Serah Williams hit the transfer portal in April and the UConn Huskies announced the 6'4" center would be joining the school's program a month later — much to the dismay of Wisconsin fans, who would miss seeing her on the school's court. But Williams' debut at UConn began slowly.
That's not too surprising when you consider the fact that the team is one of the best in the nation, the reigning NCAA champions, and the program carries a certain aura. As CT Insider noted this week, Williams, who averaged 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds at Wisconsin last season, in her first nine games, Williams had more than 10 points in only three games and only managed more than five rebounds in three. In other words... not exactly the result that Huskies fans were expecting to see.
Coach Geno Auriemma made it known that Williams needed to step up and do more for the team after they beat DePaul on December 7 (a game that saw her add on eight points and four rebounds). After all, the outlet also noted, Williams was meant to be the first true center the team had added on in several years — so it was time she acted like it.
Auriemma admitted to the outlet that coming into UConn later in a collegiate career can be "daunting," and Williams is hardly the first player to experience a dip in production following a transfer to the school. Willams was used to doing everything on her own at Wisconsin, but with the Huskies she is surrounded by extremely talented athletes who are there to help the entire team succeed.
That's something that just takes some getting used to. She's learning Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong are always on hand to land a bucket if she can get them the ball. As Auriemma told the outlet, the game is different when post players can be relied upon to play, and to play well. So when he called on Williams to improve, she started doing exactly that.
Since that shoutout, Williams has averaged 8 points and 6.3 rebounds. Those numbers aren't huge — yet — and they aren't that close to what she's capable of. But they're big enough (and consistent enough) that both her teammates and UConn fans can trust that she's adjusting and doing so well.
And that's good news for a team that clearly hopes to repeat their championship win during this season's March Madness tournament. There's a long way to go until Phoenix, but Serah Williams and the UConn Huskies certainly look like they're up to the task.