Six of the 11 players on the current UConn women's basketball squad were not even born and it's highly unlikely the other five team members had yet to get their hands on a basketball the last season in which the Huskies failed to win either the Big East regular-season or tournament title.

With the bitter taste of another loss to Notre Dame fresh in their minds, the UConn players gathered together to air out some issues. There were no coaches, no friends or family members allowed. Knowing that their next loss would bring an end to a season which started with so much promise, there were things that needed to be said and a course that needed to be plotted.


"I think everyone knows it is tournament time, if you lose you go home," UConn junior center Stefanie Dolson said. "We knew we all had to come together, get in here and work on our individual stuff and came together as a team."

While we won't likely get to know if the players' only meeting had the desired impact until the Huskies are cutting down to nets in New Orleans next month, all indications are that practices have had a different feel to them.

"We have been practicing extremely well," Dolson said. "We came in here with that fire and that anger because of that loss and have been taking it out on the practice players. We have done a good job of focusing on the little things and making sure everything we do is perfect, crisp passes, good shots, great defense."

After falling in the Big East tournament final on March 12, UConn coach Geno Auriemma gave his players the next three days off before reconvening on Saturday to get ready for a run at an eighth national title.

Even with senior Kelly Faris missing Monday's practice with the flu, Auriemma was liked what he has seen in practice since the most recent loss to Notre Dame.

Faris is back at practice and the other nine healthy Huskies are also practicing as the Huskies prepare to face Idaho in the NCAA tournament opener on Saturday.