowards.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49593/uconn-fav.png2020-10-31T16:25:11-04:00http://www.theuconnblog.com/rss/stream/213036752020-10-31T16:25:11-04:002020-10-31T16:25:11-04:00Geno Auriemma breaks down UConn women’s basketball roster
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<figcaption>Courtesy of UConn Athletics</figcaption>
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<p>The coach took stock of where the roster stands after two weeks of practice during Big East media day.</p> <p id="PasZwm">In 1988, <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com">UConn</a> women’s basketball added seven freshmen to the roster — a group that included Debbie (Baer) Fiske, Meghan (Pattyson) Culmo, and Wendy Davis — and went on to win the program’s first <a href="https://www.bigeastcoastbias.com">Big East</a> regular season and tournament championships.</p>
<p id="A67xq0">32 years later, <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21536469/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-picked-to-finish-first-in-2020-big-east-coaches-poll">the Huskies are favorites to win the Big East</a> in their first year back while again integrating seven players that have never suited up for the team before — newly-eligible Tennessee transfer Evina Westbrook and freshmen Paige Bueckers, Autumn Chassion, Aaliyah Edwards, Piath Gabriel, Mir McLean, and Nika Muhl.</p>
<p id="Dh4ILC">Geno Auriemma noted similarities between the two <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/28/21539634/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-2020-big-east-womens-basketball-media-day">during Big East media day</a> on Thursday and believes they’re the two youngest teams he’s ever had at UConn. After that, the coach took stock of where the roster stands after <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/14/21516956/uconn-husies-womens-basketball-begins-official-practice-build-on-progress-from-preseason-workouts">two weeks of official practice</a> in the books:</p>
<aside id="o9NMkO"><div data-anthem-component="actionbox" data-anthem-component-data='{"title":"Subscribe to the UConn WBB Weekly!","description":"Get all the latest news on Geno and the Huskies every Thursday morning.","label":"Subscribe","url":"http://uconnwbbweekly.substack.com"}'></div></aside><h4 id="HfTwMs">Chemistry concerns</h4>
<p id="pniyVB">If there is a silver lining to the pandemic, it’s that the restrictions and rules imposed on the team have brought the players together. When they arrived on-campus, <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/8/13/21324255/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-weekly-what-lifes-like-inside-the-pods">they could only practice and interact with the other members of their apartment, or “pod”</a>. Even after the team transitioned to full practices, the players were still limited in terms of who they could interact with outside the gym.</p>
<p id="ciAiiX">As a result, the team has become a close-knit unit.</p>
<p id="o9ii11">“Off the court, the closeness of this team is quite remarkable given how many young players we got,” Auriemma said. “But there’s a tremendous chemistry among our team, off the court. In the time that they spend doing the things that really close teams do and how they look after each other, how they care for each other. Those things are not easy to do and they’ve hit a home run with that. Grand slam with that.”</p>
<p id="qeL3eg">But even with that chemistry — and the fact the team seems to be spending more time in the gym than usual since there isn’t much else to do, according to Auriemma — it hasn’t helped bridge the gap between the returning players and the newcomers on the court. At least not yet.</p>
<p id="7iVaA7">“The frustrating thing for me right now, and for them, is that stuff’s not carrying over on court,” he said. “It’s really a peaks and valleys thing. When we’ve got it going in practice, we look really, really good. Like we could really do some great things this year. When it goes the other way, we look god awful. Awful. So we’re trying to find that middle ground where when we’re good, we’re great and when we’re not so good, we’re still pretty good.”</p>
<aside id="Q2p7hO"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"UConn women’s basketball to open Big East play at Seton Hall on Dec. 6","url":"https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/30/21542359/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-schedule-to-open-big-east-play-at-seton-hall-on-dec-6"},{"title":"Chasing Perfection: Media Day Madness","url":"https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/30/21542018/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-geno-auriemma-big-east-chasing-perfection-media-day-madness"},{"title":"Geno Auriemma: “I’ve never felt anything like I’m seeing and feeling in today’s world”","url":"https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21540504/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-geno-auriemma-vote-election-day-presidential-2020"}]}'></div></aside><h4 id="wY860x">Juniors</h4>
