The University of Connecticut women’s basketball team (14-0, 5-0) hasn’t been home for the holidays. Trips to New York, Indiana and Rhode Island over the last two weeks have left the top-ranked Huskies homesick for Storrs (and Hartford).
The holiday spirit wasn’t lost on Geno Auriemma’s top-ranked outfit, however; the Huskies picked up a few gifts on their road trip – A ranked win at a neutral site over No. 11 Iowa and two conference victories that extended Connecticut’s winning streak to 30 games dating back to last season.
They’ll finally return home on Saturday, defending home court for the first time since Dec. 17 when the Seton Hall Pirates (10-4, 4-1) dock in Hartford at 12 p.m.
Storylines to Watch for No. 1 UConn (14-0, 5-0)
The Bug: The Huskies have been hit with an all-too-familiar bug that’s already ravaged one third of the roster – including three players in the last two weeks.
The injury bug.
Morgan Cheli (ankle) was patient zero. It quickly spread to Ice Brady (knee) before swirling through the rest of the frontcourt to infect Ayanna Patterson (head) and Caroline Ducharme (shoulder). Then KK Arnold fractured her nose last Tuesday and missed her first career game.
Yikes. The good news is that Patterson, Ducharme and Arnold are expected to be back relatively soon, but it’s concerning, nonetheless.
The Huskies have a well-versed history with the injury bug, most recently dating back to the plagued 2023-24 season which left Auriemma with six healthy players against Iowa in the Final Four. He’ll be trying to avoid that this season.
But the bug is shrouded in mystique. How do you get rid of it? Tighten the rotation to limit the volume or loosen it to avoid wear and tear? Tempering playstyle and/or aggression seems impractical.
3-point Shooting: The Huskies are pretty good at shooting the 3-ball. Connecticut, anchored by Azzi Fudd’s 49.5% mark from behind the line, is currently shooting 41% from 3 – good for No. 1 in the nation by over 1%.
Look for that mark to climb on Saturday. Seton Hall’s 3-point defense ranks near the bottom of the country, with its opponents attempting 25.1 3-pointers a game (342nd) and hitting on 30.5% of them (171st).
Getting open looks for Fudd early (who usually draws an extra defender) will open the perimeter up for the likes of Kayleigh Heckel and Ashlynn Shade – two backcourt mates who have struggled with consistency from behind the line this season.
Opponent Scout: Seton Hall Pirates (10-4, 4-1)
Tony Bozzella’s Pirates were the beneficiaries of Auriemma’s first place vote in the Big East Preseason Poll, picked to finish third behind Connecticut and Marquette, respectively.
Seton Hall comes to Hartford with the wind of a three game winning streak at its back, having downed Creighton in Omaha before returning home to slice Xavier and Georgetown. The Pirates’ only loss in the last three weeks came at Villanova, 72-55.
There are multiple heads to the snake from South Orange; four players average double figures while five have led the team in single game scoring.
The Pirates’ two All-Big East Preseason selections, Jada Eads and Savannah Catalon, have lived up to the billing through one half of the season. Eads and Catalon combine to average 26 points, 10.8 rebounds and 5.1 steals per game – they head the backcourt.
But it’s been the emergence of the venerable Mariana Valenzuela that’s elevated the Hall to a viable Big East contender. Valenzuela spent four seasons at Florida State – never having averaged over six points per game – before transferring to South Orange, where she’s averaged 12.9 points and a team-leading 7.7 rebounds per night.
Despite the influx of scoring, Bozzella’s squad still operates on a defensive bedrock. Seton Hall currently ranks 19th in the country in defensive efficiency (96.1), ninth in turnover percentage forced (23.1) and 15th in 2-point defense (43.8).
It’s a hardy group that excels at creating havoc and capitalizing in transition. Connecticut will need to exploit the Pirates’ spotty 3-point defense (30.5%, 171st on 25.1 attempts per game) and penchant for allowing points in transition (9.5, 211th in the country).