2024-25 Starting Lineup

[Cuango]

Thats only 2 guards, we need more than that. Replace Ice with Allie or Ashlynn.

Sarah is certainly capable of playing as a guard! She is the very definition of a five way player! She has guard like ball handling skills, shoots well from everywhere, will likely be a top three or four passer on this team, but could also play in the post and everywhere in between!

 

[Cuango]

I see her in the same role as Maya and Gabby, setting up at the elbow, creating for herself and her teammates. Like Maya and Gabby, Sarah is an exceptional passer. She lacks the athleticism of Maya or Gabby but, like Maya, her ability to make shots extends out to the 3-point line. Geno will use all of her skills in his offense.

Both Maya and Gabby played the PF at UConn. Maya played the 3 in the WNBA which was a seamless transition offensively but more of a struggle defensively. Gabby has always struggled at the 3 as a pro because of her inconsistent 3-point shooting.

Obviously, Strong will never have the athleticism of Maya or Gabby but I think we may be surprised once she gets into top shape! We have yet to see what her capabilities might be if she gets herself into tip top shape. I, for one, after watching her commitment video, believe she will report to school in the best shape she’s ever been in. This girl reminds me a lot of Maya, in the sense that she “talks softly but carries a big stick!” I think some may fail to see that behind that soft spoken, quiet demeanor is a fiercely competitive athlete!

 

[oldhusky]

This is a great point.
Nationwide there is chatter about great guard pairings like Hidalgo Miles or Fulwiley Johnson etc, but we have our own great pairings in KK &Ash and of course Paige&Azzi. If the walking wounded weren't coming back, we would be talking about having 4 years of kk and ash.
They really are a perfectly matched set with kk a true penetrating point, and ash having developed into a solid shooting guard. They have different strengths, but both are 5 tool players, scoring at 3 levels, passing and defense.
I'm curious how Geno will rotate next year, but it's a tremendous assets that these ladies and Ice and Q had all that playing time.

I think we are placing too much emphasis on KK and Ashlynn earning their starting position. If you want to say they earned a starting position against Q, Ines and Amari, fine, but they didn't have to beat out Azzi or Caroline, or Ayanna or Jana to get a start. This year they probably do, and if anything you could make a case that Azzi and Caroline were incumbent starters that had earned their starts, and they just lost their spot due to injuries.
, and two newcomers that
I think KK and Ash played pretty well compared to expectations, but they were pretty much handed a starting position because we had few choices. Neither was overall statistically better than Azzi or Caroline in their freshmen year, and Azzi had a bad foot all year, and Caroline had concussion issues late that season. In addition while perhaps not probable, it wouldn't be shocking if Allie or Morgan wound up being better than some or all of the four.

My main point is we have 6 legitimate candidates for two positions, four of which have been good incumbent starters, and two newcomers with very good credentials. Secondly there will be enough practice time before the season starts (except for Azzi) for any of them to stand out from the pack. Sure KK and Ash might get first dibs if it is close, but it may not be. If two of that group are clearly better than the rest, they should start period.

I fully expect the level of play to "earn" a starting position will be significantly better than what KK and Ash produced last year, and it might come from them if they show a big improvement, but I think whoever starts with Paige on the perimeter, has a much higher bar to clear, than the standard set last year by our two freshmen starters who were pretty darn good. This year we might do considerably better.

 

[Cuango]

Excellent and incisive post, Bone Dog.

I'll add that, even though Geno might have been reticent to play some freshmen early, he likely watched today as Tessa Johnson and Malaysia Fulwiley played pivotal roles in SC's nine-player rotation. The Gamecocks won the title because they wore down the basically five-person Iowa team. 'Freshmen' brought fresh legs, energy and lots of skill.

If Morgan and Allie are even close to what we expect them to be, including in savvy, I believe Geno will have them as part of the rotation very soon. Jana and Sarah will also be on the court often because of their conspicuous physical and skills attributes, as well as their rich basketball smarts.

This season proved convincingly, around the country, that many freshmen come into the college game not only ready to play, but to excel. We'll have four youngsters who each have the potential to shine. Let's play them. It could be that any or all of them turn out to be better than what we have in KK and/or Ashlynn.

Injuries cost Paige her chance at being a four-year All-American. Perhaps one of our '24-25 frosh might join Maya as the Huskies' only four-year A-As?

Just one more point: all of you who have Azzi slotted in as a starter could be right, but I'm dubious she'll be as effective in the high-octane game Geno will want to play. Yes, she can pop in a few threes, but so can many others now on what should be a fun, entertaining, deep and darned good '24-25 Huskies team.

Bring on the next season, please...

Health (once again) will determine Azzi’s effctiveness and level of play. I have no doubt that if she is 100% healthy, she will be one of our top four players and will be a dominant scorer. The question is, can she return to, and stay 100% healthy?

 

[Bone Dog]

... all of you who have Azzi slotted in as a starter could be right, but I'm dubious she'll be as effective in the high-octane game Geno will want to play. Yes, she can pop in a few threes, but so can many others now on what should be a fun, entertaining, deep and darned good '24-25 Huskies team.