<p id="YruEvm">From <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/3/14/21179828/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-megan-walker-declares-for-2020-wnba-draft">the moment Megan Walker declared early for the WNBA Draft</a>, the 2020-21 Huskies became Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Christyn Williams’ team. With no seniors on the roster, the two juniors are by the far the most experience players. Between two of them, Nelson-Ododa and Williams have 104 career starts at UConn. The nine other players have 14 starts total — all of which belong to Anna Makurat.</p>
<p id="1nldKr">“They’re in their third year playing for us and they have the experience of playing in a lot of big games and winning a lot of big games and playing in the Final Four,” Auriemma said of the two juniors. “So we’re really going to rely on them heavily for a lot of things, on and off the court. And that’s always the key to a team’s success: What kind of leadership you’re getting from your upperclassmen.”</p>
<p id="TZEGvz">Westbrook has 34 career starts under her belt, though all of those came at Tennessee, not UConn. Her last game action was also back on March 23, 2019 — 588 days and two knee surgeries ago.</p>
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<p id="sKc3mk">Auriemma admitted in early October that Westbrook may take some time to get back into basketball shape after so much time away. However, the coach didn’t exactly sound optimistic about the redshirt junior on Thursday.</p>
<p id="2ZcU97">“We’re hopeful that Evina can shake off some of the rust of not playing a lot during the last year, year and a half and then coming off surgery,” he said.</p>
<p id="ZP6Jbk">The Huskies have been working out on the court in some degree since early August and began full practice for two weeks now. A year and a half is a long time to go without playing competitive basketball — especially when the surgeries are taken into account — but it seems noteworthy that Westbrook still seems to be working her way back.</p>
<aside id="RmoCIT"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data="{"stories":[{"title":"StorrsCentral - Evina Westbrook finally feels like a basketball player at UConn","url":"https://connecticut.rivals.com/news/evina-westbrook-finally-feels-like-a-basketball-player-at-uconn"},{"title":"Geno’s returning players more prepared to carry the load this season","url":"https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/8/26/21400021/genos-returning-players-more-prepared-to-carry-the-load-this-season"},{"title":"StorrsCentral - Christyn Williams excited for junior year, 'clean slate'","url":"https://connecticut.rivals.com/news/christyn-williams-excited-for-junior-year-clean-slate--2"}]}"></div></aside><p id="6TRDbf">Based on their career progressions to this point, Nelson-Ododa and Williams are safe bets to have strong seasons. Historically, players with a similar talent level as those two put it all together by their junior year — if not sooner. Kia Nurse, Gabby Williams and Megan Walker, to name a few recent examples, were role players prior to becoming juniors.</p>
<p id="VBOVAK">Westbrook is the wildcard. If she can be the caliber of player that she was at Tennessee — where she averaged 14.9 points and 5.3 assists per game — the Huskies could be one of the better teams in the nation offensively. If not, they might to piece it together as they go.</p>
<p id="QAZPyY">“Those three, I think, are going to be a big focal point for our team,” Auriemma said. “How well they play this season will determine what kind of season we have.”</p>
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<cite>Courtesy of UConn Athletics</cite>
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<h4 id="aUNQ1S">Sophomores</h4>
<p id="UHS3tn">Auriemma didn’t have a whole lot to say about either of the second-year players, Aubrey Griffin and Makurat. At least, nothing he hasn’t said before.</p>
<p id="ZylZFN">“Our two sophomores with Aubrey and Anna coming off freshman year where they each had their own moments where they looked like they were going to be really, really good players and now they’re anxious to be more consistent, to be more productive. And they can be. They can be and they both improved from last season,” he said.</p>
<p id="BzPYfr">Previously, <a href="https://connecticut.rivals.com/news/anna-makurat-primed-for-breakout-sophomore-season">Auriemma said Makurat</a> looked like “a completely different person and a completely different player,” highlighting her improved fitness in addition to her play. As for Griffin, he thinks she’s “100 times better than she was last year.”</p>
<aside id="eEBL6j"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"StorrsCentral - Anna Makurat primed for breakout year","url":"https://connecticut.rivals.com/news/anna-makurat-primed-for-breakout-sophomore-season"}]}'></div></aside> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YhoJ-5cS8XazYlkDtVEEJm6GI-c=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/21978109/2020_10_14UConnWBBpractice112.jpg">
<cite>Courtesy of UConn Athletics</cite>
