The University of Connecticut (UConn) Women’s Huskies were the favorite this year, projected to win the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 March Madness tournament. They ended up losing 48-62 in the Final Four of the tournament to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Despite falling short, UCONN had an outstanding, undefeated season up till then
What accounts for UConn’s success? A major reason is team chemistry, both on and off the court.
A key way the Huskies bond is through hanging out and making TikToks together. Looking at any of the player’s Tiktok pages, like Azzi Fudd, KK Arnold and Sarah Strong, they have all made tiktoks with each other as well as their teammates. That close bond of making tiktoks together adds to their already tight knit group. They are constantly with each other, whether it’s at practice, at team dinners, or even when they are back at UConn. UConn point guard KK Arnold told USA Today, “We all live together and I feel like we’re just always bothering each other. We are in each other’s apartments. Everybody’s like barging in each other’s rooms. So I feel like we just have open access to each other 24/7.”
Another important contributor to their team chemistry is something called CD games, which were created by associate head coach Chris Dailey. They are a mixture of activities such as trivia contests, scavenger hunts, game shows, and social media challenges. These events are also featured on players’ social media. CD games are mainly played during road trips since Dailey doesn’t want the players just sitting around in the hotel room or on their opponent’s campus. Players get wrapped up in these games before they even commit to UConn. During official campus visits, Chris Dailey will give recruits and their families an opportunity to play along with the rest of the team. Guard Ashlynn Shade told CT Insider,“ When recruits come, we always play CD Games with them. It gives them a glimpse of kind of what a family we are here and just how close we are with each other.” CD games are not only played during the season but also during the off season. The previous summer, Dailey hosted a Summer Olympics-like challenge for the players who were on campus.
CD games are not only used for team bonding. They also connected to who the Huskies play. Chris Dailey told CT Insider: “I tie the scouting report into it to make sure they are paying attention to who the best 3-point shooter is and things like that.” She also said, “ One reason I do it is because it is fun, and they enjoy it. At the same time, it allows me to see a lot about them, especially when the team is first starting out.” In return, Dailey questions, The games also allow Dailey to see who is competitive; who is going to take a chance; who is a leader; who is willing to say something silly and have everybody laugh. This allows her to see each player individually off the court and who might bring that energy into games.
Many players enjoy playing the CD games because it allows them to have fun, relax, and compete with each other. Huskies guard Azzi Fudd told CT Insider, “The CD Games are amazing. [Chris Dailey] has us do all kinds of fun things to help us relax. Sometimes we aren’t exactly relaxing, because we are screaming and yelling and being competitive…but it is a great distraction and another way for us to compete and enjoy where we are.” Center Jana El Alfy also told CT Insider that,“ Sometimes we do those games on our own, but whenever it’s CD-coordinated, it gets a lot more fun because she makes it more fun.” So, not only do the players enjoy playing them when they’re coordinated by Dailey but, they also enjoy playing them during their free time without her.
The CD games aren’t new to the Huskies organization as a whole. The games have been played since the mid-1990s under Dailey’s influence. UConn legend Rebecca Lobo told CT Insider that the CD Games “have been testing players since she played in the mid-90s as an important layer of the overall superb coaching within the program.” She also said, “You don’t understand the importance of it as a player at the time…When you are young, you don’t understand all the little pieces that go into being a good, strong unit, but obviously I think that is something that has played into the success of the program.” The CD games have been an influence on the team throughout many years and it brings a mixture of activities to bond the team.
Even though this Huskies team didn’t win this year, it’s been a remarkable time watching them compete all season. For this team, their outstanding skills have been a part of their success but what really led them to be a great team was their team chemistry due to their performances off the court; the team bonding activities that are then translated into their spectacular fluidity as a team during games. Nevertheless, with seniors like Azzi Fudd, Caroline Ducharme, and Serah Williams graduating and stepping into different areas of their career, this team won’t look the same again. But its chemistry will remain strong as long as they keep doing these activities to remain a close bond with each other.
