Given the absurd amount of misfortune his Huskies have experienced this season, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma very well may have stepped on a ladder, shattered a mirror, or encountered a black cat.
Despite losing star guard Paige Bueckers to an ACL tear suffered before the season even started, the perennial Final Four team has faced an unprecedented amount of injuries and unavoidable situations in 2022–2023 season.
UConn even had to postpone a Big East game at one point in January because they lacked the seven healthy players required by the conference for the game.
The legendary Sue Bird of the Huskies has found it painful to witness UConn’s seemingly never-ending bad luck.
The legendary college and WNBA guard told Insider, “I’m sure all of them just have to sit back, throw their hands up, and be like, ‘Well, what can you do?'” “I mean, once you start having to postpone games because you don’t have enough players to suit up, obviously that is the official mark of a very difficult season.”
Nine of the Huskies’ twelve players have missed at least one game because of illnesses, injuries, or even weather-related problems. Throughout UConn’s 34 games this season, just two players—Aaliyah Edwards and Lou Lopez Sénéchal—have seen the floor; however, they have also struggled with injuries.
Throughout the season, Auriemma and Chris Dailey, his longtime associate head coach, both missed time. Dailey passed out on the sidelines prior to the Huskies’ late November Connecticut game against the NC State Wolfpack, and he was carried out of the arena on a stretcher. She recovered completely, but she was unable to play because she needed to be evaluated medically at a nearby hospital.
After taking a break from the team to grieve his mother’s passing the following month, Auriemma developed “flu-like symptoms” and missed two more games. He briefly returned to the top of the bench before giving Dailey the keys for two more games in the beginning of January.
In a statement, Auriemma said, “I’ve been feeling under the weather and run down. It’s been an incredibly difficult month for me.” “I need a little more time, but I thought I was ready to go back.” I’m going to step back and concentrate on my health; I’ll come back when I’m ready.”
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