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<h4 id="mumKdt">Freshmen</h4>
<p id="6tJ7RK">After the team returned to campus in July and began small-group workouts, Auriemma predicted the freshmen would see a lot of action — not because the Huskies need them to play a lot (which they do), but because “they’re really good.” On Thursday, he hinted at which players he thinks are likely to contribute the most.</p>
<p id="8b93TN">The obvious one is Bueckers, the top recruit in the class. Though she’s yet to play in a game, she’s already impressed coaches and teammates alike with her <a href="https://connecticut.rivals.com/news/paige-bueckers-ready-to-embrace-adversity-at-uconn">attitude</a>, <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/15/21506120/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-weekly-paige-bueckers-excited-for-clean-slate-with-huskies">mentality and talent</a>.</p>
<p id="Ht3nNg">“Everybody knows about Paige. Everybody knows because that’s what comes with being so highly recruited and that’s all the attention and that’s all well and good,” he said. “Paige handles it great. She’s a great teammate, she’s easy to coach, she’s easy to be around with her teammates.”</p>
<p id="oKJ0ZG">Auriemma doesn’t expect Bueckers to “single-handedly gonna come in here and win us a national championship,” — but the qualifier for that quote is “singe-handedly”.</p>
<p id="BU2Tse">“I am going to be saying, ‘You know what, we wouldn’t have won the national championship without her,’” he said about Bueckers after UConn’s <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2019/12/8/21001736/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-blasts-notre-dame-fighting-irish-81-57">win over Notre Dame last season</a>. “That is what I am going to say. By herself she can’t win anything. But with the people I think we are going to surround her with, I think we can do great things.”</p>
<p id="mesm9L">Along with Bueckers, Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Muhl have both shined, which isn’t too surprising. Edwards has 14 caps with the senior Canadian National Team and <a href="https://connecticut.rivals.com/news/aaliyah-edwards-driven-to-succeed-in-storrs">is already drawing comparisons to Napheesa Collier</a>. Muhl, meanwhile, was regarded as one of the best European prospects and at age 19 is a year older than a typical freshman.</p>
<p id="0qLt1l">“By the looks of it right now – if you come to some of our practices – there are times when Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Muhl, those guys, sometimes look like they’ve been playing college basketball for a while because they fit right in, they slide right in. So Paige, Nika Aaliyah, they mix really really well with our returning players,” he said.</p>
<aside id="AUkD3h"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Nika Muhl living out a dream at UConn","url":"https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/8/14/21368890/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-croatian-guard-nika-muhl-living-out-a-dream"},{"title":"StorrsCentral - How Autumn Chassion earned a walk-on spot at UConn","url":"https://connecticut.rivals.com/news/how-autumn-chassion-earned-a-walk-on-spot-at-uconn"},{"title":"UConn WBB Weekly: What we’ve learned about the 2020-21 Huskies so far ","url":"https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/22/21522906/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-weekly-what-weve-learned-about-the-2020-21-huskies-so-far"}]}'></div></aside><p id="YtDRon">As for the other three, McLean flashes “once in a while”, which sounds similar to Aubrey Griffin’s preseason last year. The biggest difference between those two players is opportunity, though. Whereas Griffin was the first or second option off the bench for UConn last season, McLean projects to be no higher than the fourth or fifth reserve.</p>
<p id="4EcR2E">Auriemma said Gabriel is behind McLean while Chassion is behind Gabriel. The fact that those two players are trailing everyone else is to be expected since Gabriel is a raw, project big while Chassion is a walk-on. However...</p>
<p id="FDH8ig">“Everybody’s gotten better. Everybody’s gotten better,” he said. “Everybody’s been able to catch up a little bit more each and every day, each and every week that we’ve practiced.”</p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mGqoWJ8hv7pPeLYh15QKAdQOKFM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/21978091/2020_10_14UConnWBBpractice097.jpg">
<cite>Courtesy of UConn Athletics</cite>
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https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/31/21541963/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-geno-auriemma-breaks-down-rosterDaniel Connolly2020-10-30T14:25:08-04:002020-10-30T14:25:08-04:00UConn women’s basketball to open Big East play at Seton Hall on Dec. 6
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<figcaption>Courtesy of UConn Athletics</figcaption>
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<p>The Big East released the first four games of its conference schedule.</p> <p id="sjO7lH">The Big East released its December women’s basketball schedule which will see UConn play four games before the holidays.</p>
