STORRS >> Considering the way the starting five is clicking these days, it may be hard to believe that the starters for the top-ranked and undefeated UConn womens basketball team had some uncertain moments.

With the Huskies going after their 99th consecutive win with Southern Methodist coming into Gampel Pavilion on Saturday (2 p.m., SNY), the on-court chemistry between Saniya Chong, Kia Nurse, Katie Lou Samuelson, Napheesa Collier and Gabby Williams has never been better.

Since the start of 2017 began, when the five starters are on the court together they are outscoring the opposition by an average 43-15 per game in just over 17 minutes per game. If that were to be projected over 40 minutes, it would come out to 100-35.

Yes, the time when UConns top five players were outscored in three of the first seven games seems like an ancient memory.

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None of them were playing a role that they were accustomed to, so you cant just throw people in the mix and go, OK, act like youve been here for two years, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. It takes time to develop that. With each practice and each game you could see their comfortable level (growing) with each other and that is what is supposed to happen during the season, they are supposed to get better and more cohesive. Right now that is where we happen to be.

I dont discount the impact that Saniya has had in terms of she adds a little bit to what that group is doing and she detracts nothing. Having Saniya in the starting lineup, her role seems to have grown because she has made it grow. We have one more distributor of the ball who only helps you and doesnt hurt you. I think that has added a lot.

Certainly the competition level in recent weeks cant compare to what the Huskies faced in the early portion of the schedule when seven of the first 12 games came against ranked opponents. Still, the fact that Collier, Chong, Nurse, Samuelson and Williams have combined to shoot 60 percent from the field in the last seven games including a staggering 72 percent inside the 3-point line is not simply the case of the Huskies squaring off against overmatched opponents.

We were getting a lot of playing time in terms of offensive and defensive things and then it kind of started flowing from there, Nurse said. Obviously the first couple of games it got a little bit shaky for us but we found it a couple of games into the season. Now it is continuing to grow stronger and stronger.

UConn posted at least 30 assists in the last two games, a feat that hasnt happened with the Huskies since the 1994-95 season and the run of seven straight games with at least 90 points has also tied a program mark set during that iconic 94-95 campaign, It has set the Huskies up to go after win No. 100 in a row on Monday when No. 6 South Carolina comes to town.

Chong missed the Kansas State and Ohio State. She had 10 points and five assists in 32 minutes against Maryland in her second game back and that Huskies have been riding the play of their top five players ever since.

In the beginning of the season we have to figure out what works with each other and get that connection, Chong said. Over time everybody knew their role and knew what we needed to get done so that is pretty much every day in practice having it happen.

That very first game we didnt know what was going to happen, how we were going to react with other. Us coming out with the win was pretty great but after that game, we knew what we had to do and go from there.

UConn has used the same starting lineup in each of the last 12 games, but that streak could be at risk.

Samuelson missed Fridays practice due to illness and Auriemma wasnt certain if she would be able to play against the Mustangs.

I dont know about (her status), Auriemma said. It is certainly not going to be regular business, either she is not going to play at all or she is going to play some minutes, that would be depending on how she feels (Saturday) at shootaround.

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UConn women's starting five building strong on-court chemistry - New Haven Register