The ultimate 2025-26 UConn women's basketball preview

A new basketball season is upon us. After winning the program’s first national championship since 2016, UConn returns as the preseason No. 1 and heavy favorite to repeat. The Huskies no longer have Paige Bueckers but instead have a deep and ultra-talented roster. It doesn’t hurt to have Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd leading the way, either.

This should be fun.

A message from the publisher

The 2025-26 campaign will mark my 11th on the beat and the sixth for the UConn WBB Weekly. Somehow, I hadn’t actually covered a national championship victory until last year (I was around in 2016 but didn’t go to the regionals or Final Four). It wasn’t an easy path to get there – literally. We had to travel from Storrs to Spokane to Tampa. I’m still recovering from all those flights.

Following the Huskies to every corner of the country was all made possible by premium subscribers. Every single cent is invested back into our coverage; we have no corporate overload to answer to. I grew up in Connecticut, graduated from UConn and plan to spend the rest of my life here. This is as local as it gets.

We understand not everyone can afford a subscription — and that’s okay. If you want to remain a free reader, we’re happy to have you and you’ll still get plenty of content throughout the season.

But with the new campaign set to get underway, please consider making the leap. There’s no clickbait, no “trending” stories, no intrusive ads. Just high-quality coverage of the Huskies all year long – all for the cost of a cup of coffee per month.

Whatever you decide, let’s have a fun season.

Meet the team

• Breaking down UConn's five newcomers

• UConn fully loaded in quest to repeat

• After snapping national title drought, UConn has its swagger back

• Why UConn didn't necessarily need to use the transfer portal this offseason

• UConn unveils new jersey numbers

The newcomers

Serah Williams

Senior | Forward | 6-4 | Brooklyn, New York | Wisconsin

• UConn signs Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams

• With Serah Williams in the fold, UConn building a formidable frontcourt

• Film Room: Serah Williams brings both experience and untapped potential to UConn

• Why Serah Williams chose UConn

Kayleigh Heckel

Sophomore | Guard | 5-9 | Port Chester, New York | USC

• UConn signs USC transfer Kayleigh Heckel

• Kayleigh Heckel believes UConn is 'the place I need to be'

Blanca Quiñonez

Freshman | Forward | 6-2 | Milagros, Ecuador

• Blanca Quiñonez making an early impression at UConn

• Blanca Quiñonez remains UConn's intriguing mystery

• Why UConn is willing to let Blanca Quiñonez play through early mistakes

Kelis Fisher

Freshman | Guard | 5-9 | Baltimore, Maryland

• Kelis Fisher bringing plenty of fun and energy to UConn

• Gandy Malou-Mamel bringing mature approach to freshman season

The returners

Sarah Strong

Sophomore | Forward | 6-2 | Durham, North Carolina

• How Sarah Strong compares to the best freshmen in program history

• Sarah Strong already looking "way better" during summer workouts

• How Sarah Strong can improve after historic freshman season

Azzi Fudd

Redshirt senior | Guard | 5-11 | Arlington, Virginia

• After Final Four revelation, is Azzi Fudd ready to take over?

• Azzi Fudd and Ashlynn Shade stepping into UConn’s leadership void

KK Arnold

Junior | Guard | 5-9 | Germantown, Wisconsin

• After two-year apprenticeship, KK Arnold is ready to be UConn's top point guard

Ashlynn Shade

Junior | Guard | 5-10 | Noblesville, Indiana

• How Ashlynn Shade and Allie Ziebell commemorated UConn's national championship together

Caroline Ducharme

Redshirt senior | Guard | 6-3 | Milton, Massachusetts

• Caroline Ducharme isn't limiting her dreams in final year at UConn: 'Who's to say I can't get back to who I used to be?'

Ayanna Patterson

Redshirt sophomore | Forward | 6-3 | Fort Wayne, Indiana

• After two years on the sidelines, Ayanna Patterson happy to be playing basketball again

• How shared injury struggles bonded Caroline Ducharme and Ayanna Patterson

Allie Ziebell

Sophomore | Guard | 6-0 | Neenah, Wisconsin

• Despite quiet freshman year, Allie Ziebell remains optimistic about future

• Allie Ziebell closes preseason with standout performance

Ice Brady

Redshirt junior | Forward | 6-3 | San Diego, California

Jana El Alfy

Redshirt sophomore | Forward | 6-5 | Cairo, Egypt

Morgan Cheli

Sophomore | Guard | 6-2 | Los Altos, California

Mark your calendars

• UConn releases 2025-26 non-conference schedule

• Breaking down UConn's non-conference schedule

• UConn releases full 2025-26 schedule

• Breaking down UConn's full 2025-26 schedule

How to watch it all

• UConn releases tip times and television information for 2025-26 season

Basketball

Summer workouts

• Why Geno doesn't put much stock in summer workouts

• With full roster, UConn's summer workouts are 'more grueling, tougher and more competitive' so far

• Why pickup games are the lifeblood of UConn's summer workouts

The preseason

• UConn begins life after Paige Bueckers with first official practice

• Notes and observations from UConn's open practice and scrimmage

• Leftover thoughts from UConn’s open practice

• What to expect from UConn in exhibition vs. Boston College

• The good (and bad) from UConn's exhibition opener

• Stock Watch: Where every member of UConn's roster stands entering the regular season

Awards and honors

• UConn ranked No. 1 in AP Preseason Poll

• UConn cleans up Big East preseason honors

• Sarah Strong named AP Preseason All-American

• UConn receives 2025 national championship rings

Chasing Perfection

• First look at the Huskies

• Breaking down UConn’s schedule

• Early impressions from UConn's first exhibition

• Taking stock of UConn's preseason

• Can anyone stop UConn from repeating as national champions?