<p id="wBWJVr">The Huskies’ first game back in the conference is at Seton Hall on Sunday, Dec. 6. UConn will then play what projects to be its home opener against Butler on Tuesday, Dec. 15 and will host Xavier on Saturday, Dec. 19. UConn closes the first part of its Big East slate on Tuesday, Dec. 22 at Villanova.</p>
<p id="hiKuaX">After the holiday break, the conference <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21540264/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-big-east-womens-basketball-to-begin-conference-play-on-dec-4">will resume play on Dec. 30</a>, though it will release the schedule for that at a later date. Times and broadcast information will be announced “in the coming weeks” as well. UConn noted that “a decision is also forthcoming as to whether fans will be allowed to attend games at Gampel Pavilion and, if so, how many and under what restrictions and protocols.”</p>
<aside id="aGeF7C"><div data-anthem-component="actionbox" data-anthem-component-data='{"title":"Subscribe to the UConn WBB Weekly!","description":"Get all the latest news on Geno and the Huskies every Thursday morning.","label":"Subscribe","url":"http://UConnwbbweekly.substack.com"}'></div></aside><p id="ve5Hh5">So far, these are the official dates on UConn’s schedule:</p>
<p id="mK0YPy"><strong>Nov. 28</strong>: Quinnipiac (HOF Challenge at Mohegan Sun)</p>
<p id="mhf8ye"><strong>Nov. 29</strong>: Maine/Mississippi State (HOF Challenge)</p>
<p id="DAryTl"><strong>Dec. 4</strong>: Louisville (at Mohegan Sun)</p>
<p id="G9gcgC"><strong>Dec. 6</strong>: at Seton Hall</p>
<p id="h9h1U6"><strong>Dec. 15</strong>: Butler</p>
<p id="9gimzI"><strong>Dec. 19</strong>: Xavier</p>
<p id="uIb4a1"><strong>Dec. 22</strong>: at Villanova</p>
<p id="JCGzo4"><strong>Jan. 7</strong>:<strong> </strong>at Baylor</p>
<p id="nIleWV"><strong>Jan. 21</strong>: at Tennessee</p>
<p id="eNNGxs">UConn is also scheduled to play South Carolina, though a date has not yet been set. But with a nine-days between Seton Hall and Butler, the Huskies could potentially fill that gap with the Gamecocks.</p>
<aside id="cuTN8Q"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Chasing Perfection: Media Day Madness","url":"https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/30/21542018/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-geno-auriemma-big-east-chasing-perfection-media-day-madness"},{"title":"StorrsCentral - Big East mulling all options to keep full basketball season in play","url":"https://connecticut.rivals.com/news/big-east-mulling-all-options-to-keep-full-basketball-season-in-play"},{"title":"Geno Auriemma: “I’ve never felt anything like I’m seeing and feeling in today’s world”","url":"https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21540504/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-geno-auriemma-vote-election-day-presidential-2020"}]}'></div></aside><p id="23BKmi">The Huskies played at Seton Hall last season in non-conference play, <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2019/12/5/20997924/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-outlasts-seton-hall-92-78-aubrey-griffin-adrian-griffin-molly-bent">taking a 92-78 win</a> behind a 25-point, 12-rebound performance from Aubrey Griffin. UConn’s Dec. 15 meeting with Butler will be the first time the two programs ever meet. As for the following game against Xavier, the Huskies have only played them once — a tight 86-84 win in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Gampel Pavilion.</p>
<p id="OuNXA3">At <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/28/21539634/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-2020-big-east-womens-basketball-media-day">Big East Media Day on Thursday</a>, UConn was <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21536469/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-picked-to-finish-first-in-2020-big-east-coaches-poll">picked to finish first in the Coaches’ Poll</a>, while Seton Hall checked in at sixth, Villanova at seventh, Butler at eighth and Xavier at ninth.</p>
<p id="FpAUHG">The Huskies will <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/7/21506646/report-uconn-huskies-mens-womens-basketball-mens-hockey-wont-play-games-at-xl-center-this-season">play all its home games at Gampel Pavilion this season</a> due to the pandemic. In a normal year, UConn typically play half their home games at the XL Center in Hartford.</p>
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https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/30/21542359/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-schedule-to-open-big-east-play-at-seton-hall-on-dec-6Daniel Connolly2020-10-30T11:37:10-04:002020-10-30T11:37:10-04:00Chasing Perfection: Media Day Madness
