After a tough loss to Notre Dame, UConn came back strong on Sunday, opening Big East play with an emphatic 79-44 win over the Georgetown Hoyas at the XL Center. The victory wasn’t the only milestone of the day—legendary head coach Geno Auriemma celebrated his 1,222nd career win in his 40th season leading the Huskies.

Impressive, right? But what else would you expect from the winningest coach in collegiate basketball history?

AND he did it without star player Azzi Fudd! The 22-year-old sat out her second consecutive game with a minor knee sprain. Yet, amid the team’s dominance, one storyline caught fans’ attention—and not for the right reasons.

The limited playing time of promising center Jana El-Alfy has become a growing point of frustration. Despite averaging 6.9 points and 5.3 rebounds this season, El-Alfy continues to see significantly fewer minutes than some teammates, raising questions about Auriemma’s rotation decisions.

A closer look at the stats itself would give us an idea of why the frustrations are growing after each game. In just 16 minutes per game, the 19-year-old has been more efficient, boasting a 56.0% (third-best) shooting percentage. Compare that to Ashlynn Shade, who averages 6.8 points in over 23 minutes, or KK Arnold, who records 4.2 points in 20 minutes. Even Ice Brady, who has 5.9 points per game, logs more time than Jana El-Alfy.

The numbers speak for themselves: Jana has been efficient, but her minutes remain limited.

Exasperated fans call Geno Auriemma out over Jana El-Alfy’s limited playing time

Fans quickly took to social media, particularly X, to voice their frustration over Geno Auriemma’s decision to pull her out early. “I don’t understand why he started her just to take her out after a couple of minutes,” one fan commented. This season, El-Alfy has played in 10 games, averaging 16.1 minutes per outing. Her most extended appearance was a 21-minute stint against Louisville, where she delivered 7 points and 4 rebounds.

Another fan wrote, “Jana is by far our most promising big. We need to develop her now so she’s ready for the big games later this season.” El-Alfy’s season highlight remains the opener, where she recorded an impressive double-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds, an assist, and a block in just 18 minutes.

But her performance against Georgetown wasn’t her best. She struggled with 1-of-6 shooting, no three-pointers, three personal fouls, and a turnover. Fans, however, believe the limited minutes are impacting her development. One user stated, “This is why Jana needs more minutes. I don’t know how else to say it.”

Another fan chimed in, “For me, it’s Jana, Morgan, Ice in that order,” hinting at their preferred player rotation.

Fans are clearly worried that her reduced playing time is stalling her progress, with many calling for a bigger role. Yet another added, “The coaching staff needs to do better with Jana. The game hasn’t even slowed down for her yet.” Since the role of the head coach is to let the player’s inner potential come out on court, fans are directly questioning him.

But, the real question is: Will Auriemma make the adjustments and give Jana more time to shine? Stay tuned!