HARTFORD Conn. — No. 11-ranked UConn women’s basketball announced Tuesday that its Friday game at Villanova has been canceled due to COVID-19 issues in the Huskies’ program.
This is UConn’s fourth consecutive game back from the holiday break that has been canceled. The first one, against Marquette on Dec. 29, was canceled due to COVID-19 issues in the Golden Eagles’ program, while the more recent three (at DePaul Dec. 31, at Georgetown Wednesday, and at Villanova Friday) were called off because of COVID-19 cases in UConn’s program.
UConn hasn’t played since Dec. 19, when it lost, 69-64, to Louisville. The Huskies’ next scheduled game is Sunday versus Creighton at home.
Per Big East policy, the conference will attempt to reschedule canceled games. Four of the league’s nine canceled women’s basketball games over the last two weeks were games involving UConn.
UConn (6-3) has played just nine games this season, which is in the 25th percentile of all Division I women’s basketball programs, per Her Hoop Stats.
Coach Geno Auriemma alluded to the possibility of Friday’s game not happening Monday on the “UConn WBB Coaches Show” with Bob Joyce, saying he was “not too optimistic” the team would have enough players to field a team by the end of the week.
The Big East stipulates that teams must have at least seven scholarship players and one countable coach for games to proceed. The Huskies’ situation is exacerbated by the fact that four of their 12 players are out with injuries, so it would only take two people in COVID-19 protocols for them to cancel contests. After a player with COVID-19 self-isolates for 10 days, she needs five days of practice before she can retake the court, Auriemma told Joyce Monday.
Auriemma hoped that Azzi Fudd and Nika Mühl, who both have foot injuries, would be able to return after the holidays, but Auriemma said that those two plus Aubrey Griffin “wouldn’t have had those three [last week] no matter what. They’re not ready to go.”
He added that Mühl did some light practice Monday but has not specified that status of either Fudd or Griffin.
