If you look at the stats UConn got virtually nothing outside of their top 4 players. Irwin, Makurat and Griffin did virtually nothing (Makurat had 0 boards, Irwin 1, and Griffin 2, and those 3 players combined for 2 points! So basically 2 points and 3 rebounds, combined, from your #5-7 players). So this is why it was 43-43 on the boards with Nelson Ododa and Walker basically doing all the tough board work. I have no idea why Adebayo didn't play but she grabbed 12 boards in only about 22 minutes in the 2 exhibitions. Why was she recruited if she can't even get into a game like this?
I have an idea why Bent did not play. She was a net negative on the floor at the end of the last exhibition against Trevecca Nazarene but towards the end of the game, while bringing the ball up, attempted a 40 foot bounce pass which was easily picked off by TN for a fastbreak going the other way. It looked like a high school pass by a hot dogging freshman and Geno went ballistic on the sidelines. Unfortunately Bent is just way too TO prone even against lower echelon teams.
Evie Westbrook is a point guard and she would not help the situation of looking very weak on the boards, but she would at least lengthen the rotation with a solid veteran D-1 player.