We are quickly approaching the most wonderful time of the year for University of Connecticut students and fans, as basketball season is upon us in the Basketball Capital of the World! Last year’s season was nothing shy of perfect, with the UConn men’s team securing their sixth NCAA tournament championship, and our women’s team advancing to the final four. With the recent and very warranted uprise in women’s basketball viewership, getting to know our women’s team for the upcoming season should be at the top of your priorities. Here is everything you should know about our 2024-2025 Huskies on the women’s basketball team.
We have quite a strong selection of new additions to the team. After losing our senior guard Nika MĂĽhl to the WNBA’s Seattle Storm and Canadian forward Aaliyah Edwards to the Washington Mystics, we were due for a freshman class that could fill their shoes. At First Night on Friday, October 18th, we got a taste of what six-foot freshman guard Allie Ziebell will bring to the table this season, as she scored back-to-back three-pointers through the night’s challenges. Alongside her was six-foot-two freshman guard Morgan Cheli, who was a member of the 2024 USA Women’s Nike Hoop Summit team last year. To top it off, our women’s team also received the number one female recruit in the 2024 class, Sarah Strong, a six-foot-two freshman forward. We also got a five-foot-nine graduate transfer student from Princeton University, Kaitlyn Chen, who won Ivy League Player of the Year in 2023. Our new recruits alone are enough to secure the Natty this year!
Our returning members are certainly the glue of the women’s team. This year we have a few players who didn’t get to play last season due to injury but are back for their first season on the court including Jana El Alfy. El Alfy is a red-shirt freshman center from Egypt, who was the first African woman to be invited to the NBA Global Academy. We’re also welcoming back two red-shirt sophomore forwards, Ice Brady and Ayanna Patterson. Brady brought her team to the final four in the NCAA tournament last season, scoring seven points in their final game against Iowa. Patterson had a strong freshman season in 2022, playing in 30 games and totaling 65 points for the season. After lengthy recoveries from each of them, these red-shirt players are sure to have incredible comeback seasons!
KK Arnold’s freshman season was nothing short of extraordinary, and fans across the country are anticipating an amazing sophomore season for her. Arnold appeared in all 39 games last season, and was part of the starting five alongside MĂĽhl, Edwards, Paige Bueckers, and Ashlynn Shade in 33 of those games. Arnold scored double digits in 19 of the games she played, and led the team with 90 steals last season. We are so excited to see her play again this season!
We also have returning sophomores Ashlynn Shade and Qadence Samuels, who similarly had strong freshman seasons. Shade played in 38 out of 39 games last season, starting for 33 of them. She averages an incredible 11 points per game, and is a five-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week. Shade is anticipated to have an incredible sophomore season, being ranked third on the team after only a year at UConn. Samuels played in 36 games as a freshman, averaging around five points per game. Our sophomores are back for the Natty this season!
In terms of our upperclassmen, we are set for a fiery season. Our juniors this year consist of Caroline Ducharme and Azzi Fudd, both players who had been out in the 2023-2024 season due to injury. Nonetheless, Ducharme is set to have a strong season based on her previous average of 10 points in her freshman season and eight during her sophomore season. She was also the number five recruit in her graduating class in 2021. Fans across the country are thrilled to welcome Fudd back to the court after her season-ending injury, causing her to only be able to play in two games last season. Fudd was the number one recruit in her class of 2021, averaging 12 points per game her freshman year, and sophomore year tied women’s basketball alum Diana Taurasi for the most points by a UConn player vs. a top-five opponent. Although she may seem quiet, Azzi Fudd is a force to be reckoned with.
We are all so excited to have Paige Bueckers and Aubrey Griffin each returning for their fifth year as UConn Huskies. As red-shirt seniors returning from previous injuries, both are compensating for missed time as part of the team, and are eager for a healthy season (with a championship win as a sendoff). Griffin often stays under the radar as a player, but had a record-breaking junior comeback season playing 35 games with 30 starts, and an average of 11 points per game. She tied Rebecca Lobo’s record for most consecutive field goals in a game during this season as well. Head coach Geno Auriemma claims she is “capable of having big, big games” in terms of her defense.
“We have the best player in America… everybody that watched knows it”
Geno Auriemma on Paige Bueckers, after Final Four loss against Iowa.
It is safe to say that Paige Bueckers’ final season at UConn has got to be one of the most anticipated in the history of basketball here in Storrs. If you don’t know her from the TikTok edits, Bueckers is “the elitest basketball player to ever grace our game,” according to Dawn Staley, head coach of the South Carolina women’s basketball team. After having numerous injuries throughout her college career, Bueckers proved to come out stronger through her adversity. Last season, she started in all 39 games, averaged 22 points per game, led her team to the final four against Iowa, won BIG EAST Player of the Year, and is now the number 1 draft pick for the WNBA. She was described as “the best player in America” by coach Auriemma, which is shown not only by her stats but also by her selflessness on and off the court.
Now that you know what to expect this season from the UConn women’s basketball team, mark your calendars for their first game this Sunday, November 3 at noon. If you’re local, head to Gampel Pavilion to watch the game against Fort Hayes, or tune into ESPN to watch from home. Go Huskies!