The portal could be the only alternative for another playable C type for next year, if Amari doesn't deliver this year. The high school bigs have mostly decided, or we are not in the hunt. Next year's candidates for the 5 are Ice and Amari. Ice is recovering from injury, has no game experience, and may be a better 4 than 5, but can play the 5.
Since she will have a chance to show something this year, by next year Amari will either be part of the answer at the 5, or an afterthought that is not part of the plan. If the later picking up a C in the portal will be critical. Even if Amari looks like the real deal and you have confidence in Ice next year, I still would pursue a decent contingency backup, perhaps a grad transfer with experience that if needed could hold down the fort when injuries hit.
We believe that Uconn pursued several bigs in the 2023 class. We had success recruiting at positions 1-3, but have not landed another big, particularly C type. Unless I am missing something, we have one big hope left, namely El Alfy from abroad. She seems to have enough talent to be play significant minutes in her freshmen year, and take some if not most of the C minutes next year. If we don't get her, and Amari disappoints the portal will be a necessity. If we do get her, and Amari comes up big, we probably have nothing to worry about.