UConn women's notebook: Fudd, Ducharme enjoy WNBA feel

Mar. 24—SEATTLE — Azzi Fudd and Caroline Ducharme have dreams of playing in the WNBA.

For now, the UConn women's basketball team's sophomore guards will settle for playing on WNBA courts.

When the second-seeded Huskies take on No. 3 Ohio State in an NCAA Seattle 3 Regional semifinal today at Climate Pledge Arena, it will mark their fourth game this season on a WNBA floor. They earlier played at Mohegan Sun Arena (Connecticut Sun), Wintrust Arena (Chicago Sky), and the Entertainment and Sports Arena (Washington Mystics). Climate Pledge Arena is the home of the Seattle Storm.

"It's great. Walking in for the first time and stepping on the floor is like a, 'Aaahhh' moment," Fudd said on Friday. "This is where Sue Bird played and made part of her legacy. Seeing the new floor, looking around, was really cool."

UConn has also played at the Target Center (Minnesota Lynx) and won the 1995 national championship and lost last year's final there, and at what's now Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indiana Fever). The Huskies won the 2016 national championship and lost in the 2011 Final Four semifinals in Indianapolis. UConn also played at Madison Square Garden when it was the New York Liberty's home floor.

The Huskies held a one-hour workout at Climate Pledge Arena Friday. The top level and the upper deck behind the basket were curtained off. This is their first NCAA Tournament game in the state of Washington.

"You just try to get used to the court, used to the floor," Ducharme said. "We obviously have never played here so we worked to get ready to play here tomorrow.

"It's so cool and we've been lucky enough to play in a few of them. You get to see the places that someday we hope we end up playing in. Knowing that you're playing on the same floor that some of the greatest players in the world have played on is inspiring and a cool thing to be a part of."

Time travelers

UConn will play NCAA Tournament game No. 155 in program history today. It will be its third in the Pacific time zone, having played two in Fresno, California in 2007.

"I would say the time difference is the biggest adjustment," Ducharme said. "It's a new environment and a lot of travel. It's practice, travel, practice, so you have to get your body adjusted. The days are packed. The coaches and staff get us ready to go."

The Huskies' one-hour practice at Climate Pledge Arena Friday morning started at 8:05, the same time Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff began his press conference.

"Honestly, traveling east to west isn't that bad," Fudd said. "We had a very early wake-up call this morning and I thought it made it easier getting up at 6:30 because we're not fully adjusted.

"I mean, it's 9:30 back home. It doesn't hurt that much. I just get on the bus and get locked in."

Because of its success, UConn has earned high seeds and with it the opportunity to stay at home or somewhat close to home during its 34-year run of NCAA Tournament appearances.

Of their 154 tourney games, the Huskies have played 117 in the Eastern time zone (105-12), 34 in the Central time zone (26-8), one in the Mountain time zone (0-1, a 2012 loss to Notre Dame in Denver), and two in the Pacific time zone (1-1 in the 2007 regionals in Fresno).

The four teams in the Seattle 3 Regional semifinals — UConn, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech — are all from the East, so all our adjusting.

"We tried to come out Wednesday for that reason," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "Every hour difference in the time zone you supposedly need a day to adjust. I don't know. I've always said you get there, you look at the clock and that's what time it is. Try to live in that moment. It's easier said than done. You feel it.

"You're counting on the adrenaline of the situation to kick in at game time tomorrow. It's also not like we're coming here and our opponent is the home team that has been waiting for us for a week. You have to be really mature to win in the NCAA Tournament. If you don't have enough mature kids, then you'll find a way to lose. Jet lag won't be a reason. It will be an excuse."

Admiring sweetness

Ohio State, under coach Kevin McGuff, is one of seven schools with back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances. Notre Dame and Tennessee have also been to two in row, with Maryland being at three straight, Louisville six, and South Carolina nine. Then there's UConn, who has been to the regional semifinals an NCAA-record 29 consecutive tournaments.

McGuff was asked for an outsider's perspective of what the Huskies have done

"Are you saying I need to do 27 in a row to catch 'em? Well, that's going to be the next coach at Ohio State's job," McGuff said to a round of laughter.

"It's hard to put in perspective what Connecticut has accomplished," he added. "It's a combination of, obviously, Geno and Chris (associate head coach Dailey) and the staff, and their coaching and commitment to excellence has been like no other. Then also they have recruited year-in year-out mostly the best players in the country. So they get great players, they do a fantastic job coaching them, and they just have such a culture of excellence. It's one thing to do that for a couple years, but to be able to sustain that is really, really, really difficult. That's the thing that's amazing, is to year-in year-out be at your absolute very best."

Husky bites

UConn appeared set to have a homecoming game for junior forward Aaliyah Edwards next year in Toronto with Pittsburgh. But Panthers coach Lance White was fired on March 3, leaving things in limbo for now. The Huskies are confident, though, they can complete an agreement when the new coach is in place ... In 56 games over her first two seasons at UConn, Nika Mühl played 1,280 minutes and totaled 239 points, 156 rebounds, 149 assists, and 87 steals. The point guard has played 1,276 minutes over 35 games as a junior and has totaled 253 points, 139 rebounds, a school single-season record 279 assists, and 49 steals ... It's the third straight NCAA Tournament the Huskies have played a Big Ten team in the Sweet 16. They defeated Indiana a year ago and Iowa in 2021.

Worth quoting

Mühl, who hit a 30-footer to beat the halftime buzzer against Baylor Monday night, on her younger sister Hana, a freshman at Ball State, doing the same thing for the Cardinals at Memphis two hours earlier: "I am so proud of my sister. I told her that her shot was way better than mine. And she's had a few of those in her career, unlike her sister. It's nothing new for her. It's something new for me."

For coverage of all sports in the JI's 18-town coverage area, plus updates on the UConn women's basketball team and head coach Geno Auriemma, follow Carl Adamec on Twitter: @CarlAdamec, Facebook: Carl Adamec, and Instagram: @CarlAdamec.