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<figcaption>Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>The Big East held its annual media day virtually on Thursday which included some schedule news, fun sound bytes and a roster breakdown from Geno Auriemma.</p> <p id="vL7fow">The Big East held its women’s basketball media day virtually on Thursday, giving us plenty to talk about on this episode. But to open, we announce some exciting news about the future of the show and tease a guest for next episode.</p>
<p id="v2Hc5z">We then jump into <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/16/21520259/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-announces-non-conference-opponents-baylor-tennessee-south-carolina">UConn’s non-conference opponents</a> (which were released <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/16/21519345/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-chasing-perfection-the-new-season-is-underway">right after our last episode</a>) and <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21536469/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-picked-to-finish-first-in-2020-big-east-coaches-poll">the poll</a>, <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21539571/christyn-williams-big-east-media-day-preseason-player-the-year-paige-bueckers-freshman-of-the-year">awards</a>, and <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21540264/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-big-east-womens-basketball-to-begin-conference-play-on-dec-4">all the other news</a> that <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/28/21539634/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-2020-big-east-womens-basketball-media-day">came out of media day</a>. We also play a few of our favorite sound bytes.</p>
<aside id="2QvlmJ"><div data-anthem-component="actionbox" data-anthem-component-data='{"title":"Subscribe to the UConn WBB Weekly!","description":"Get all the latest news on Geno and the Huskies every Thursday morning.","label":"Subscribe","url":"http://uconnwbbweekly.substack.com"}'></div></aside><p id="D4WcWO">After that, we get into Geno Auriemma’s breakdown of the Huskies’ roster, starting with the juniors. We know that Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Christyn Williams are going to dominate this season but we explain why we’re starting to get nervous about Evina Westbrook. We also dive deep into the sophomore class of Aubrey Griffin and Anna Makurat and try to predict what each player’s potential is.</p>
<p id="Z4Sjvk">Finally, we wrap up by going through Auriemma’s own freshman impact rankings and declare that Paige Bueckers is going to have a really good season — not just a good season for a freshman.</p>
<p id="QZdyuY">Subscribe on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-uconn-pod-for-uconn-huskies-fans/id1285321890"><strong>iTunes</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/rondale-williams/the-uconn-pod"><strong>Stitcher</strong></a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/393HeKVlhRWVDCD6UigWsv"><strong>Spotify</strong></a>, or <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https://soundcloud.com/user-215296145&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https://www.theuconnblog.com/pages/the-uconn-pod&xcust=___sb__e_21283386__r_theuconnblog.com/uconn-huskie" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Soundcloud</strong></a><strong> </strong>and click below for all of our coverage from Big East media day!</p>
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https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/30/21542018/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-geno-auriemma-big-east-chasing-perfection-media-day-madnessDaniel ConnollyMegan Gauer2020-10-29T19:18:00-04:002020-10-29T19:18:00-04:00Big East women’s basketball to begin conference play on Dec. 4; schedule release ‘imminent’
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Big East Tournament- St. John’s vs Creighton" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/c6zNeyMVnva_qcKZGpPm3ElCDu0=/0x0:4660x3107/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67711504/usa_today_14174867.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The first part of the Big East’s conference schedule is finally coming together.</p> <p id="T0j33c">The Big East held its <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/28/21539634/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-2020-big-east-womens-basketball-media-day">women’s basketball media day</a> virtually on Thursday, with commissioner Val Ackerman, the league’s 11 head coaches along with <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21539571/christyn-williams-big-east-media-day-preseason-player-the-year-paige-bueckers-freshman-of-the-year">Preseason Player of the Year Christyn Williams and Preseason Freshman of the Year Paige Bueckers</a> getting a chance to address the media.</p>
<p id="2APFoj">The Big East will open conference play for women’s basketball on Dec. 4 — a week earlier than men’s basketball. UConn is scheduled to play a non-conference <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/16/21520259/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-announces-non-conference-opponents-baylor-tennessee-south-carolina">game against Louisville on Dec. 4</a>, though with an 11-team league, one team will always be on a bye.</p>
