Within 11 days this past spring, Geno Auriemma went from having a 2019-20 squad with only eight scholarship players, including one true freshman, to sporting an 11-person squad. The sudden turnaround was the result of two transfers and the addition of a freshman who had been playing with a professional team overseas.
Not too shabby for the 11-time national champion and Auriemma, who some fans feared would not be able to pull a team with enough depth together.
But the challenge for Auriemma didn't stop there. Since then, he's been working to incorporate his four newcomers alongside three returning starters (senior Crystal Dangerfield, junior Megan Walker, sophomore Christyn Williams), an emerging Olivia Nelson-Ododa who could have a breakout year, and three seniors with relatively little playing experience.
What's most significant about Auriemma's new cohort is that the majority of the newcomers bring meaningful playing experience that most freshmen players wouldn't have. That's welcomed news for a UConn team that only returns two upperclassmen with regular playing time. Graduate transfer Evelyn Adebayo arrives following two years at Gardner-Webb and one at Murray State, where last season she was an all-conference first-team selection. Freshman Anna Makurat competed in Poland's top women's basketball league over the last two years, while Evina Westbrook was Tenneesse's top scorer as a sophomore last season. While Griffin arrived in Storrs on a more traditional path straight from high school, Auriemma has been effusive in his praise for the freshman.
The newcomers will be relied upon to contribute right away _ though possibly not Westbrook. The transfer applied for a waiver from the NCAA that would grant her immediate eligibility for the 2019-20 season. If the NCAA denies her request, she must sit out this season and will have two years of eligibility beginning in 2020-21.
Given Westbrook's pedigree, it's a big unknown to deal with, the season just around the corner. Regardless of when she's allowed to play, she could be a game-changer for the Huskies.
