On Selection Sunday, head coach Geno Auriemma announced that junior forward Amari DeBerry would miss the entire NCAA Tournament with a concussion that sidelined her for the Big East Tournament. The No. 10 UConn women’s basketball team and their eight-person squad have played with the hand they were dealt with all season long. That mantra carries over into the NCAA Tournament, where the Huskies begin their 35th consecutive appearance at Gampel Pavilion against the 14th-seeded Jackson State Tigers.
Earlier that evening, the selection committee placed UConn as the No. 3 seed in the Portland 3 Regional. WNBA all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi was one year removed from college the last time the Huskies were a No. 3 seed in 2005. Connecticut held serve on their home court in the first two rounds but fell to the second-seeded Stanford Cardinal in the Sweet 16 in the Kansas City Regional that year.
That was as far as the Huskies made it last season, but that happened without First-Team All-American Paige Bueckers. She did it all in her first postseason action since 2022 two weeks ago, averaging 27.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and four blocks over three straight days. The Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player has scored at least 20 points in nine out of her last 10 games, and with UConn back on their court, another sensational performance could be in the cards.
All-American Honorable Mention Aaliyah Edwards should make her return tomorrow following a two-game hiatus during the Big East Tournament. With 17.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, her impact down low is as critical to how far the Huskies go in the postseason as Bueckers is in general. At the same time, however, Edwards’ absence allowed Big East All-Tournament Team selection Ice Brady to take a major step forward in her development.
Brady scored all 31 of her points and hauled in 15 rebounds in 96 minutes of play two weekends ago. The San Diego native also made it difficult for the Providence Friars, Marquette Golden Eagles and Georgetown Hoyas to get anything going down low. Regardless of how many minutes she plays, expect her to repeat and build upon that effort tomorrow.
So should Big East All-Tournament Team selection Nika Mühl, who is nine assists away from passing Moriah Jefferson for the program record. Her four rebounds per game and 39 steals fly under the radar because of her impact on offense, where her 218 assists rank fourth in the nation. Despite this, the senior guard is just as dangerous when it comes to finding her open teammates as she is giving them extra possessions.
That is also the case for Big East All-Freshman Team selection KK Arnold, who leads the team with 78 steals and ranks third with 109 dimes. Arnold scored in double figures twice in her postseason debut, and if she can replicate that on a much bigger stage, then she could become Connecticut’s biggest X-factor. Big East Freshman of the Year Ashlynn Shade and her 49% clip from the field, meanwhile, should do damage offensively.
Jackson State enters Storrs with a 21-game winning streak. All of the Tigers’ victories in that stretch, which dates back to Jan. 3, have come against Southwestern Athletic Conference foes. Outside of the SWAC, Jackson State’s signature victory was a four-point triumph over the St. John’s Red Storm in the Discover Puerto Rico Classic.
The Tigers thrive in the post. Their 43.44 total rebounds per game put them just outside the top 10 nationally while their 16 offensive boards per night are tied for ninth. SWAC Defensive Player of the Year Angel Jackson and all-SWAC First Team selection Miya Crump do the most damage on the glass. Both veterans average over six rebounds per game and have combined for nine double-doubles this season.
Beyond the boards, each graduate student has a different style of play that contributes to Jackson State’s stout defense. Crump causes trouble in transition with a team-leading 48 steals. Jackson, meanwhile, is a defensive beast down low; her 95 blocks led the conference by a very wide margin. Do not be surprised if Auriemma counters with Bueckers and Edwards controlling the post.
In addition to their defense, three Jackson State players average double figures. The SWAC does not hand out a Sixth Woman of the Year award, but if it did, redshirt senior Andriana Avent would have a very strong case for it. Although she has just started two of the 23 games she has appeared in, Avent leads the team with 12.3 points per game and 50 three-pointers. The Texas Southern transfer has averaged 17 points since being shutout against the Prairie View A&M Panthers on March 4. Keep watch for another dangerous performance from downtown off the bench for Avent, especially since all but four of her field goals in the SWAC came from behind the arc.
All-SWAC First Team selection Ti’Lan Boler is a very efficient scorer in her own right. While she does not have the highest shooting percentages on the team, Boler is the one taking and making the most shots. It has helped the 6-foot-1 guard, who has attempted 10+ shots in 21 games, drop three different 20-pieces while scoring in double figures in six of her last seven.
Boler is to the Minnesota native for the Tigers as graduate guard Keshuna Luckett is to Mühl. While she has not recorded more than eight in a contest this season, Luckett and her 119 assists set the tone for Jackson State’s style of play. She and Mississippi Valley State transfer Zakiya Mahoney could both be X-factors for the Tigers, especially beyond the scoresheet.
Tip-off tomorrow is scheduled for 1 p.m. EDT on ABC. Should the Huskies win that game, the tip-off time for their second-round contest on Monday will not be announced until later that evening.