<p id="CZXjby">Each school will play four games before the holidays, Ackerman said, adding that the “finishing touches” are being put on the December schedule and will be released “imminently.”</p>
<p id="IRtuVf">After a holiday break, the Big East will resume play on Dec. 30, though it will wait to unveil a schedule or format for the second portion of its season.</p>
<p id="JRZkBH">“Our plan at this point is to hold off a bit longer on announcing the second part of our conference schedule so that we can continue to assess the landscape and determine the best scheduling format which will in turn hinge on the status of the coronavirus and related factors,” Ackerman said. “It’s our hope that we can release that that second portion of the schedule within the next month or so.”</p>
<p id="vzDJ3F">Big East games will be broadcast on five different channels this season: Fox, FS1, FS2, CBS Sports Network and SNY — the last of which assures every UConn game will be broadcast on linear television this season.</p>
<p id="yy1E3a">Each year, the conference also has one “All-Access” game where two coaches are mic’d up for an entire game. This season, Ackerman hinted that a matchup of UConn and Auriemma against DePaul’s Doug Bruno could take that slot.</p>
<p id="Dpwtuu">As <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/16/21520259/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-announces-non-conference-opponents-baylor-tennessee-south-carolina">for the non-conference schedule</a>, the Huskies have five opponents lined up and dates for four of them. The matchup against South Carolina at Gampel Pavilion is the only one that still isn’t finalized but Auriemma reaffirmed the Gamecocks are still on the schedule.</p>
<aside id="xjDshN"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"UConn women’s basketball schedule tracker","url":"https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/16/21516926/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-schedule-tracker"},{"title":"UConn women’s basketball picked to finish first in 2020 Big East Coaches’ Poll","url":"https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21536469/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-picked-to-finish-first-in-2020-big-east-coaches-poll"},{"title":"Geno Auriemma: “I’ve never felt anything like I’m seeing and feeling in today’s world”","url":"https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21540504/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-geno-auriemma-vote-election-day-presidential-2020"}]}'></div></aside><p id="b0dVoy">For the most part, UConn’s non-conference schedule isn’t drastically different than what the Huskies set before the pandemic hit. When the NCAA pushed the start of the season to Nov. 25, it wiped out UConn’s early-season opponents such as Dayton, Little Rock, Maryland and Virginia.</p>
<p id="CDJK8B">The only game scheduled for after Nov. 25 that the Huskies lost was their yearly matchup against Notre Dame — and Auriemma still isn’t sure why.</p>
<p id="bgVfbi">“The Notre Dame thing fell apart, for whatever reason,” he said. “I still don’t know the real reason.”</p>
<p id="hllPWu">Though UConn has room to schedule one more non-conference game under the NCAA limit, Auriemma doesn’t envision that happening.</p>
<p id="x4YDji">“We probably could add another one but I don’t know that there’s anybody out there right now that we would add,” he said.</p>
<aside id="f3RZ9Z"><div data-anthem-component="actionbox" data-anthem-component-data='{"title":"Subscribe to the UConn WBB Weekly!","description":"Get all the latest news on Geno and the Huskies every Thursday morning.","label":"Subscribe","url":"http://uconnwbbweekly.substack.com"}'></div></aside><div id="gVgdNx"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DkKVWPqSTVQ?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; clipboard-write; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
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https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21540264/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-big-east-womens-basketball-to-begin-conference-play-on-dec-4Daniel Connolly2020-10-29T17:09:57-04:002020-10-29T17:09:57-04:00Geno Auriemma: “I’ve never felt anything like I’m seeing and feeling in today’s world”
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KhUZKMMDypbKjLYigBBFHQpLU1c=/0x0:2400x1600/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67710070/2020_2_19TulaneGreenWaveUConnHuskiesWBB016.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Huskies’ head coach spoke passionately about the importance of voting and the global political climate.</p> <p id="1zKhuN">For the first times in their lives, Christyn Williams and Paige Bueckers can vote in a presidential election. At <a href="https://www.bigeastcoastbias.com">Big East</a> Media Day on Thursday, they both shared how they feel connected to the cause of voting, having already sent in their absentee ballots.</p>
