The second-ranked UConn Huskies women’s basketball team has a clean 6-0 run this season. However, when they clashed against the Ole Miss Rebels, it looked as if that was to end especially when the game came close in the third quarter. While Paige Bueckers & Co. avoided what would have been a disheartening loss, their weaknesses were exposed, and the same was admitted by their HC, Geno Auriemma.

On Wednesday’s post-game presser after a win against the Rebels, Auriemma shared the Huskies’ major flaws, which had everyone thinking if they could fulfill their dreams of winning a national title this year.

“So we knew… we talked about it at halftime that there was going to be a marked difference in their approach. And how they were going to attack us and we lost a little bit of our… a little bit of our composure. And we lost a little bit of our defensive toughness, our defensive intensity and…,” Auriemma stated. 

The Huskies played against the eighteenth-ranked Rebels in the final of the Baha Mar Women’s Championship on Wednesday. While the Auriemma-coached team did well in the first half, scoring 37 as opposed to the team’s 18 points, the third quarter could be tagged as the comeback quarter for the Miss Rebels. The Rebels went ahead on a run of 15 points to minimize the gap to 41-38, which showed that Bueckers and her teammates weren’t really up on the defensive end.

“They’re… they’re really good at attacking you one on one, and finishing at the glass. You know they’re able to give themselves second and third and fourth opportunities, and I think one thing led to another for us. One thing led to another negatively, and for them, one thing led to another and they built on it positively,” Auriemma added.

While the Rebels cut the Hueskies 18 points lead to three in less than 3 minutes, penetrating their defense again and again, the Storrs-based team had eight turnovers. Hence, while things started to improve for their opponents, Auriemma and his mentees suffered issues in their offensive runs during that time.

“So, as much as you hate to see it happen, it gave us an opportunity to regroup and play that fourth quarter and take control of the game again. But I’m not surprised at all at how that third quarter played out from their end. Little bit surprised on our end, but that’s why we came down here. We have five players that have never played at UConn, so it’s a learning experience for everybody,” Auriemma concluded.

Nonetheless, the Huskies star Azzi Fudd responded in time with a three-pointer, jumper, and a buzzer-beater that brought her team back into the game as the scoreboard reflected a 52-46 tally in their favor going up in the fourth quarter. Overall, the Rebels outdid the Huskies by a 28-15 margin during the third quarter but were stopped in time by Bueckers & Co. to win the game by a 73-60 tally. However, Auriemma did not only have negatives to think of.

Geno Auriemma praises Azzi Fudd

While the Huskies did have a difficult third quarter that could have taken the game away from them, fortunately, Fudd as mentioned before hit from beyond the arc, a jumper, and a buzzer-beater to set things right for her team. When Auriemma had asked Fudd to take the court in the game, it was rather surprising since she had only scored 3 and 4 points in the previous two games against Oregon State and Farlkeigjh Dickinson. But in this game, the 22-year-old did not disappoint, and Auriemma was all praises for her.

“Well, we knew at some point it was going to be comfortable for her… It just takes some time. I was even surprised at how comfortable and aggressive she was. But, you know, when you consider how hard she’s worked and how much time she’s put in, this is probably the best version of herself physically since her junior year in high school.,” Auriemma stated once the game was over.

Overall, Fudd plied her trade for 28 minutes, hitting a season-high 18 points, with 4 rebounds, a singular assist, and a block. Furthermore, she hit 8-out-11 from the field along with a 1oput of 3 from beyond the arc. A good performance from someone who couldn’t play much of the last season due to an ACL and meniscus tear. And hence, the 11x NCAA Championship winning coach was impressed. Hopefully, Fudd will continue her performances, and Bueckers & Co. will cover up their flaws so that they can go for their dream of winning the title this year.