I wonder about this. You're not alone in projecting her as merely a shooter with insufficient mobility or athleticism to play a fuller role. Sort of like Taylor Mikesell in her last two seasons. This may be how it plays out, but I'm not convinced. She's very strong and clever. Even if she's lost a step and a bit of lateral mobility, she's smart enough to figure out how to alter her court presence to fit a slightly different set of skills.

In any event, I'll keep my hopes up that she regains all of her quickness and mobility... and above all, her nerve. You can't run with Paige without a lot of nerve and joie de vivre.

 

[Rudy1927]

Granted that Geno will have to experiment early on with this cornucopia of riches, and the aftermath of earlier injuries will still restrict Azzi and Aubrey at the beginning of the season but let's look ahead to what settled lineups might look like when everyone is (hopefully) healthy and available.

My expectation for the starters:

1 - Paige
2 - Azzi
3 - Allie
4 - Sarah
5 - Jana

Second starting 5:

1 - KK
2 - Ash
3 - Morgan
4 - Aubrey
5 - Ice

End of the Bench:

1 - Ines
2 - Caroline
3 - Q
4 - Yanna
5 - Amari

It's very hard to think that Q will likely be hard pressed to find minutes but Allie and Morgan were starters in the McDonald's All-American game (as was Sarah giving UCONN 30% of the MCD starters!). She may show up her need to play while Aubrey remains on the mend.

Over all, barring injuries I think this team could be not only number 12, but one of the strongest of Geno's many juggernauts!

Agree whole hearted. Those last 5 (and some are very good players ) probably will not see the floor much (if no injuries). There are no spots for them. This might be the deepest team of all time.

 

[Blueberries]

Paige, Azzi, Ice, KK and Ashlynn will start until someone does something otherwise. Griffin will come off the bench and Strong will sub for Ice.

Geno puts acpremium on experience and the knowns so he's not starting anyone unknown until they prove in practice and games they should be.

I’ll give the other 4, but I’m not convinced on Ice yet.

 

[jdote33]

Please explain what Ayanna did in her freshman season that will earn her a starting position early next season? Besides that, she is coming off an injury that sidelined her for this entire season, which means catching up. How can she possibly start over Ice (among other worthy teammates)?

This is fair. I should've specified that I put the lineup that I would like to see. There are a lot of unknowns on the roster, Ayanna is one of them for sure.

 

[Cuango]

I think the key to whether this team becomes the truly dominant juggernaut some of us expect next year will be determined by whether we maintain the incredible upgrade in our defensive play that turned our season around early in this past season! Our defense was really exceptional this season! Much better, imo than it has been in recent years. If we can maintain, or even improve on what our team was able to accomplish defensively this year, then the added depth and offensive talent we have either returning or coming in, could well make this a truly formidable team! Nika, unfortunately is moving on and will be very hard to replace but we do have several options for defensive stopper. Hopefully, one or more of those will want that role and we will be able to carry on the defensive improvement from this past season! I would think Aubrey, Q, and KK are the most likely candidates for that role!

 

[Bone Dog]

I think the key to whether this team becomes the truly dominant juggernaut some of us expect next year will be determined by whether we maintain the incredible upgrade in our defensive play that turned our season around early in this past season! Our defense was really exceptional this season! Much better, imo than it has been in recent years. If we can maintain, or even improve on what our team was able to accomplish defensively this year, then the added depth and offensive talent we have either returning or coming in, could well make this a truly formidable team! Nika, unfortunately is moving on and will be very hard to replace but we do have several options for defensive stopper. Hopefully, one or more of those will want that role and we will be able to carry on the defensive improvement from this past season! I would think Aubrey, Q, and KK are the most likely candidates for that role!

This is an excellent point. I'd only add that juggernaut status may depend on having a true rim protector, and if so then the key may be for Geno to do whatever it takes to realize Jana's potential. If that means giving her lots of minutes early on, then so be it. The team needs that girl. The success of Aubrey Q and KK in supplying the defensive intensity Nika brought every game will be that much easier if they're backed by Jana.

 

[Dynastic]

Starting 5: Paige, Azzi, Kk, Aubrey, Jana
First subs: Ice, Ashlynn, Sarah, Caroline, Allie, Morgan
Honorable Mention: Amari, Patterson, Ayanna, Ines, Q

Obviously things may change but Geno and crew put together a sisterhood of the traveling shorts, a family, but time will be earned.

 

[Centerstream]

Starting 5: Paige, Azzi, Kk, Aubrey, Jana
First subs: Ice, Ashlynn, Sarah, Caroline, Allie, Morgan
Honorable Mention: Amari, Patterson, Ayanna, Ines, Q

Obviously things may change but Geno and crew put together a sisterhood of the traveling shorts, a family, but time will be earned.

This is the same player...
But I like your picks except Aubrey won't be available until sometime in January, so Ice would probably be starting in her place in November and December.

 

[amishboy]

My only "contribution" here is to hope that, for the first time in at least three years, there are no season-ending or long-term injuries, and that Geno has the option of choosing the starting lineup from everyone on the roster!

