I'm just looking forward to seeing a bench full of active players and not worrying about fatigue or fouls. As South Carolina proved this past year , a team that can come at you in waves in most instances can overcome a star player.

Lordy. Just listening to you run through the roster!! I cannot wait for next year!!

Great analysis, if they stay healthy. UConn has a great chance to go all the way. I don’t understand people who get all upset about UConn. If it weren’t for UConn, women’s basketball wouldn’t have grown as big as it has. Don’t forget UConn is the Epicenter of College Basketball Men’s And Women’s. Bow To The Huskies Mongrels. Don’t Ever Forget It.

You make some very solid points. UCONN is going be really tough this coming year and they will be loaded on the bench as well, I believe they will be similar to South Carolina depth wise, but very different styles of play. I think all the youth on the team is going to develop very well!

Ziebell put up 13 pts in the McDonald's All-America game this year, she also won the 3-point contest, and Ziebell did better than the women and men in that contest.

The depth on this UConn team is incredible, they are going have an amazing 2024-2025 season for sure

I was super impressed by Cheli in the mcdaag. She made some great assists and I saw a play where she ran from one end of the court to the other to grab the rebound and then make a put back layup. That impressed me a lot. She also made a good midranger and 3pter. She’s super underrated and I can’t wait to see her at UConn!!

When healthy, Caroline Ducharme, a 6'-2" senior guard is possibly Uconn's second or third best player. Azzi Fudd was the number one recruit in her class. Azzi is a is a gifted and seasoned junior ready to make her mark at Uconn. Aubry Griffin is an athletic uber talented 6"-1" small forward with four years experience. Geno will go with his veterans while coaching up his talented freshmen and sophomores.

Shade is a pure shooter and improved her defense and rebounding by the end of the season. kK is fast and can drive the lanes with running one handers. She’s quick enough along with Paige to get in the passing lanes and steal passes to start the break. Ice, Q and Griffin are all excellent athletes and keep improving. Mind over-training, you can do a lot in 45 minute sessions like Nika Muhl stated as she practiced shooting 3 pointers during the season with the assistant coach. Welcome the transfers student athletes, welcome the freshman players and remember March Madness creeps up on you fast. Go UCONN Go Huskies Women’s basketball 🏀

Everyone sells Allie Ziebel short but she is the most accurate shooter on team and Geno loves the 3 pointer.

I hope you got it right because it looks terrific! Should be an exciting year for us Husky fans who live in CT. We love our players!

Pretty solid takes as always.

Good thinking. I would add the sad reminder, 4 returning players are coming off of injuries and 3 of them have long, habitual histories: Griffin, Ducharme and Fudd. It’s hard to believe that all of them will be…or stay healthy. This wealth of depth is much needed insurance.

Geno will soon be the all time winningest college basketball coach. The Stanford coach has retired and she was only 3 or 4 wins ahead of Geno.

Excellent Take!

Quadence is player that will really benefit from another year in the weight room.

Big time recruiting class!! I’ve seen game film on AZ, she shoots 3 really well. She was only high school Player at on u-19 national team so must be good. Going to be loaded with depth in 24/25 to minimize injuries. LG!!

While basic math indicates a roster of 15 with players graduating every four years a team needs 3 3/4 new players every year. However a roster of six to eight top players is what wins the NC. Geno has done it with that while playing only six for 190+ minutes in the important games. I think the results of the 2023 class - KK, Ash and Q - showed Geno's ability to bring in players that outperform predictions.

Very interesting to say the least. My eye is on the beginning of the season and what players have clearance to play full games and how they react and respond. Time will tell and see what players live up to expectations and potential. If they can pull off obtaining portal transfer Beers I give them a real solid chance at getting #12 this year.

Love it

What Geno needs is a bench full of healthy players so that they/he can play his game which is constant pressure on the opposing guards and create turnovers. With the # of guards he has this should be good enough..Like the idea of getting Beers which Uconn needs. They have NO bigs has backups..Basically small forwards....Looking forward to see Paige play 'her' game'...Not at small forward which she did all last year....Geno most likely bring these players in slowly - Azzi, Griffin, Caroline and Patterson because of their injuries..Go huskies..

