UConn fully loaded in quest to repeat

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Headlines

News

• UConn lands USC transfer Kayleigh Heckel

• 14 Huskies make initial WNBA rosters

Analysis

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

• Chasing Perfection: UConn loads up in the portal

Last week’s Weekly

• Checking in on programs with UConn ties

UConn fully loaded in quest to repeat

UConn’s 2025-26 roster is officially set and the team is fully loaded for its quest to repeat as national champions.

On Tuesday, the Huskies landed USC transfer guard Kayleigh Heckel, filling their 15th and final available scholarship. That means for the first time since 2000-01, UConn will have a full roster — and one that makes the Huskies clear national title favorites.

It starts at the top. While Paige Bueckers is gone, UConn still returns two established superstars in All-American Sarah Strong and Final Four Most Outstanding Player Azzi Fudd. The pair proved in Tampa that they’re plenty capable of carrying the load on the biggest stage.

Behind them, there’s a strong foundation of returners. KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade have been indispensable in two Final Four runs, Jana El Alfy started 27 games and took a major step forward in March while Morgan Cheli looked promising before going down with a season-ending foot injury in February.

The Huskies also have unproven but high-upside options coming back. Caroline Ducharme should be healthy for the first time since her freshman year, during which she averaged 16.2 points over a 16-game span when injuries struck. Meanwhile, Allie Ziebell came in as the No. 7 prospect in the class of 2024 and has the ability to blow games open with her shooting ability, though she’s struggled with a lack of aggression.

Similarly, Ayanna Patterson and Ice Brady were both top-five prospects in the 2022 recruiting class. Brady has shown flashes of ability but has never put it together for an extended stretch while Patterson has been hampered by injuries and missed the last two seasons.

With that group alone, UConn would feature one of the best rosters in the nation. But the Huskies also bring in two top transfers and a highly-touted freshman class.

For the first time since 2016, UConn brought in multiple transfers in one offseason, landing Serah Williams out of Wisconsin and Heckel from USC. Williams has twice earned All-Big Ten First Team honors and Auriemma called her “one of the top players in the country.” As for Heckel, she saw solid minutes on a Trojans squad that spent most of the season in the top five and reached the Elite Eight.

Then there’s the freshmen, which ESPN ranked as the sixth-best incoming class in the country. The big name is Blanca Quiñonez, an international prospect from Ecuador who has played in Italy’s top league over the last few season. ESPN’s Shane Laflin wrote that she’d “safely be a top 25 player in America”, so she should make an impact from day one.

Kelis Fisher is the 25th-ranked player in the class who could force her way into minutes with her defense while Gandy Malou-Mamel (ranked 75th) is a high-upside project big from Ireland (by way of New Jersey) who only began playing basketball at age 12.

Even with such a large roster numbers-wise, UConn doesn’t have much fluff (if any) 1-15. While not everyone will ultimately play up to their potential, there’s something to like about each player at this point in the calendar.

With Heckel now in the mix, the Huskies have also built depth at every position, too.

At the point, Arnold and Heckel will share duties while Fisher is likely to help out as well. Fudd and Shade should provide plenty of points from the backcourt with Ziebell capable as well. There’s a trio of versatile wings in Ducharme, Cheli and Quiñonez, then a deep group of bigs with Strong, Williams, El Alfy, Brady, Patterson and Malou-Mamel.

Of course, a lot can happen between now and next year’s Final Four in Phoenix — which UConn knows all too well. On paper, the Huskies’ most talented roster in recent years wasn’t the 2025 championship team but the 2023 squad that featured Bueckers, Fudd, Lou Lopez Sénéchal, Dorka Juhász, Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Mühl. Yet the latter group didn’t even make it past the Sweet Sixteen after being decimated by injuries.

So there’s no sure things. It’s not like going back-to-back is easy, either. In the non-UConn category, there have only been four repeat championships — and none since Tennessee in 2007 and 2008. The Huskies have done it five times themselves, though. If anyone knows what it takes, it’s Auriemma and his staff.

Regardless, UConn has done the work to build the best possible roster for next season. Now comes the hard part: Putting all the pieces together on the court. If that’s anywhere near as successful as the offseason has been, the Huskies are in for a special season.

Best of social media

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