School is officially in session. UConn began the fall semester on Monday, which means the players are back in Storrs and the season is just around the corner. In fact, we’ll get our first look at this edition of the Huskies later this month during an open practice at Sacred Heart on Sept. 20.
There’s a lot to look forward to. Until then, let’s get into questions.
Note: Some questions have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Do the Huskies have too many quite talented and expectant players? — Jon S.
This isn’t a new problem for UConn. The Huskies went nine deep in the rotation last season and made it work.
For most positions, UConn doesn’t have much of a logjam.
At point guard, Kayleigh Heckel will get plenty of minutes as the backup to KK Arnold. Even if Kelis Fisher takes a step forward as a sophomore, the Huskies had no trouble utilizing three ball-handlers with Paige Bueckers, Nika Mühl and Arnold in 2023-24 or Bueckers, Arnold and Kaitlyn Chen in 2024-25.
Down low, UConn would gladly welcome some depth. There’s currently more questions than answers in the frontcourt behind Sarah Strong. As for Morgan Cheli, she can slot in wherever needed.
The big question will be at scoring guard. Ashlynn Shade, Allie Ziebell, Marine Dursus and Jovana Popovic all seem to be in line for key roles. UConn could play small-ball to get everyone in the lineup, but if Olivia Vukosa stars from day one, that’ll make things a bit more difficult.
The cop-out answer is that these things usually work themselves out. The players will dictate how many minutes they get based on how they perform in practice and in game action.
Which players will start? Which two players will be first subs off the bench? — Richard C.
Become a premium member to read the rest.
Support local, independent coverage of the Huskies throughout the year, all for just a few bucks per month.
JoinA subscription gets you:
- Access to every story – news, analysis, breakdowns, features and much more.
