UConn womens basketball game vs. DePaul postponed due to lack of available players
UConn’s women’s basketball game vs. DePaul on Sunday has been postponed because the Huskies are under the conference minimum of seven available scholarship players, the program announced Friday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Junior Aaliyah Edwards and freshman Ayanna Patterson were injured during the Huskies’ game against Xavier on Thursday. They join sophomore Caroline Ducharme, sophomore Azzi Fudd, junior Paige Bueckers and freshman Ice Brady as inactive players.
- The Big East will attempt to reschedule the game in accordance with the parameters of its game cancelation policy, according to UConn’s announcement.
- UConn is also without coach Geno Auriemma, who is taking time away from the team to focus on his health.
- UConn, 13-2 on the season, is the No. 5 team in the nation.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Just how bad it is it for UConn?
The injury bug hit UConn early this year, starting with season-long injuries for Bueckers and Brady before the games even tipped off. The Huskies only have 12 scholarship players out of a potential maximum of 15; coaches are often loath to use the full 15 because there are too many players to all be a part of the rotation, but the limited depth does leave the program more exposed if and when injuries occur. Over the last two seasons, UConn has acutely felt that pain.
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Bueckers and Fudd were both out for multiple weeks last year, and the two are on the sideline yet again, this time joined by too many of their teammates. Combine that with Auriemma missing time with illness and the passing of his mother, and it’s fair to wonder about the emotional toll that all these injuries and absences are having on the team. — Merchant
How had the Huskies been playing?
Even with a depleted roster, UConn has been playing at a top-10 level all season and is currently No. 5 in the country. Their only two losses are to other ranked teams — one to No. 4 Notre Dame in the game Fudd went down, and the other to No. 13 Maryland when they were also missing point guard Nika Mühl, who leads the country in assists.
The Huskies have continued to string together convincing wins thanks to the interior dominance of Edwards, the playmaking of Mühl, and the shooting of Lou Lopez Sénéchal, and they belong in the conversation of national contenders even without Bueckers. Nevertheless, it’s probably for the best that the remaining players aren’t stretched any further and that the team gets a brief respite within this grueling run. — Merchant
What they’re saying
UConn director of athletics David Benedict said in a statement: “At UConn, the health and wellbeing of our student-athletes will always be our top priority. Our women’s basketball program has unfortunately been affected by an unprecedented number of injuries this season. While it’s unfortunate that we need to postpone Sunday’s game, it’s the right call to protect the safety of our student-athletes. We will work with the Big East and DePaul on options to reschedule the game.”
“The wellbeing of our players is first and foremost,” UConn associate head coach Chris Dailey said in a statement. “We look forward to rescheduling the game with DePaul.”
(Photo: M. Anthony Nesmith / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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