there is a possibility UConn Women’s Basketball The team has just seven players available when they play against Maryland on Sunday.
And in fact, only five of these players are going all out.
The No. 6 Huskies may be without point guard Nika Mühl when they visit the No. 20 Terps.Mule to start at point guard instead Paige Bookers (missed this season due to an ACL injury), this season suffered an apparent head injury three minutes into the third quarter. UConn beat Princeton.
If she misses, she would be the sixth of UConn’s 12 players to miss at least one game due to injury this season. It is also the second time in the past season-and-a-half that a team has had only seven players available in a single match (UConn won 63–55 on January 9, 2022 and only had seven available). did) Clayton).
“We can’t change the situation we’re in. That’s the way it is,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said after Thursday’s game.
UConn did not provide an update on Mühl’s situation on Friday morning, and a spokesperson said there is no timeline for an update.
Mule hit the Princeton player’s shoulder under the basket and was hit in the back of the head again by his knee when teammate Aaliyah Edwards fell to the ground. Mule lay motionless on the court for at least a minute until the team’s trainer and coach came to his aid.
She needed help getting up and standing before leaving the court and entering the locker room. never returned to the bench.
“She’s in the locker room saying she feels good,” Auriemma said after the game. “So I see. We’ll know more tomorrow. Hopefully it’s nothing.”
If Mule (leading the nation with 9.8 assists per game) is out, she’ll be Buckers, freshman Ice Brady (out a year with a dislocated patella), Azi Fad (out 3-6 weeks with a knee injury), and on the bench. Dorka Jukhash (broken thumb).
Juhász’s initial diagnosis was that he would miss three games after breaking his thumb against Texas on November 14. In Thursday’s game, she missed her sixth straight. The alumni forward has returned to practice, but Auriema didn’t have a clear answer as to whether he would be ready by Sunday.
“When someone gets hurt, there has to be a mental part that has to be dealt with,” Auriema said. “I mean, if someone says to you, ‘Okay, you can go,’ you have to be mentally prepared. If not, it’s not going to work. And my conversation with Dorka means she’s not there… yet.”
Not all are perfectly healthy when it comes to players UConn has available.
Lou Lopez Senechal has been dealing with a sore foot in recent weeks, which he fine-tuned during Thursday’s game. She had her last four minutes out of her seat for safety. Lopez Seneschal said after the match that she was “fine” and that Auriemma was watching over her for her safety.
And despite starting in Fudd’s place, Caroline Ducharme is still coming back from a stiff neck that kept her out of the UConn exhibition and season opener. She played 29 minutes yesterday, but she spent most of the 3rd and 4th quarters on the bench, scoring 4 fouls and she recorded 5 turnovers.
Without Mule, UConn’s starting lineup could be more forward-heavy, with the likes of Lopez Seneschal, Aubrey Griffin, Edwards, Ducharme, Ayanna Patterson or Amari Debery. Alternatively, Auriemma could take a chance on her freshman Inez Bettencourt and have her start in place of Mule at her point guard.
However, no matter who starts, Sunday’s game (as Thursday’s game ended) will be down to seven players and what they do on the court.
“If you say, ‘At some point, we need to have this lineup in the last three minutes of the game,’ I don’t think it’s possible,” Auriemma said. “Sometimes the only way to be prepared for something like that is to actually be in that situation and then see how you handle it.”
Auriemma later added: Changes don’t last long, so I’ll be the first to go out. please arrange “
It doesn’t help that two of UConn’s seven players are averaging less than 10 minutes a game, and have only played six of UConn’s eight games (Bettencourt has only played five). not). Together, Debery and Bettencourt have made 10 of 14 shots so far this season, and Debery played his career-best 26 minutes on Thursday.
“You look at the[injured player’s]bench and say, ‘Every kid on the bench is someone we expect to score points for.’ And now we have the team on the court. It makes me stand, but one thing I don’t think they’re happy about is scoring points,” Auriema said. “And you don’t know how you can win without a shot or a score? So it’s not a question of X and O. It’s a question of the mindset they suddenly have to acquire, and can they do it? I don’t know.”
The Huskies aren’t the only team with a short bench on Sunday.
Maryland only has 9 players available.
The Terps lost both sophomore Emma Chardon (meniscus tear) and junior Allie Kubek (ACL) to season-ending injuries. Freshman guard Ava Sciorra missed Thursday’s game at Purdue with an illness, while her fellow freshman Mila Reynolds is spending the day with a lower body injury.
UConn avoided a losing streak on Thursday as an estimated 40 points and at least 15 assists (Mule and Bookers) sat on the bench without three starting pitchers.
After Sunday, the Huskies will hopefully be able to take a break between games next week for the Finals, giving everyone who needs it (almost all players at this point) some rest and plenty of recovery time.
Maggie.Vanoni@hearstmediact.com @maggie_vanoni
