Copyright Hartford Courant
Instead of feeling fueled by the sting of defeat during their summer break, the UConn women’s basketball team got to spend the months between April and August basking in the joyful aftermath of bringing the NCAA championship home to Storrs. But though the team didn’t return to campus with the chip on their shoulders that comes from falling short, coach Geno Auriemma didn’t have to look far to find a new edge when he stepped into the practice gym with his full 15-player roster. “For the first time for a lot of these kids, there’s enough players on our team that they have to work really, really hard,” Auriemma said. “They have to fight for every minute of playing time that they’re going to get. Even the guys that you would say, ‘Well they don’t have to fight for playing time,’ they may have to fight for other things. … There’s a lot of competition going on in practice right now, and that’s where it’s going to have to come from.” It’s been a long time since UConn entered a season this healthy, with sophomore guard Morgan Cheli the only player out with a long-term injury. Just four years ago the Huskies were cancelling games because they didn’t have enough healthy bodies to compete, and even the 2024-25 championship run began with four players still finishing yearlong rehab processes from major injuries. But it’s not just health giving the Huskies a boost. The team has legitimate depth at nearly every position in 2025-26, and after rotating no more than eight players consistently for the last three years, Auriemma suddenly finds himself rediscovering what it means to have an excess of available talent. “I’m excited for the challenge. I was saying this recently, I have to learn how to sub again,” Auriemma joked. “You’ve had three or four years in a row there where there’s nobody to sub, so it was easy. Players have to learn (too). Some of our guys have never played on a full roster, so they have to learn how to be really efficient in a shorter period of time.” No team has won back-to-back national titles since UConn brought home four straight from 2012-16, and there’s more talent spread around the country than ever before. As the Huskies begin their quest to bring home consecutive championships for the seventh time in program history, their biggest advantage may be the matchup nightmares they’re able to create. Auriemma’s philosophy has always been to keep his best players on the floor as much as possible, so the starters will still play heavy minutes. But depending upon the opponent, the Huskies have a wealth of options to customize with full five-player lineups or strong combinations of individuals. The team can run small and fast against a team like Notre Dame to manage All-American guard Hannah Hidalgo. They also have size to throw at a team like UCLA and star center Lauren Betts if the preseason No. 3 Bruins end up in their NCAA Tournament path. With the opener against Louisville just days away, here are some of the likely combos: First string: G KK Arnold, G Azzi Fudd, G Ashlynn Shade, F Sarah Strong, F Serah Williams Despite graduating a pair of starters in superstar Paige Bueckers and point guard Kaitlyn Chen from last year’s squad, UConn’s first string is still an experienced group. The Huskies’ offense will run through redshirt senior Azzi Fudd and sophomore phenom Sarah Strong, who are both expected to be in national player of the year conversations this season. The addition of Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams is game-changing, giving the team a dominant true post presence that it hasn’t had for several seasons. Williams may face growing pains as a newcomer to UConn, but the senior was a three-year starter with the Badgers and a two-time All-Big Ten first-team selection. Junior guards KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade step back into the opening-night lineup this year after both started 33 games as freshmen during the peak of the Huskies’ injury struggles. Shade also made 12 starts early last season while Fudd completed recovery from her 2023 ACL tear. The pair averaged more than 20 minutes per game in 2024-25 but will take on more responsibility than ever before this year. Supersized: F Serah Williams, F Blanca Quinonez, F Sarah Strong, G Caroline Ducharme UConn went small more often than not last season with 6-foot-2 Strong as its most consistent player in the frontcourt, but the team has unprecedented height to play with this year. Freshman Blanca Quinonez is listed at 6-2, but the eye test suggests she’s an inch or two taller, and with 6-4 Williams at center, there are few teams in the country capable of matching that trio for size and athleticism. Strong and Quinonez work with both the forwards and the guards in practice, bringing a unique