When they entered Chicago, Ill. late last February, the then-No. 4 UConn women’s basketball team had not yet clinched a share of the Big East regular season title. With the conference tournament’s top seed secured, the No. 15 Huskies look to clinch sole possession of the regular-season championship against the DePaul Blue Demons on Sunday.
Despite DePaul’s 12-16 record, people should not declare this Big East battle a cakewalk for Connecticut just yet. The last two times the Huskies dueled with the Blue Demons at Wintrust Arena, they escaped with two victories by just five combined points.
Redshirt junior Paige Bueckers did not play in either matchup. She has scored no less than 18 points in each of her three all-time meetings against DePaul. With the Blue Demons allowing 70.3 points a night (second-worse in the Big East), do not be surprised if the Minnesota native goes off again versus 38th-year head coach Doug Bruno’s squad.
In those same three contests, Bueckers has grabbed at least five or more rebounds. She did not reject a shot in any of those games, but that could change with the way her defense has developed since the start of this season. Big East Player of the Week Aaliyah Edwards will have her back on that end of the floor as well. Although she controlled the glass, Monday’s win over the No. 21 Creighton Bluejays snapped a five-game streak where Edwards collected a double-double.
Because of how effective she is in the paint, one aspect of her game that gets lost in the shadows is setting up plays on the defense end. The senior forward is averaging two steals a night in her last six contests and is third on the team in that category. Only first-year guard KK Arnold is averaging more in that stretch with 2.3 swipes. Arnold has not had a double-digit game since she had three in a row in late January, but it has allowed her to develop into a dynamic defender. Should she rediscover her offensive prowess, the Wisconsin native will become one of the conference’s top all-around guards.
Fellow first-year guard Ashlynn Shade, meanwhile, gets it done from downtown. Shade is coming off a signature performance where she had 15 points at a 3-4 clip from beyond the arc and hauled in nine rebounds. Over the past three games, the Indiana native has complemented her effective scoring with an intimidating presence on the boards. If Edwards is not the one cleaning up the post versus DePaul, then watch for Shade to bring in those missed shots.
Senior guard Nika Mühl could also get in on the action down low as she aims to continue her eight-game streak with at least four rebounds. Mühl is just one of three players with at least 100 boards on the season, and with a rate of 4.1 a night, could be trouble for anyone who may want to grab a missed shot. The senior guard has also found her groove as a floor general, dealing out at least six dimes in eight out of her last 10 games.
The Blue Demons are in the midst of a three-game skid and have lost four out of their last five. Despite their rough stretch, which includes a heartbreaking two-point defeat versus the Georgetown Hoyas, they have shown that they can compete with anyone.
Since being held to eight points in Storrs last month, graduate guard Anaya Peoples has scored in double figures all but once. That included a 37-point outing against the St. John’s Red Storm on Jan. 25, where she shot 13-31 from the field, one of three games where she dropped 25+. It is not just on offense where the Notre Dame transfer is getting it done; the graduate guard has had three contests with 10+ rebounds and two double-doubles in that same span.
Graduate forward Jorie Allen has been just as dominant in the interior. DePaul’s other double-digit scorer, Allen enters this bout having converted more than 50% of her shots in three out of her last four games. Last Saturday ended a streak of four consecutive contests where the graduate forward shot the ball at least 10 times. It may be harder for her to get going against UConn’s frontcourt, but expect Allen to shoot the ball the second she finds an open opportunity.
Missouri transfer Katlyn Gilbert, meanwhile, will try and force the Huskies into committing sloppy turnovers. Gilbert is looking to snap a seven-game streak with fewer than five steals; breaking it at home against the conference’s top team could put her in Big East Defensive Player of the Year discussions. Beyond her defense, the graduate guard can score when her team needs it as she is averaging 9.6 points in her last eight games.
Keep a close eye on another bounceback performance from Michigan transfer Michelle Sidor. The graduate guard recovered from getting shut out in two consecutive contests with nine points in 19 minutes versus the Seton Hall Pirates last weekend. All eight of her shot attempts came from long range, and the three that she buried were her first since she sank her lone try on Feb. 4. In order to snap their four-game stretch where they have surrendered at least six triples, Connecticut needs to contain Sidor.
Should the Huskies want to escape the Windy City with a comfortable win, consistently feeding each other is a huge must. These are two of the top four teams in the Big East in total assists and assists per game; each program has four players with at least 60 dimes. Whichever team can set up more great looks via their passing game will walk out victorious.
Tip-off from Wintrust Arena near the South Side of Chicago is set for 6 p.m. EST on CBSSN. It will be UConn’s last nationally televised game until the Big East Tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena in March.
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