Four-guard lineup allows Auriemma flexibility
The UConn women’s basketball team has won a lot of games under coach Geno Auriemma — 1,186 to be exact — in a lot of different ways over the last 38 years.
The Huskies have brought home national championships with the conventional two guards, two forwards, and a center lineup. But his preferred way, and where his teams have had the most success over the decades, is with three guards, a forward, and a post player.
So the four-guard starting
lineup of guards Nika Mühl, KK Arnold, Ashlynn Shade, and Paige Bueckers alongside forward Aaliyah Edwards that he’s used in back-toback wins over Ball State and North Carolina isn’t ideal. But with seasonending injuries to center Jana El Alfy and guard Azzi Fudd and the longterm availability of guard Caroline Ducharme and forward Ayanna Patterson
in doubt, Auriemma’s options have narrowed.
“He’s good at making adjustments, he always has been,” said Debbie Fiske, the radio analyst for the UConn Sports Network and the point guard on the Huskies’ first Final Four team in 1991. “He’s had to go with so many lineups this year already and we’re not even in 10 games into the season. There’s a method to it. There is versatility there — just not as much as he would have had with his full lineup if they had stayed healthy.
“It’s always about matchups and what’s best for your team to give them an advantage. The last couple of games with the four-guard lineup the defense has been more aggressive and the pressure they put on the other team’s guards and wings has helped them. If quickness can win out ... It’s hard going against those big bodies like a UCLA or Texas has, but the last couple of games the smaller lineup has worked. It’s great to have that option and run with it, but the more options you have the better.”
If Auriemma stays with the four-guard look
class of the conference. Tampa Bay leads the South with a 6-7 record. Minnesota (7-6) is the only other NFC team with a winning record.
New York has the 12thbest record, but it is only a game behind six teams in the hunt for the third wild-card spot. Atlanta, Green Bay, the Rams, Seattle, New Orleans and the Bucs are all 6-7 with four games to play.
Star running back Saquon Barkley, who ran for two TDs and whose fumble deep in Packers territory set up Green Bay’s goahead TD with 1:33 to play, said while it feels great to be back in the playoff race, there is a lot of work to do, especially with two games left with the Eagles, who beat New York three times last season.
“So, you can’t get too focused on that,” Barkley said. “I think Coach (Daboll) said it best, keep the main thing the main thing and that’s what we’ve got to continue to do.”
WHAT’S WORKING
While the defense and DeVito have carried the Giants on their winning streak, the much-maligned offensive line stepped up against the Packers. After giving up 69 sacks in the first 12 games, the line did not allow one against Green Bay.
Led by Barkley and DeVito, New York rushed for 209 yards. The only knock was two false starts, including one by backup center Sean Harlow on third-and-1 from the Giants’ 49 on a play with two extra linemen in to block.
WHAT NEEDS HELP
For a change, nothing. The Giants had four scoring drives and 367 yards. The defense gave up two touchdowns, had two takeaways and two sacks. Special teams forced a fumble on a punt return that set up a touchdown and Randy Bullock hit a game-winning 37-yard field goal as time expired.
STOCK UP
Wan’Dale Robinson had his best game as a Giant, catching six passes for 79 yards and running twice for 36. His 115 yards from scrimmage were a career high. The secondyear receiver who missed
most of last season with a major knee injury had a 32-yard run on an endaround to set up Barkley’s 5-yard TD run. His 32yard catch-and-run to the Green Bay 22-yard line late set up Bullock’s big kick.
STOCK DOWN
Bobby McCain. The veteran safety was signed as a free agent in the offseason and has not fit in. His low point might have happened early in the second half with the Giants ahead 14-10 following Barkley’s 1yard TD run. The defense forced a punt on the next series. Packers punter Daniel Whelan did not hit it far, but the ball struck McCain on the way down, the Packers recovered to set up Anders Carlson’s second of three field goals.
INJURIES
Daboll said the team seemingly came out of the game injury free. Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence returned to the lineup after missing a game with a hamstring injury and was on a pitch count.
KEY NUMBER
14 — The number of takeaways the Giants have over the past four games, with a dozen by the defense and two from special teams on punt coverage. New York had three Monday night, including an interception by Jason Pinnock and fumble recoveries by Xavier McKinney and Benton Whitley.
NEXT STEPS
The Giants will face the Saints in New Orleans. A win would give New York a head-to-head tiebreaker at the end of the season if needed.