2024–25 UConn Huskies women's basketball team
| 2024–25 UConn Huskies women's basketball | |
|---|---|
 | |
Big East regular season & tournament champions Baha Mar Women's Championship champions | |
NCAA tournament champions | |
| Conference | Big East Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 1 |
| AP | No. 1 |
| Record | 37–3 (18–0 Big East) |
| Head coach |
|
| Associate head coach | Chris Dailey (40th season) |
| Assistant coaches |
|
| Home arena | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion XL Center |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 UConn † | 18 | – | 0 | 1.000 | 37 | – | 3 | .925 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 23 Creighton | 16 | – | 2 | .889 | 26 | – | 7 | .788 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seton Hall | 13 | – | 5 | .722 | 23 | – | 10 | .697 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marquette | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 21 | – | 11 | .656 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Villanova | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 21 | – | 15 | .583 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DePaul | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 13 | – | 19 | .406 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Providence | 6 | – | 12 | .333 | 13 | – | 19 | .406 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. John's | 5 | – | 13 | .278 | 16 | – | 15 | .516 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Butler | 5 | – | 13 | .278 | 16 | – | 18 | .471 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgetown | 4 | – | 14 | .222 | 12 | – | 19 | .387 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Xavier | 1 | – | 17 | .056 | 7 | – | 24 | .226 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2025 Big East tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2024–25 UConn Huskies women's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut (UConn) during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Huskies were led by Hall of Fame head coach Geno Auriemma in his 40th season at UConn, and split their home games between Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on their campus in Storrs, Connecticut, and the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut. UConn is a member of the Big East Conference, which it rejoined in the 2020–21 season; it had been a member of the original Big East Conference from 1979 through 2013, and one of the original women's basketball teams in that conference in 1982.[a]
After losing two graduates to the WNBA, UConn entered the season ranked #2 in the AP and Coaches polls, returning two-time All American Paige Bueckers and a several other players previously redshirted for injury, with some still unavailable at the season's start. The Huskies added a solid recruiting class, including #1 ranked recruit Sarah Strong, to the lineup, and also picked up Princeton graduate Kaitlyn Chen from the transfer portal.
An early season win against Fairleigh Dickinson was Auriemma's 2017th career victory, making him the winningest head coach in NCAA history. The Huskies won early non-conference games against North Carolina, Ole Miss, and Louisville, while losing against ranked Notre Dame, USC, and Tennessee. In a much anticipated February game of ranked opponents, UConn shocked home team and defending national champion South Carolina, 87–58. The Huskies continued to dominate Big East conference play, going undefeated for the second consecutive season and winning the Big East tournament. In the 2025 NCAA Division I tournament, UConn was seeded second in their regional and won their way to the national title match, defeating opponents by an average of 34 points per game. In the tournament finals, a rematch against South Carolina, the Huskies defeated the Gamecocks, 82–59, to win their 12th national championship. UConn finished the season with a record of 37–3.
Previous season
[edit]UConn was ranked second in pre-season polls but lost three early non-conference games and several key players to injury by midseason. The Huskies went undefeated in Big East conference play and the post-season conference tournament, anchored by previous All-Americans Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards. Both players were selected to the 2023–24 All-Big East and All-American teams; point guard Nika Mühl was an All-Big East selection and completed the season as UConn's all-time career assists leader. The Huskies entered the NCAA tournament seeded third in their bracket, but emerged victorious with Bueckers awarded the most outstanding player. The Caitlin Clark-led Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Huskies in their Final Four contest, a match watched by a record 14.4 million ESPN college basketball viewers. UConn ended the season 33–6, ranked #3 in both polls. Both Edwards and Mühl were selected in the 2024 WNBA draft.
Offseason
[edit]Departures
[edit]The Huskies graduated senior starters Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Mühl from the 2023–24 roster, and both were drafted into the Women's National Basketball Association. Two undergraduates chose to enter the transfer portal after the NCAA tournament, senior Amari Deberry and junior Inês Bettencourt.