4 UConn videos in two weeks? Are you planning on doing similar breakdowns with other top programs? Just curious. Love your channel.

I think the starting lineup that Geno would eventually like to see next season would be Jana, Sarah, Caroline, Azzi, and Paige (Aubrey first off the bench).

Please also let us know which teams you believe did best in the transfer portal when it's finalized. The transfer portal is becoming almost as important as incoming recruiting classes as far as helping improve a team's outlook on the upcoming season.

The 3 freshmen plus red shirt Ice have all been forged in the fire of March Madness. Presumably, most or all of the injured will be back playing. With Paige coming back and whatever new people coming in UConn will be a power.

I am really excited for next year. (Unless they win the Natty, when Geno might retire... but that's another tale. It's coming anyway, we just don't know when.) Your guess is as good as anyone's. I agree Geno will want to be careful of Azzi and Aubrey. As for the rest... let the big dog eat!

Sounds like a solid team with some depth I do wish we had a big girl for the center position

I believe we have a week before the portal closes, lets see what we have at that time first.

Given the incredible injury history of most of these players it's nearly impossible to predict a lineup. And given that they just graduated 2 of their most durable players, 2024-25 could be even more turbulent. If Fudd appears to be healthy I think she'll be joined in the starting lineup by Arnold, Bueckers, El Alfy, and Strong. But a lot depends on things we do really understand: 1) Where will the inevitable injuries strike, and 2) How quickly do the 4 newcomers figure things out.

The last two positions that are open. Who will Geno and Staff select, whos available ?.

USC's class was ranked #1 even BEFORE Avery Howell and Kayleigh Heckel rose 12-15 spots each in the ranking

If I had to guess the starting lineup, I would have Paige Azzi Ashlynn Sarah Jana (or Raegan if she comes to UConn)

UConn gets the #1 rank HS recruit almost every year. That's nuts!

1. Geno is still a high level, exceptional coach, but the sport has evolved and surpassed his 11 championship system. You have to be dynamic in using everything you have in order to win in 2024-2025. You never know what you will get with freshman or players returning from injury. Transfer grads and seniors with character are your best bet. Can UCONN get lucky like SC with PaoPao, or will UCONN end up like LSU with Van Lith when they needed her in a big spot? 2. Kaitlyn Chen from Princeton would be a perfect fit because she gives you quiet leadership which Paige doesnt want to provide, she is smart, she has a high basketball IQ, and she has a solid skill set. She perfectly fills in the gap from Nika Muhls departure and can be a glue for a team full of questionable players for 2024-2025. She also allows UCONN to slowly integrate Azzi and wait for her to come back at her own speed!! 3. Practice is important, but once UCONN gets 14-15 players, it is no small task keeping them happy and getting them the proper opportunity to play and develop. (Deberry, Betancourt, Sonaya Chong, S Poffenbarger, Gabriel Piath, Andra Espinoza-Hunter etc.) SC Gamecocks put on a clinic on how to get this done. Geno's old caste system of playing 1st string, 2nd string subs, and 3rd string last two minutes of 4th quarter with 20 point lead will become an issue moving forward... 4. Ducharme had her day in the sun when she saved UCONN's season when Paige went down the first time... Ever since the first concussion, she has been a questionable player and only is still in conversation because Geno LOVES her, I hope she and her family do what will keep her safe and healthy. 6. Azzi, Aubrey, Ayanna, and El Alfy are ALL recovery question marks. Any incoming freshman playing will put a strain on someone's playing time. Next years team's only definite playing time solid core are Paige, Shade, and KK. Geno will have to prove he can coach in 2024 still by reloading using the transfer portal, stop being stubborn and show he has learned from Coaches Staley and Hurley on how to win in 2024. 2000 through 2014 are in the past and gone!!!

