Every team’s mantra at this point in the season is the same: survive and advance.
That’s exactly what the UConn women’s basketball team did over the weekend. The Huskies earned two close wins over UCLA and Louisville in the Albany Regional to advance to their 12th consecutive Final Four.
Here are a few takeaways from UConn’s wins over the weekend:
Samuelson bounces back
After missing the four games leading up to the NCAA Tournament, Katie Lou Samuelson has played in all four rounds so far. After scoring double digits in the first two rounds, it looked like Samuelson’s lingering back issues were going to get the best of her in Albany. The senior struggled against UCLA Friday night, scoring just six points, and coach Geno Auriemma said she wasn’t herself in practice Saturday either.
“After [Saturday’s] workout where Lou looked less than ecstatic about being there, because she was just really hurting both physically and mentally, I said she’s either going to have a big night or it’s just going to be terrible,” Auriemma said. “I don’t think there’s going to be any in between.”
There wasn’t any in between. Samuelson shook off her less-than-perfect performance against the Bruins to lead the Huskies to a win over Louisville. She made seven 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 29 points, proving she’s capable of stepping up when her team needs her most.
Collier determined to prove naysayers wrong
“S/O to the committee.”
The caption on Napheesa Collier’s Instagram post — a photo of the Huskies clutching the Albany Regional trophy while holding up two fingers — was pretty self explanatory. The senior was more than happy to prove UConn’s doubters wrong over the weekend, including the committee that named UConn the two-seed in Albany.
Not only did Collier and UConn prove they were worth of being the top seed, but the senior was also named most outstanding player of the regional days after learning she wasn’t a finalist for the Naismith Award or Wade Trophy. She recorded a double-double in each game, including 25-point performance against UCLA.
Walker, Williams step up
In the biggest games of the season thus far, UConn’s two most inexperienced starters played key roles. Megan Walker and Christyn Williams showed no signs of fear or nerves over the weekend, stepping up in various ways in both of the Huskies’ wins.
Against UCLA, Walker was side by side with Collier fighting for rebounds against one of the best rebounding teams in the country. She finished with 11, earning Collier’s praise after the game for her constant effort. As for Williams, the freshman was a big part of the Huskies’ offense early on while others were having trouble shooting.
In Sunday’s game, Walker knocked down four 3-pointers in the first half to set the tone for UConn. She finished with a double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Williams took over for the Huskies in the first half of the fourth quarter when Samuelson was on the bench with four fouls, and finished with 16 points and seven rebounds.
UConn shows tenacity, will to win
UConn beat UCLA by by eight points and Louisville by seven, displaying a tenacity and will to win that wasn’t always there during the regular season. In their two losses, UConn looked flustered when they lost the lead or the game was close, but in Albany they seemed angry and determined.
After three NCAA Tournament games where they’ve had to grind out wins and hold off comebacks, the Huskies have proven they’re more comfortable in these situations than they were two months ago. For Samuelson, who’s fought through injuries multiple times in her career in big games, getting as far as UConn has this season comes down to one thing — mental toughness.
“At this point in the season, there’s something that someone is going through,” Samuelson said. “Every single person has things they’ve got to fight through, and they have to be ready to step up and get over that. So it comes down to just being — are you mentally tough enough to play?”
Kelli Stacy can be reached at kstacy@courant.com.