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaliyah Edwards | 3 | F | 6'3" | Graduated | Kingston, Ontario | Drafted by the WNBA's Washington Mystics |
| Nika Mühl | 10 | G | 5'11" | Graduated | Zagreb, Croatia | Drafted by the WNBA's Seattle Storm |
| Inês Bettencourt | 21 | G | 5'9" | Junior | São Miguel, Portugal | Transferred to Gonzaga |
| Amari Deberry | 42 | F | 6'6" | Senior | Williamsville, New York | Transferred to Maryland |
Incoming transfers
[edit]| Tour of Huskies' team facilities | |
|---|---|
 UCONN Women's Basketball Virtual Tour |
The Huskies added Kaitlyn Chen, a graduate student who transferred from Princeton University. While at Princeton under head coach Carla Berube, Chen was the 2023–24 Ivy League Player of the Year and was two-time All-Ivy First Team.[1]
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Previous school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaitlyn Chen | 20 | G | 5'9" | Graduate student | San Marino, California | Princeton |
Recruiting
[edit]Recruiting class of 2024
[edit]On December 3, 2022, UConn received a verbal commitment from five-star guard Allie Ziebell.[2] Fellow five-star guard Morgan Cheli committed to UConn soon after. In November 2023, ESPN ranked the Huskies' 2024 class as the sixth-best in the country.[3] On April 6, 2024, the #1 player in the class of 2024, five-star forward Sarah Strong, also committed to UConn.[4]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Strong F |
Fuquay-Varina, NC | Grace Christian School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | N/A | ||
Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: ESPN grade: 98
| ||||||
| Allie Ziebell G |
Neenah, WI | Neenah High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | N/A | ||
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: ESPN grade: 98
| ||||||
| Morgan Cheli G |
San Jose, CA | Archbishop Mitty High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | N/A | ||
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: ESPN grade: 97
| ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ESPN: 6 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
Recruiting class of 2025
[edit]ESPN ranked UConn's 2025 class as the sixth-best in the country.[5]
| College recruiting information (2025) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
| Kelis Fisher PG |
Baltimore, MD | IMG Academy | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | N/A | ||
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: ESPN grade: 96
| ||||||
| Gandy Malou-Mamel C |
Limerick, Ireland | Gill St. Bernard's School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | N/A | ||
Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: ESPN grade: 92
| ||||||
| Blanca Quinonez F |
Milagro, Ecuador | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | N/A | |||
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ESPN: 6 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
Coaching
[edit]Hall of Fame head coach Geno Auriemma and Hall of Fame associate head coach Chris Dailey returned for their 40th season. Assistant coach Jamelle Elliott was a UConn assistant coach from 1998 to 2009 and returned after a nine-year head coaching stint at Cincinnati. Assistant coach Morgan Valley was the head coach of the Hartford Hawks when hired by the Huskies. Elliott and Valley are both former UConn players.[6][7] Tonya Cardoza, another former Huskies assistant, returned to UConn in 2023 after serving as Temple's head coach for 15 years.[8] In 2023, UConn announced Ben Kantor was promoted to assistant coach from his previous staff position serving as the team's video coordinator since 2015.[8] The November 20 home victory against Fairleigh Dickinson was Auriemma's 2017th, making him the winningest head coach in NCAA history.[9]
Season summary
[edit]UConn entered the season ranked #2 in the AP and Coaches polls, returning two-time All-American Paige Bueckers and several other players previously redshirted for injury, with some still unavailable at the season's start. The Huskies added a solid recruiting class, including #1 ranked recruit Sarah Strong, and also picked up Princeton graduate Kaitlyn Chen from the transfer portal.
An early season win against Fairleigh Dickinson was Geno Auriemma's 2017th career victory, making him the winningest head coach in NCAA history. UConn's main starting lineup was set when guard Azzi Fudd returned from a year-long injury hiatus, joining guards Bueckers and Chen, forward Strong, and center Jana El-Alfy.[10] Guards Ashlynn Shade and KK Arnold and forward Ice Brady were the primary contributors off the bench.
The Huskies started the season well, winning non-conference games against three ranked opponents: North Carolina, Ole Miss, and Louisville. However, in December, they lost non-conference games to ranked Notre Dame and USC.
UConn then commenced their Big East conference schedule. They had an 11-game winning streak from late December to early February until they lost to ranked non-conference opponent Tennessee. Ten days later, UConn defeated the #4 team in the country, defending national champion South Carolina, 87–58.