Hey...I have to agree with "@go2hvn2008" and "Captain Will...of SC Gamecocks's fame" I will have to go with South Carolina (SC) and USC having a better incoming freshman class for 2024-25 than UConn...And I would give the edge to SC because the players that Dawn Staley recruit...can ball but straight out play defense! And as you mentioned the Transfer Portal usually, which has become a major force multiplier in WCB isn't a major concern for South Carolina because their top-rated recruits normally stay at SC for their 4-years of eligibility with most being drafted into the W...which is a huge recruiting perk for Dawn Staley's SC Gamecocks (and the same can be said for Geno at UConn.)

Yeah, Captain Will is all over everything SC Gamecocks; so, if I want to know anything South Carolina Gamecocks, I just tune into his channel. Nevertheless, I always watch your videos to get insider’s analysisanalysis of what’s going on in the world of college basketball as well as the WNBA but mainly for women’s college basketball so keep the videos coming-thank you.

@back2sports988 the last day to enter the transfer portal is May 1. That’s probably when we’ll get final announcements. UConn is hesitant to announce transfers so they can keep who they already have. I really think Beers is a done deal to Storrs.

I think Fudd will start but she will sub out at the 5 min break of the 1st, come back in after the 5min break of the 2nd, start the 3rd etc, and not play the 4th when they are up by 20 or more, I think the Starting lineup will be Paige, Fudd, Shade, Strong, Brady. I think Caroline will not start barring some miraculous recovery and her shot becoming more consistent. Griffin will be the supper sub for Strong and Shade and KK for Paige or Shade. The team is best with Paige as the full time point. Now this is what I think it will look like week 1, it may change once the season gets going. If El Alfy plays good in early games and manages to reinforce Geno's comments she will gain his trust and could become a starter or get heavy min depending on how Ice is playing. Cheli's length will have Geno wanting to get her out there some if she plays well she may play more this will be the same for Caroline, but if they play bad early we know by the time March comes around you have to have gained his trust to get on the floor. And as for what is playing good or bad I think effort, not turning the ball over, and defensive awareness is 70% of what makes up Geno's mind - shooting I think is secondary. I expect a lot more subbing than we have seen in 4-5 years.

If Uconn gets a portal player another possibility is KiKi from Stanford Uconn was in her top 4 out of HS.

They still need a big... Someone around 6'5... They need to rebound and dominate

Yes ranking are subjective but that #6 ranking not only did not include strong but did not take into account that Cheli is now #11 she was #18 at the time it was "calculated". Only USC has an argument IMO to maybe be considered #1 over UConn due to quantity ( not counting El Alfy) . While I consider El Alfy part of last years class , as far as freshman now becoming available to play (assuming no injuries before the season starts) Uconn may have the strongest class. Many people called El Alfy raw because she was from Egypt (many having only seen a few seconds of film). However, her father is a national coach and at the FIBA U19 World cup (before she injured her ankle in the last game) she was one of the most dominant players with 21pts and 11 reb per game , in the African Championship she averaged 24 and 11.5 ..she showed spurts of fairly good athleticism (these games are on YT if you look). Now the others Zeibell's father is also a coach, both of Strong's parents were College Players and have helped coach her, and Cheli's AAU coach is the same coach that coached Haley Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, Chelsey Gray, and Evina Westbrook. Cheli;s HS team is currently one of the top teams in the country. For me this means I think should something happen most of these players should be able to contribute. Now the team like we all hoped last year (provided no major injuries) has the depth that they should not need to play too much. I think Strong will get on the floor and El Alfy also ..Zeibell and Cheli's playing my depend on the health of Fudd and Shade (for Zeibell) and Griffin and Ducharme (for Cheli). Now all that being said Cheli is really a big PG/ Point Forward so should injuries happen at that position (god forbid) she also could see some min. It is a very good class from in that they should be fairly prepared to play due to their backgrounds and Strong and Cheli offer flexibility due to their skills and size with Strong able to play post or wing and Cheli able to be a big guard or wing (I love Cheli's she is an excellent on ball defender, good shot blocker, takes people to the hoop, yet has decent range, and above average passing skills averaging 7.3 assists this year. She also, when watching her HS team, is not hesitant to take the initiative if things become stagnate.)