versatility to the frontcourt. Strong especially can unlock a new level to her game playing as more of a wing: She averaged 3.6 assists and shot 38.8% from 3-point range on 3.8 attempts per game while effectively playing center last season. “We used Paige everywhere — guard big guys, guard guards — and I think this year Sarah could be that person,” Auriemma said. “She’ll be guarding the point guard, she’ll be guarding the center. She’ll be everywhere on the floor and scoring in a lot of the same way she did last year and maybe even more other ways.” Redshirt senior Caroline Ducharme is also back in action after head and neck injuries sidelined her for most of the last two seasons, and the 6-2 guard can add even more length to the lineup in the backcourt. The Huskies could mix in another 6-2 guard option in Cheli once she’s healthy. Bombs away: G Kayleigh Heckel, G Azzi Fudd, G Ashlynn Shade, G Allie Ziebell, F Sarah Strong or F Blanca Quinonez One of UConn’s biggest challenges is replacing the offensive production of Bueckers, who averaged 19.9 points per game last year, but it helps to have a lineup with five players capable of scoring from multiple levels. Fudd and Shade both shot above 41% beyond the arc last season, and Fudd led the team hitting 43.6% on 5.3 attempts per game. Shade is often streaky, but her 7-for-10 3-point performance against Iowa State last year proved she can be lights out at her best. Sophomore sharpshooter Allie Ziebell looks prepared for a bigger role this season. Despite limited playing time in 2024-25, Ziebell won the McDonald’s All-American 3-point contest and hit nearly 45% from deep in her senior high school season. Auriemma said she’s at her best when paired with a veteran like Fudd, and once she gets hot, her scoring is contagious. “If Allie’s out there with the right group, especially if she’s out there with Azzi, I think that helps her a lot,” he said. “I think if Allie’s making shots, Ash is going to make shots. People will take that approach of, we have a lot of guys that can shoot it and I have to be one of them.” Arnold has historically struggled as a 3-point shooter, so the addition of USC transfer Kayleigh Heckel gives UConn a stronger scoring option to mix in at point guard. She only shot 28.3% at USC but was a solid 3-point shooter in high school and will get more opportunities with the Huskies. UConn also has the luxury of post players comfortable taking outside shots in Strong and Quinonez. Quinonez isn’t the most reliable — she averaged 27.6% playing professionally in Italy last year — but she attempts and makes threes frequently enough to force defenses to guard her behind the arc. Fast and furious: G KK Arnold, G Kayleigh Heckel and/or G Kelis Fisher, F Blanca Quinonez and/or F Sarah Strong UConn’s exhibition games have shown how strong the team’s transition game is, especially when they’re forcing turnovers defensively, and the team’s trio of point guards all play a similar style of disruptive, high-pace basketball. Arnold averaged a team-high 2.3 steals per game as a starter in 2023-24 and has made noticeable improvements in controlling and finding variation in her speed. Few teams will be able to keep up when she’s paired Heckel or freshman Kelis Fisher, and they have the ability to break a game open in a matter of minutes. Strong and Quinonez are also both elite disruptors, combining for nine steals across the pair of exhibitions. Quinonez’s play can be chaotic at times because she tries to do so many things at once, but Auriemma expects she’ll become an essential piece of the rotation as she works through her rookie tendencies. “I think between KK, Kayleigh, Kelis, Kelis is probably the fastest of all of them in some ways,” Auriemma said. “And Blanca, there are a lot of (options) … And Sarah Strong. We have the potential to play quickly and quicker.” Twin towers: F Serah Williams with C Jana El Alfy or F Ice Brady In 2024-25, Jana El Alfy was UConn’s only true center and the only player taller than 6-3 on the team. This season, the Huskies can easily match up with even the biggest players in the country by playing El Alfy or 6-3 forward Ice Brady alongside Williams. El Alfy and Brady both spent time in the starting lineup last year, but they each averaged less than 20 minutes per game and were rarely on the floor together. Both are solid defenders, and El Alfy is a stronger rebounder while Brady is better as a passer, but neither was particularly effective as a scorer. Now with Williams, who averaged 19.2 points per game in her final season at Wisconsin, the Huskies can afford to put two bigs on the floor at the same time without sacrificing production. Adding more size next to Williams can also open up the paint for her and create more opportunities for high low action.