<p id="2XcKfh">For Williams, she wanted to continue a legacy that her grandmother built.</p>
<p id="SVFkJL">“My grandmother went doorstep to doorstep to try to get people to vote back in the day,” Williams said. “So, I feel like it’s my duty to vote. That’s very important to me.”</p>
<p id="a2eVVD">As for Bueckers, she has been using her sizable social media platform to encourage her followers to vote. However, she felt that her message would’ve fallen flat if she didn’t fill out a ballot herself.</p>
<p id="7uGi6k">“I can’t ask other people to do it if I don’t do it myself,” she said. “So, getting out there and voting was really big for me and we can talk about change all we want but until we take steps towards action, it’s not gonna mean anything so it was really big for all of us to use our voice and vote.”</p>
<aside id="8xi6wf"><div data-anthem-component="actionbox" data-anthem-component-data='{"title":"Subscribe to the UConn WBB Weekly","description":"Get all the latest news on Geno and the Huskies every Thursday morning.","label":"Subscribe","url":"http://uconnwbbweekly.substack.com"}'></div></aside><aside id="0f18yZ"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Chasing Perfection: Media Day Madness","url":"https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/30/21542018/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-geno-auriemma-big-east-chasing-perfection-media-day-madness"}]}'></div></aside><p id="wVQ6BM">With the NCAA granting all Division I athletes the day off on Election Day, <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com">UConn</a> will congregate as a team at Geno Auriemma’s house for dinner on Tuesday night. Though it’s a common enough occurrence for the coach to host his players — one that hasn’t happened yet this year because of the pandemic —this won’t be just another meal.</p>
<p id="6bTp5D">Auriemma wants to use Election Night as an opportunity to show his players what it means to vote and “experience what it feels like to have any investment.”</p>
<p id="p7wdk4">“They’ve invested a part of themselves in this election,” he said. “(I want them) to not just wake up the next morning and go ‘I wonder who won?’...For a lot of people this year, this [election] is more emotional. This one is fraught with a tremendous amount of intensity, anxiety. There’s a lot of anger on both sides. There’s a lot of mistrust. There’s a lot out there that generally isn’t attached to elections but this has them all and they’ve all invested a piece of themselves into this and I want them to experience that feeling, what it feels like when you give yourself to something.”</p>
<p id="07BNEB">Auriemma then explained why the current political climate in the United States is what’s given him “the most anger I’ve ever felt in my life,” and railed against people who pretend to care about an issue but don’t take action when it matters on Election Day.</p>
<div id="yl3ezC"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iVOKfmaT2YA?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; clipboard-write; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21540504/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-geno-auriemma-vote-election-day-presidential-2020Daniel Connolly2020-10-29T09:06:57-04:002020-10-29T09:06:57-04:00Christyn Williams named Big East Preseason Player of the Year; Paige Bueckers named Preseason Freshman of the Year
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TvXD7oq0K92K3Nljt2YsSCUcR8c=/0x0:2400x1600/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67706778/2020_1_2WichitaStateEaglesUConnHuskiesWBB075.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Huskies sweep the preseason awards at Big East media day.</p> <p id="6LiThc">UConn women’s basketball’s return to the Big East has the Huskies not only <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/e/21300510">on the top of the conference pre-season poll</a>, but in the top spot for pre-season individual accolades as well.</p>
<p id="xW4TTM">Christyn Williams was named the Big East Preseason Player of the Year on the cusp of her junior season. Williams averaged 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for the Huskies last year, following up a stellar freshman season with a good, not great, sophomore campaign. However, <a href="https://connecticut.rivals.com/news/christyn-williams-excited-for-junior-year-clean-slate--2">since returning to campus this fall</a>, she has noted she feels more explosive on the court than ever and seems poised for a standout season for UConn.</p>
<p id="adFllx">Highly touted and No. 1 ranked recruit Paige Bueckers also collected preseason honors on Thursday, as she was named the Big East Preseason Freshman of the Year. <a href="https://connecticut.rivals.com/news/paige-bueckers-ready-to-embrace-adversity-at-uconn">Bueckers first season with the Huskies</a> comes with high expectations, following <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/15/21506120/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-weekly-paige-bueckers-excited-for-clean-slate-with-huskies">plenty of buzz and fame surrounding her senior season</a> in high school. She is widely noted as one of the best recruits in recent memory, including the best for UConn since Breanna Stewart.</p>
