Caroline Ducharme; The Rising Husky

Caroline Ducharme (33), dribbles past Notre Dame's Sonia Citron on December 5th. Image: Stephen Slade, UConn Athletics

There is no doubt that the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball program has produced three decades worth of top talent. From Rebecca Lobo and Sue Bird to Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore, Coach Geno Auriemma has his next group of stars ready in this new decade. It goes without saying that sophomore Paige Bueckers will become one of the greatest Huskies. After suffering a non-contact knee injury on December 5th, the Huskies are without a key component to their craft. There is, though, one player who starting to become a household name.

Wearing the No. 33 jersey, freshman Caroline Ducharme is determined to make her name known in the UConn history books. Former Huskies Katie Lou Samuelson, Meghan Pattyson, Shea Ralph, and current assistant coach, Jamelle Elliot have all donned the classic No. 33 jersey. 

Caroline is from Milton, Massachusetts. She attended Noble and Greenough School where she became the No. 5 basketball player in the nation for the class of 2021. Ducharme was a 2021 McDonalds, WBCA, and SLAM high school All-American player. She was also Massachusetts’ Gatorade Player of the Year in both 2020 and 2021.

It was not an easy road for Caroline to make it onto UConn’s roster for her collegiate debut. During her freshman year of high school, Ducharme tore her ACL in the spring of 2017. The next year, she, unfortunately, missed her sophomore year due to a torn shoulder labrum the summer before. She was not able to attend as many recruiting events as other players on ESPN’s ranking list could due to the injuries. She was initially ranked at No. 41 during high school.

“I think when Caroline was in high school, she didn’t get to go to all these different things (i.e recruiting events) because she had a couple injuries,” said Geno Auriemma. “So a lot of these people who tell you how great everybody is, they forgot all about her. So she was like an afterthought to everybody.”

Caroline Ducharme, far right, attended UConn's game on Dec. 8th, 2019 with future teammates (L-R) Amari DeBerry. Paige Bueckers, and Azzi Fudd. Image: Ian Bethune, The UConn Blog. 

For Ducharme, it took time to figure if UConn would be her final fit due to their scholarship funding and her recruitment. Nothing was easy and no promises were made. Auriemma was communicative but brutally honest about what UConn could offer her at that point. Ducharme committed to the UConn program in April 2020. She worked hard and diligently to improve her game over the next few months. By the summer of 2020, Ducharme became ranked as the No.5 recruit for the class of 2021.

There was always something in Ducharme's mind once she committed to UConn. She began to play with a chip on her shoulder, always trying to prove who she is as a player. Doubt settled in, Ducharme thought that her newfound attention met with the old thoughts of being an afterthought gave her this feeling. During the summer of 2021, Ducharme admitted to struggling with the adjustment of training with the Huskies program. It is not easy for a freshman to start on a college program with some of the top players in the country. With teammates like Paige Bueckers, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Christyn Williams, and Azzi Fudd, it was not easy to know if Caroline would get much playing time during her freshman campaign. That all changed on December 5th.

UConn played their “old” rival, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, on December 5th. This was the first time we got to see Ducharme play for an adequate amount of playing time. Though she only played for 14 minutes, Ducharme managed to score 14 points and 3 rebounds off the bench. She struggled in their next game, as did the team with their loss to Georgia Tech. Down 4 players, Ducharme has added the starting lineup for the UCLA game on December 11th. Ducharme’s ability to hit three-pointers is a huge advantage being down freshman Azzi Fudd. Many hit, some do not, but Ducharme sets her focus to the next play

 Ducharme (33), goes up for a layup around three Louisville defenders on Dec. 19th. Image Credit: Stephen Slade, UConn Athletics. 

“I just try not to get down on little things,” Ducharme said. “If you let a couple of bad plays pile up, it turns into a bad game.”

Ducharme is what I like to call a “toolbox” player. She has the ability to score from all parts of the court and can nail a three-pointer well beyond the arch. As a new starter for the Huskies, Ducharme had to work her magic to help her team face adversity. Another tough loss was against Louisville on December 19th. Who was the leading scorer? It was Ducharme, who was sharp and quick on the court. She scored 24 points and 8 rebounds.

At 6’2, Ducharme can run and assist on perfect scores off of steals. This was notability seen in UConn’s most recent game against Creighton. She scored 17 points, added 5 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 steals. The home crowd at Gample Pavilion in Storrs went crazy for this outstanding player.

As the Huskies are without a set point guard till Nika Mühl can play extended minutes, the team has worked hard to be persistent with how plays are managed. Unlike many other teams in the NCAAW, UConn does not typically run set plays for certain players to score. This is commonly done at Iowa for  sophomore guard, Caitlin Clark. The Huskies have shown if they want their offense to work, each player should have the ball in their possession off of passes.

Ducharme, far right, goes for a steal against Georgia Tech's Digna Strautmane on Dec. 9th. Image Credit: John Bazemore, Associated Press.

“I think just changing the mindset to doing what you do, and everyone has their role and do what you know how to do,” said Ducharme. “I think that’s really helped me and improved my confidence and made me more comfortable out there.”

There is hope for Fudd and Bueckers to return, so what does mean for Caroline Ducharme’s role as a starter? Geno is quick to involve returning players but does not necessarily put them into starting roles. Injuries and re-injuries can happen at any time, at practice, or during a game. Mühl and Fudd will come off the bench with limited minutes till they are cleared for full games. Ducharme has proved to be a true starter for the Huskies in just three games and should deserve the opportunity to remain in that role.

To see Caroline Ducharme in action, the UConn Huskies travel to Indianapolis for a Big East matchup against the Butler Bulldogs Wednesday. The tip-off is set for 7 pm. Fans can watch on SNY or Fox Sports online through their cable providers.

*The UConn Huskies improve back to AP Top Ten this week at No. 10. They sat in the No. 11 spot since their Louisville game in December. They are ranked No. 2 in the Big East behind DePaul.