I think Uconn is going to rely on the proven players from this season along with the incoming freshmen, reserving the gimp squad to bench minutes, especially at first. Geno knows who he can rely on: Paige, Ashlynn, KK, and will fill in with the freshmen and returning sophomores.

I'm a bit concerned about the lack of experience, especially in the front court. UConn has traditionally taken quite a while to develop their bigs, so I'm not sure if we'll see any of them stand out right away. Ice and Ayanna are the only ones who have actually played for UConn but they would need to make quantum leaps compared to what they've already shown. I suspect the starters will be Sarah and Jana. I wouldn't be surprised if Sarah chose UConn knowing there was a starting position just waiting for her there. I suspect Ice should get solid minutes off the bench, if she continues to improve like she did at the end of last year. Of course, if they can get Raegan Beers out of the portal, she'd probably be a starter. How well the frontcourt develops over the year will determine how far they can go against the better teams in the tournament that already have established post players. I'm still afraid of the fragility of both Paige and Azzi but I hope we finally get to see what them playing together in top form actually looks like. In fact, we still haven't seen the best of Azzi yet. Obviously, they would both be starters by the end of the year but Geno may limit Azzi's minutes to begin with, much like he did with Paige last year. Caroline has shown so much potential early in her career and it would be great to see her return to form. She has always played better as a starter than off the bench, so if she's not well enough to start, I wonder how much of a contribution she can make. The same question holds for Ash and KK, how well can they play off the bench, since I don't think that they would have been starters last year if the bench wasn't so thin. I expect at least one of the incoming freshmen to outplay one or both of them. Still, they are two of the few players that have experience playing for Geno, so maybe that counts for something. Aubrey should be solid off the bench, if she stays health. Geno has never played the whole bench, so there will be some that will fail to impress him enough to get significant playing time. Again, with a team that lacks much experience outside of a few players, competition will be stiff and how well they play off the bench will determine how deep Geno will go. Fingers crossed. This team has lots of potential. That doesn't stop me from worrying about their injury proneness or their lack of experience, especially in the post. Go Huskies!

Goal 1 is to win numbers 12. Uconn has the same problem South Carolina had in 2024, playing time for starters for other teams.

The 3 who started this year will start next year. Paige, Shade ( Azzi’s knee might make her have to start the season slowly), Jana, Sarah with KK the favorite to be starting PG but acknowledging that even though she is a freshman Morgan is a winner and a sneaky great Magic Johnson type tall playmaker. Audrey, Azizi, CD, Q and Ice will be first off the bench, though Geno may go 10-12 deep in many games as the team’s offensive potential is scary. Ice could start over Jana if she wants it badly enough; just needs confidence. Q will be the surprise. Kid can ball just needs to get better at D and off ball movement. I am hoping they get the big from Stanford cause if they do she is an instant starter and the team will be able to hang with SC.

I've been a UCONN fan for over 20 yrs and I've learned to be skeptical when Geno starts throwing flowers at a player we haven't really seen play at UCONN. Geno is attempting to get her be prepared for an aspect of the job that he will require of her but has his doubts abt her taking to it naturally. Call me skeptical but I've seen it before at UCONN. Anyway I will keep my fingers crossed on Jana El Alfy. Btw Sarah strong reminds me of a young Mya Moore. I would love to have Raegan Beers as the starter at center with Jana coming along off the bench and growing into the role. At power forward I see Sarah Strong as the starter with Ice Brady as the backup. Then there is Paige, Shade and KK Arnold as starters initially at the start of the season but this will be very fluid Azzi and Q and the freshmen will be pushing for time like crazy. If they remain healthy Geno will be able to play at a pace he prefers to play at which is fast and intense which can sometimes result in opponents being run off the court..

Btw I'm getting worried as Raegan Beers was visiting OK or OK State yesterday. While her ex teammate, Talia von Oelhoffen was having a great time at Kentucky yday too.

UCONN needs a few big beasts up front.

"may you live in interesting times"

So, did UConn get anybody outta the transfer portal ...?

Fudd will start..her minutes may be limited but she is a sharp shooter

Nothing to add. You nailed it as far as I'm concerned. As an aside, and I think this speaks volumes, is that Geno and his staff only recruit great kids, from great parenting homes. So mature, so balanced, no head cases.

