Bracketologists were not in favor of the UCONN Huskies Women’s Basketball team entering the 2016-2017 season. Bracketologists had the Huskies ranked third at the start of the season, even though they had come off an undefeated season and their fourth consecutive NCAA Championship title. So why was this college basketball juggernaut ranked relatively low, for them?
At the start of every season, it is almost a no-brainer to see the UCONN Huskies ranked number one in the nation. The reason why they were ranked third this year is because the Huskies had lost their top three players, who ended up being the first three players drafted in the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association). That is the first time in school history that the WNBA has chosen three players from the same school to go 1-2-3 in a draft. The three players were Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson, and Morgan Tuck, respectively.
Breanna Stewart was the number one overall pick and went to the Seattle Storm. She was the perfect pick to help a team that desperately needed rebuilding after a disappointing 10-24 season. During her time at UCONN, she was viewed as the LeBron James of the UCONN Huskies. In her debut game as a freshman at UCONN, Stewart led the team with 21 points in a 103-39 Huskies victory. During Stewart’s career at UCONN she averaged a total of 17.6 points per game (PPG) which was followed up with a career 53% field goal percentage (FG%). She graduated with a total of 2,676 career points in her four years.
Stewart went right back to playing in May after her NCAA season ended in March. Stewart led the Storm to a better 16-18 season where she averaged 18.3 PPG, good enough for sixth in the WNBA, 9.3 rebounds per game (RPG), good enough for second in the WBNA, and 1.9 blocks per game, which was good enough for third in the WNBA in 2016. She was able to do all that when she played all 34 games as a rookie. She was dubbed WNBA Rookie of the Year. Stewart looks to be a competitor next season as well when the Storm play the Los Angeles Sparks on May 13th.
The second overall pick, Moriah Jefferson, also had a very impressive career at UCONN. Jefferson was drafted second by the San Antonio Stars. The stars drafted Jefferson for some help backcourt when All-Star Guard, Danielle Robinson, was out for the season due to an injury. Jefferson was flattered to play for San Antonio because she would have to opportunity to play in front of her family, since she is from Houston, Texas. During Jefferson’s career at UCONN her numbers consisted of 9.9 PPG, a 55% field-goal percentage, and a total of 1,532 points.
During Jefferson’s first year with the Stars, she continued her success from UCONN. She had an average of 13.9 points per game, which was the second most on the team. Jefferson led the team in assists per game with 4.2 and led the team in minutes played with 1,034. With this impressive first year, Jefferson secured her spot on the team for the next year. The Stars then traded All-Star Guard, Danielle Robinson, when she recovered from surgery. Jefferson will be the starting Guard for the Stars this season when they play the New York Liberty opening night on May 13th.
Morgan Tuck was the third overall pick and the third straight UCONN player drafted. Tuck was drafted by the Connecticut Sun, who play at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Tuck was also a key asset to the Huskies and their successful run for four straight WNCAA Championships. In four years, Tuck compiled an average of 11.3 PPG, a 53.5% field-goal percentage, and a total of 1,298. Tuck was thrilled to know that she would be playing for Connecticut in the next step of her career.
Out of the top three draft picks, Tuck was the only one to not play the entire 34 games. The Connecticut Sun looked to Tuck for some help after a disappointing 15-19 season in 2015. In 26 games, Tuck averaged 7 points per game and had a 41% field-goal percentage. The Suns had another disappointing 14-20 season. Tuck and the Suns look to play the Atlanta Dream at home on opening day.
With these players gone, you are probably wondering how UCONN is doing tremendously well. In fact, they just won their 100th straight game. Even though this program’s top three players graduated, the UCONN Huskies are still undefeated (knock on wood). The Huskies were ranked third entering the year. Now, let me introduce you to the “Next Big Three” for UCONN.
To start off, Katie Lou Samuelson picked up right where Breanna Stewart left off. In Samuelson’s freshman year, she was able to learn a lot from Senior Breanna Stewart. During that year, Samuelson averaged 11 PPG and 2.2 APG, the majority of which went to Breanna Stewart. Now that Stewart is gone, Samuelson has stepped into a leadership position in just her sophomore year. Samuelson is currently tied for fourteenth in the nation for PPG at 20.6. Samuelson posted a career high 34 points during a 98-58 win against Tulsa. Samuelson looks to lead the Huskies to their fifth consecutive WNCAA Championship. Since Samuelson is a sophomore, she is one of the members on the team that have never experienced a loss because of the win streak.
Next in line is Forward, Napheesa Collier. Collier is currently ranked 24th in PPG with 19.3. Collier’s 66.9% field-goal percentage is good enough for third in the nation. Collier had her career high in points opening day against FSU, where she pulled up for 28 points in a tight 78-76 victory. Collier played in 38 games last year and had an average 6.8 PPG. In just one year, she was able to produce three times the amount of PPG. Since Collier is only a sophomore, she is another player that has never experienced a loss during her time at UCONN. Since the top two scorers on the Huskies are only sophomores, this program looks as if it will continue to be bright for years to come.
The third big name for the Huskies is Junior, Kia Nurse. Nurse is one of the few players remaining on this team that experienced the 88-86 overtime loss to Stanford. In that game, Nurse was only a freshman and saw little playing time, but still managed to score 9 points on the night. Nurse scored a career-high 33 points in a 91-46 victory over the 15th ranked team in the country, the DePaul Blue Demons. However, during a game against South Carolina, Nurse suffered an ankle injury. She did return to play in the second half, but only for about six minutes until she exited again. With only three games left, Nurse may not see any more playing time until March Madness due to precaution. However, Geno says she will be a game time decision when they play Temple.
The UCONN Huskies are no doubt the best dynasty in sports history in my mind. Coach Geno Auriemma has led his team to four consecutive season. He also holds the three longest winning streaks in college basketball. On February 13th, the UCONN Huskies continued to make history. In a 66-55 victory over South Carolina, Geno and the Huskies recorded their 100th straight win, including the postseason. They then extended this to 101 games after a tight 63-60 win over Tulane. That is the closest any team has come to beating the Huskies since the first game of the season against FSU, where the Huskies won 78-76.
The Huskies will search for their fifth consecutive championship in a row. A championship is almost expected every year in Storrs, Connecticut. The Huskies weren’t ranked number one at the start of the season like they usually are, but Auriemma was able to pull together yet another impressive team and by the seventh game of the season, the Huskies were back on top. Even though they lost their three best players, the responsibility was dispersed amongst three more players who worked hard and were willing to take on the challenge of filling huge shoes. Led by sophomore Katie Lou Samuelson, the Huskies are on the verge of making history yet again by extending their winning streak, and earning their fifth consecutive championship.