UConn finished its regular season with a record of 28–3. They won the Big East regular season title, going undefeated for the second consecutive season, including wins over ranked Creighton. The Huskies then won the Big East tournament. Bueckers and Strong were both named to All-American teams. The media started referring to Bueckers, Strong, and Fudd as UConn's "big three" that was expected to lead the team to a deep run in the NCAA tournament.[11]
Going into the tournament, UConn was ranked #3 in both polls and was seeded second in its regional. They defeated Arkansas State and South Dakota State to advance to their 31st consecutive Sweet Sixteen. UConn then defeated Oklahoma and won a rematch with USC to advance to the Final Four. Bueckers, who had already declared for the 2025 WNBA draft, scored over 30 points in three straight games, including a career-high 40 against Oklahoma. UConn won its Final Four game against UCLA by 34 points. The title game was a rematch against South Carolina, and the Huskies defeated the Gamecocks to win their 12th national championship. Fudd was named the tournament's most outstanding player.[12]
UConn had a 37–3 record, ending with a 16-game winning streak. All 37 of their victories were by double digit margins.[13] Strong led the team in rebounds during the season. Bueckers led the team in points and assists, and she finished her UConn career with the third-most points in program history.
Roster
[edit]| 2024–25 UConn Huskies women's basketball team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Schedule and results
[edit]| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exhibition | |||||||||||
| November 3, 2024* 12:00 p.m., WWAX |
No. 2 | Fort Hays State | W 89–49 | 27 – Bueckers | 9 – 2 Tied | 5 – Chen | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,299) Storrs, CT | ||||
| Regular season | |||||||||||
| November 7, 2024* 7:00 p.m., SNY |
No. 2 | Boston University | W 86–32 | 1–0 |
17 – 2 tied | 11 – El Alfy | 7 – Bueckers | XL Center (13,355) Hartford, CT | |||
| November 10, 2024* 4:30 p.m., SNY |
No. 2 | South Florida | W 86–49 | 2–0 |
22 – Bueckers | 7 – 2 tied | 7 – Chen | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,299) Storrs, CT | |||
| November 15, 2024* 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
No. 2 | vs. No. 14 North Carolina | W 69–58 | 3–0 |
29 – Bueckers | 13 – Strong | 6 – Strong | Greensboro Coliseum (10,467) Greensboro, NC | |||
| November 20, 2024* 7:00 p.m., SNY |
No. 2 | Fairleigh Dickinson | W 85–41 | 4–0 |
20 – Strong | 9 – Bueckers | 6 – Strong | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,299) Storrs, CT | |||
| November 25, 2024* 7:30 p.m., FloHoops |
No. 2 | vs. Oregon State Baha Mar Women's Championship semifinals |
W 71–52 | 5–0 |
23 – Bueckers | 8 – Strong | 6 – Bueckers | Baha Mar Convention Center (567) Nassau, Bahamas | |||
| November 27, 2024* 7:30 p.m., FloHoops |
No. 2 | vs. No. 18 Ole Miss Baha Mar Women's Championship finals |
W 73–60 | 6–0 |
29 – Bueckers | 9 – El Alfy | 4 – 2 tied | Baha Mar Convention Center (1,507) Nassau, Bahamas | |||
| December 3, 2024* 7:00 p.m., SNY |
No. 2 | Holy Cross | W 88–52 | 7–0 |
22 – Strong | 7 – 2 tied | 7 – Chen | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,299) Storrs, CT | |||
| December 7, 2024* 9:00 p.m., FOX |
No. 2 | vs. No. 22 Louisville Women's Champions Classic |
W 85–52 | 8–0 |
21 – Strong | 10 – Bueckers | 6 – Bueckers | Barclays Center (9,114) Brooklyn, NY | |||