<p id="ZjlZBm">In addition, juniors Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Evina Westbrook were named to the All-Big East Preseason Team. Award-winners are not eligible to make the all-conference preseason team.</p>
<aside id="ldfNPe"><div data-anthem-component="actionbox" data-anthem-component-data='{"title":"Subscribe to the UConn WBB Weekly.","description":"Get all the latest news on Geno and the Huskies every Thursday morning.","label":"Subscribe","url":"http://uconnwbbweekly.substack.com"}'></div></aside><p id="1UfNPV">The preseason Big East individual accolades can be found here:</p>
<p id="6yJJQl"><em><strong>Preseason Big East Player of the Year:</strong></em></p>
<p id="dX66Ml">Christyn Williams, UConn</p>
<p id="FHJdRF"><em><strong>Preseason Big East Freshman of the Year</strong></em></p>
<p id="s9DiIZ">Paige Bueckers, UConn*</p>
<p id="UMVntB"><em><strong>All-Big East Preseason Team</strong></em></p>
<p id="UTVno1">Olivia Nelson-Ododa, UConn</p>
<p id="w7fv3P">Evina Westbrook, UConn</p>
<p id="fLPRAg">Temi Carda, Creighton</p>
<p id="UIIS8M">Lexi Held, DePaul</p>
<p id="XLviuE">Sonya Morris, DePaul*</p>
<p id="e9rmbM">Selena Lott, Marquette*</p>
<p id="NoHGhW">Leilani Correa, St. John’s</p>
<p id="sjcrYH">Qadashah Hoppie, St. John’s*</p>
<p id="CF69mm">Desiree Elmore, Seton Hall*</p>
<p id="RxUMaC">Maddy Siegrist, Villanova*</p>
<p id="9b4t19">A’riana Gray, Xavier</p>
<p id="MtchQH"><em>*Unanimous selection</em></p>
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https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21539571/christyn-williams-big-east-media-day-preseason-player-the-year-paige-bueckers-freshman-of-the-yearMegan Gauer2020-10-29T08:54:52-04:002020-10-29T08:54:52-04:00UConn women’s basketball picked to finish first in 2020 Big East Coaches’ Poll
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MKP94X60xCc5rGfocfYVeBY0OZ0=/0x0:2400x1600/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67706645/2020_10_14UConnWBBpractice108.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Courtesy of UConn Athletics</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Huskies are expected to continue to dominate in the Big East like they did in the AAC.</p> <p id="M3XnEA">In its first year back in the Big East, UConn women’s basketball is unsurprisingly expected to be the class of the league. During the Big East’s virtual media day on Thursday, the Huskies were picked first in the coaches’ poll, garnering all possible first-place votes.</p>
<p id="8iv1xd">DePaul came in second, taking Geno Auriemma’s vote, since coaches can’t pick their own team. Marquette slid in at No. 3.</p>
<p id="2x0c6o">UConn has been picked to finish first in the conference in 15 of the last 16 years, which includes the program’s time in the old Big East, AAC and this season. The last time the Huskies weren’t tabbed as favorites was during the 2011-12 campaign.</p>
<p id="eHwxp7">The Big East will certainly be a step up in competition for UConn compared to the AAC, where the Huskies went 139-0 over seven seasons. However, Geno Auriemma’s squad will still be favored to win every game by a comfortable margin considering UConn went 10-0 against current Big East teams between 2013 and 2020.</p>
<p id="eAVNhL"><a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21539571/christyn-williams-big-east-media-day-preseason-player-the-year-paige-bueckers-freshman-of-the-year">As for the preseason awards</a>, Christyn Williams picked up Big East Preseason Player of the Year while Paige Bueckers was named Preseason Freshman of the Year. Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Evina Westbrook both made the All-Big East Preseason Team.</p>
<aside id="jYNlRN"><div data-anthem-component="actionbox" data-anthem-component-data='{"title":"Subscribe to the UConn WBB Weekly!","description":"Get all the latest news on Geno and the Huskies every Thursday morning.","label":"Subscribe","url":"http://uconnwbbweekly.substack.com"}'></div></aside><p id="SSbOkh">Here’s the full coaches’ poll with first-place votes in parentheses:</p>
<ol>
<li id="dhf4rJ">UConn (10)</li>
<li id="8DTW3o">DePaul (1)</li>
<li id="MeblLo">Marquette</li>
<li id="rUAgkI">St. John’s</li>
<li id="pEPLRA">Creighton</li>
<li id="IuKJYY">Seton Hall</li>
<li id="MAJOKK">Villanova</li>
<li id="3ayFEp">Butler</li>
<li id="ZaN3DT">Xavier</li>
<li id="rEzvNY">Providence</li>
<li id="YMQubS">Georgetown</li>
</ol>
<p id="9h1rzC">Be sure to follow <a href="https://twitter.com/TheUConnBlog"><em>The UConn Blog</em></a> all day long for updates from Big East women’s basketball media day. <a href="https://twitter.com/megangauer">Megan Gauer</a> and myself (<a href="https://twitter.com/DanielVConnolly">Daniel Connolly</a>) will be following it all throughout the day.</p>
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https://www.theuconnblog.com/2020/10/29/21536469/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-picked-to-finish-first-in-2020-big-east-coaches-pollDaniel Connolly