[can I get an amen?!]

 

[cgshuskie]

I' witm down with Bone Dog, Paige, Azzi, Jana, Sarah and KK, Allie or Morgan or the big squad Paige, Azzi, Sarah, Ice and Jana. Wow!!!

 

[PJCLaw]

Geno had no choice but to have Paige play off the ball. I would like very much to revert to how Geno used Paige her first two years, on ball creating for others.

Do you really think that's best when she had a better year this year than her freshman year? She had a better all-around game, better rebounding, steals, blocked shots AND her scoring was better off the ball. I think she goes to the 3 and Azzi (or others) the 2 or vice versa, but not the 1.

 

[dtbtbtb]

The starting 5 n January will be (barring injuries):
Jana, Sarah, Paige, Azzi and KK with Aubrey the first of the bench.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Do you really think that's best when she had a better year this year than her freshman year? She had a better all-around game, better rebounding, steals, blocked shots AND her scoring was better off the ball. I think she goes to the 3 and Azzi (or others) the 2 or vice versa, but not the 1.

Yea but she was way more aggressive offensively when she brought the ball up the court and insisted the offense. She was at HER best this season with the ball in her hands, imo.

 

[SLY63]

There is no way KK doesn't start

 

[Rowdy831]

Last spring at this time everyone was talking about the depth and how difficult it would be for Geno to find minutes for everyone. I am hopeful that the string of injuries has run its course and everyone will be healthy from here on out. My expectation is that Strong will be a starter along with Ayanna and Jana with Paige and Azzi. This gives you good size, great shooting and leadership needed to win games.

I think KK will be a big factor next season with Morgan and Alli if they are the height advertised. Ash needs to work on speeding up her shot and extend her range to be more effective on the 3s. They could be really deep and really talented and could put a press team on the floor if Geno felt compelled to do so.

 

[Rowdy831]

There is no way KK doesn't start

You don't think Azzi and Paige will be the guards? The spot that seems to be open is the 4 and I expect Ayanna to be there if healthy to ensure they can control the lane. KK will play a lot of minutes but I don't think it will be as a starter.

 

[DEpup]

You don't think Azzi and Paige will be the guards? The spot that seems to be open is the 4 and I expect Ayanna to be there if healthy to ensure they can control the lane. KK will play a lot of minutes but I don't think it will be as a starter.

Yes and yes. Paige becomes the starting 3 guard, KK the 1 guard, and then Shade/Azzi share the starting 2 guard duties as Azzi gets back from injury.

 

[johnhelvete]

Yes and yes. Paige becomes the starting 3 guard, KK the 1 guard, and then Shade/Azzi share the starting 2 guard duties as Azzi gets back from injury.

I admit to being biased because I really like having two PG's on the floor together, so I obviously agree with you having Paige and KK in the starting lineup.

 

[maple]

My only contribution to this discussion is that next season can't come fast enough! Hopefully we remain injury free. Some of these lineups, if they pan out, will keep other coaches up at night.

 

[#12in21]

With Nika's departure, I'm wondering who replaces what she has done these past couple years. It's crazy to think about how dominate she has been in terms of assists, literally writing her name atop virtually all individual game, season and career assist categories. Imagine if she had played as many career games as Moriah, those additional 24 games at her career average/game would have put her over 800 career assists! As impressive as her impact in that area has been I think that will be the easier of her contributions to cover next year. I think Paige will exceed any of her own prior years totals, I expect a return to 'a big' dishing a lot of assists from the high post and a broader spread of assists across the other guards.

The challenge will be who becomes the defense leader that Nika has been these past two years? The biggest criticism of Nika over her career has been her lack of scoring (which many would argue, including myself, was more than offset by her overall contributions). This upcoming season we will have (barring injuries) a wealth of scoring potential. But who will have the hunger, commitment and desire to bring not only the intensity but the leadership that has been Nika's calling card these past two seasons. KK was freshman-Nika-like in her ability to disrupt but can/will she develop the sustained face guarding ability or singular leadership abilities of Nika. Aubrey has always been a great off ball defender and disrupter but can she show the sustained intensity that Nika possessed? Paige really was an exceptional defender this past season but would asking her to sustain that over forty minutes every game be what we want her focus to be? Maybe one of the new guys will develop into what we need or compensation will be more a team wide effort.

Somebody will have to be that one voice that keeps everybody on the same page. Nika has been that person for the past two seasons. She has been on the floor for more minutes than anyone else with defense as her primary focus. She has said that defense is what she loves most. Great defense has always been a hallmark of UConn wcbb's identity. So in composing a starting lineup next season how does replacing Nika's defensive impact play into whose on the floor, not just at the opening tip but as a sustained leadership presence?

 

[jdote33]

I guess this is more just general 24-25 roster discussion and I believe @Bone Dog has made this point but are freshman r so big. Lol. I didn't realize AZ was 6 ft. I watched some clips the other day and Cheli was legitimately playing point guard at 6'2. It's tough cuz I love kk but I love big guards. Talk about a position less team with Cheli, Paige, Strong, Caroline and Jana