KK will be Paige's backup and they will split their time. Cheli will play small forward leaving Shade at guard with Paige. Azzi will be brought along slowly due to injury history. Allie will play when Shade is having an off night.

interesting. With Ziebell as the #7 I would have thought she'd be the one competing with Samuels, not Cheli.

LSU had 1 class last year. Look what it did. SC had uconn

Actually Pat Summit at Tennessee began the womens popularity. Also we can always say who had the best freshmen class at the END of the season not the BEGINNING!

How is USC's class better when UConn has three players in the Top 11?

Why does UConn turn into Yukon. Maybe another cc service!

Why do have to worry about starters? How about having 10 starters like SC ? Everybody stay safe first of all like you said.

What @spinecat said.

We have to get rid of the stigma of coming off of the bench. WE NEED DEPTH! FULL STOP! Nothing wrong with a talented, packed bench. We need to get back to UConn dominance for a while. The disrespect is palpable.

Kara Wolters tallest player in UConn history at 6’7. What is his problem recruiting tall players? He needs to get on board with everyone else. 6’3-4 in the post is just a tall guard as far as he’s concerned.

The starting lineup will be paige,azz,caroline,ice and alfy

Here in CT we got GENO!!!!! And, we have the amazing staff from top to bottom.

No question but with the addition of Sarah Strong UConn has the best Freshman class. This girl will be better than Aliyah Boston ended her career by her Soph season. Her playing in the Post alongside El Alfy will finally round out Geno's 'BIG' shortage and complement his star-studded Backcourt.

U Conn better load up ... because you know - Injuries will happen . Caroline and Fudd . If healthy

Alot IF's in this video

Disagree with the starting 5- Give the freshmen some time to learn the system- Shade and Arnold had to step in because of injuries- they played great luckily, but no doubt it was a forced move. There were times they still made mega-freshman decisions despite their talents. They learned a lot so will see good minutes, but there is lots of older proven talent there. The coaches will use the depth and give everyone effective minutes. Other teams would love to have the depth problems UConn will have next year! AVOID INJURIES!

Jana is pronounced Yana

Dont forget becker coming bac and so isthat orther girl

Kk backing up??? lol no way buddy

1.Southern California 2. South Carolina, 3. Uconn 4. Ucla

Cheli looked pretty good at the jordan brand classic. i have to give her credit.

Uconn, usc & SC could never take a team with only one 5 star athletes to the finals. Enough said!

Joyce Edward's will eliminate both of them.

Still trying to put SC in the back. U conn won't even make it to the final 4.

I wonder who ever lied to UConn coach that Elalfy was the best player in u19 tournament. Juste Jocyte, Awa Fam, Iyana Martin, Toby Fournier, Leila Lacan...all these players is way more promising prospects. Or it's your own interpretation of what the coach said?

On paper they have the best freshman class. I think USC and South Carolina have better classes. Cheli and ziebell won’t play much or even at all next season. Geno is not going to use an 11-12 player rotation. He just won’t do it. Strong should probably start tbh. And she should be in the mix for best freshman in the country.

For a joke I'd like to see a top recruit open their jacket to reveal a "Clown College" sweatshirt.

Jana might be talented offensively, but one critique that I have heard is that she doesn't have the swiftest of feet.

I must admit that I am a bit tired of the historically most-winning teams getting the best recruiting classes and the best of the transfer portal. And it is doubly frustrating when their fans then complain about the quality of players on their rosters. Connecticut seems especially prone to this, although South Carolina, LSU, and a few others suffer the same syndrome.

South Carolina list 1 player. And we got the top Two freshmen in the Country. Joyce Edwards is a beast. Get ready for a re-peat

lol somehow geno will mess it up

Sara strong looks like she might be 300 pounds before the season starts.

Nope, UConn does not have best incoming freshman class for 2024-25, South Carolina and USC does. Just watch the April 13, 2024 Nike Hoop Summit game. Strong was on the bench with an injury and did not even play.

Fudd will start..her minutes may be limited but she is a sharp shooter