My main concern with the Bruins has been athleticism. In the losses to USC, I felt they were the quicker, more athletic team—especially Watkins. We’ve got some high-level athletes on our roster, but they’re not necessarily our go-to players. That said, UConn is supposedly not as athletic as LSU, and we passed that test, which is encouraging.
Another big factor is Bueckers. By the third matchup with Watkins, we had a very clear game plan: take away her strong side and funnel her left, where help—especially Betts—was waiting. Gabby did an outstanding job executing that plan. Remember, Watkins went off in the first half when Gabby had to sit early with foul trouble, but in the second half, we really contained her.
The question now is: will we use a similar approach against Bueckers? Auriemma is a great coach and has no doubt studied our strategy closely. Will they be ready for it?
Close gave a great interview on the radio where she expressed concern about UConn’s outside shooting. She emphasized the need to close out on their shooters but also pointed out that they don’t have an answer for Betts. Expect them to throw everything they can at trying to deny her the ball.
This one’s shaping up to be a great game.