Depth is abstract and ambiguous. It’s hard to define and even harder to utilize. Most teams don’t have it and the ones that do tend to lose it in the annual off-season bidding war that has become the transfer portal.
Credit:Nora Mariano DC Photo
Depth is invaluable, especially for a coach that’s seen his fair share of injuries to star players. It’s a privilege to have and a necessity for any team with championship aspirations.
Depth is what wills a team through the slog of mid-February. Depth fills in the cracks left by injured starters and compensates for fatigue come March.
Geno Auriemma knows that. More importantly, he knows his team has it this year.
“Tomorrow’s rotation might be completely different than Tuesday’s,” Auriemma said referring to his ever-changing rotational plans. “Next Wednesday’s rotation might be completely different than tomorrow’s.”
He wasn’t lying. The top-ranked Huskies have used 44 different lineup combinations across the first 120 minutes of game action in 2025-26, with the only one – the starting unit – seeing more than 10 minutes of floor time (31 total minutes).
The backcourt is jam-packed with scoring. The frontcourt is hyper-flexible. Auriemma likes his small ball lineups but knows that he has a three-big unit waiting in the wings.
“[Each game] is just another opportunity to try to find which combinations do what.”
Twelve players checked in and played at least eight minutes in the team’s 99-67 win over Florida State last Sunday, Nov. 9. Thirteen (welcome to the party, Gandy Malou-Mamel and Blanca Quiñonez) saw the court on Wednesday, Nov. 12. Ten of them logged double-digit minutes and 12 of them scored more than one basket.
Is it sustainable (or even realistic) to empty the bench every night? Probably not. Is it a valid sampling considering the Huskies have won their last two games by a combined 86 points? Questions can be raised there, too.
But this isn’t about how many players Auriemma can let loose onto the court on a given night. That isn’t skillful, nor does it take much strategy.
This more so questions how many meaningful contributors he has at his disposal in late-game situations.
The starting five are the bedrock; Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong have anchored the Connecticut scoring attack thus far and most likely will the entire season.
Serah Williams has been a solid complementary option in the low post despite her somewhat awkward transition into becoming a tertiary option for the Huskies after spending three years at Wisconsin as a primary one.
KK Arnold continues to show growth offensively and has been her usual steady yet chaotic self on the defensive end. She’s cracked double figures in two games already.
Ashlynn Shade, despite averaging just five points per night, is the team’s third leading rebounder and has hit 50% of her two-pointers.
Those five, regardless of if they start or not, will continue to contribute on a nightly basis for the Huskies.
But it’s the bench that’s been the early story for top-ranked Connecticut.
Kayleigh Heckel and Allie Ziebell have combined for 47 points and 14 steals in 110 minutes so far. Heckel was the lone double-digit scorer alongside Fudd and Strong in the team’s win over Florida State, while Ziebell spelled Fudd off the bench to the tune of 13 points and five made field goals in the exhibition win over Southern Connecticut State.
Those two have entrenched themselves as rotational mainstays and should continue to see an increase in floor time.
Jana El Alfy had undoubtedly her best game of the season in the low post on Wednesday, even if the box score doesn’t show it. She’s been a stone wall defensively and collected nine boards in 21 minutes against the Ramblers.
Quiñonez injured her shoulder before Louisville and missed the first two games of the season. She returned on Wednesday, Nov. 12, and the flashes of her proclaimed elite offensive playmaking ability and steady defensive presence were there.
Five points, three assists and two steals don’t speak to the way she glided in transition, twirled through the lane and pickpocketed Rambler guards all night long.
Auriemma was bullish post-game, stating his intent to “ramp up” Quiñonez’s minutes and make her a regular fixture to the rotation.
That’s nine right there, which doesn’t count Caroline Ducharme’s spot duties along the wing.
Auriemma’s teams usually hang around the nine or 10-deep mark when healthy enough. That number has shrunk down to eight (2021-22, 2022-23 for example) but hasn’t climbed above 10 since 2007-08, when 11 players averaged double-figure minutes.
The rest – Ice Brady (who’s dealing with knee inflammation), Kelis Fisher, Ayanna Patterson, Malou-Mamel and (eventually) Morgan Cheli – will be facing an uphill battle for consistent playing time.
But that doesn’t mean they aren’t capable; they’re just buried. Buried in one of college basketball’s most complete depth charts.
Expect the nine-man rotation to include a handful of variable lineups, with none receiving much run outside of the starting five.