| December 12, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN |
No. 2 | at No. 8 Notre Dame Rivalry |
L 68–79 | 8–1 |
25 – Bueckers | 7 – Strong | 2 – 4 tied | Purcell Pavilion (9,149) South Bend, IN | |||
| December 15, 2024 1:30 p.m., SNY |
No. 2 | Georgetown | W 79–44 | 9–1 (1–0) |
24 – Bueckers | 14 – Strong | 5 – Strong | XL Center (15,684) Hartford, CT | |||
| December 17, 2024* 8:30 p.m., FS1 |
No. 4 | vs. Iowa State Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Showcase |
W 101–68 | 10–1 |
29 – Strong | 9 – 2 tied | 8 – Chen | Mohegan Sun Arena (6,812) Uncasville, CT | |||
| December 21, 2024* 8:00 p.m., FOX |
No. 4 | No. 7 USC | L 70–72 | 10–2 |
22 – 2 tied | 13 – Strong | 5 – Strong | XL Center (15,684) Hartford, CT | |||
| December 29, 2024 1:30 p.m., SNY |
No. 7 | Providence | W 67–41 | 11–2 (2–0) |
23 – Bueckers | 4 – 2 tied | 4 – Bueckers | XL Center (15,684) Hartford, CT | |||
| January 1, 2025 2:00 p.m., SNY |
No. 7 | at Marquette | W 77–45 | 12–2 (3–0) |
15 – Strong | 7 – Strong | 7 – Arnold | Al McGuire Center (3,750) Milwaukee, WI | |||
| January 5, 2025 1:30 p.m., SNY |
No. 7 | at Villanova | W 83–52 | 13–2 (4–0) |
21 – Strong | 5 – 3 tied | 9 – Bueckers | Finneran Pavilion (6,501) Villanova, PA | |||
| January 8, 2025 7:30 p.m., SNY |
No. 7 | Xavier | W 81–27 | 14–2 (5–0) |
23 – Fudd | 7 – Strong | 3 – 4 tied | XL Center (13,529) Hartford, CT | |||
| January 11, 2025 4:00 p.m., SNY |
No. 7 | at Georgetown | W 73–55 | 15–2 (6–0) |
21 – Fudd | 9 – Strong | 6 – Strong | Entertainment and Sports Arena (3,827) Washington, D.C. | |||
| January 15, 2025 7:00 p.m., SNY |
No. 6 | at St. John's | W 71–45 | 16–2 (7–0) |
13 – Fudd | 6 – El Alfy | 5 – Strong | Carnesecca Arena (4,917) Queens, NY | |||
| January 19, 2025 1:00 p.m., SNY |
No. 6 | Seton Hall | W 96–36 | 17–2 (8–0) |
23 – Strong | 11 – Strong | 7 – Bueckers | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,299) Storrs, CT | |||
| January 22, 2025 7:00 p.m., SNY |
No. 6 | Villanova | W 100–57 | 18–2 (9–0) |
22 – Strong | 8 – Bueckers | 9 – Bueckers | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,299) Storrs, CT | |||
| January 25, 2025 5:30 p.m., FOX |
No. 6 | at Creighton | W 72–61 | 19–2 (10–0) |
26 – Strong | 12 – Strong | 4 – Bueckers | CHI Health Center Omaha (11,141) Omaha, NE | |||
| January 29, 2025 7:00 p.m., SNY |
No. 6 | at DePaul | W 84–58 | 20–2 (11–0) |
17 – 2 tied | 8 – Strong | 5 – Fudd | Wintrust Arena (8,305) Chicago, IL | |||
| February 2, 2025 1:00 p.m., SNY |
No. 6 | Butler | W 101–59 | 21–2 (12–0) |
18 – Bueckers | 5 – 2 tied | 5 – 3 tied | XL Center (15,684) Hartford, CT | |||
| February 6, 2025* 6:30 p.m., ESPN |
No. 5 | at No. 19 Tennessee Rivalry |
L 76–80 | 21–3 |
18 – Strong | 9 – Strong | 8 – Bueckers | Thompson-Boling Arena (16,215) Knoxville, TN | |||
| February 9, 2025 12:00 p.m., CBSSN |
No. 5 | at Providence | W 77–40 | 22–3 (13–0) |
20 – Bueckers | 9 – Strong | 7 – Arnold | Amica Mutual Pavilion (7,483) Providence, RI | |||
| February 12, 2025 7:30 p.m., SNY |
No. 7 | St. John's | W 78–40 | 23–3 (14–0) |
34 – Fudd | 9 – Griffin | 4 – 2 tied | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,299) Storrs, CT | |||
| February 16, 2025* 1:00 p.m., ABC |
No. 7 | at No. 4 South Carolina College GameDay |
W 87–58 | 24–3 |
28 – Fudd | 13 – Strong | 10 – Bueckers | Colonial Life Arena (18,000) Columbia, SC | |||
| February 19, 2025 7:00 p.m., SNY |
No. 5 | at Seton Hall | W 91–49 | 25–3 (15–0) |
23 – Bueckers | 9 – Bueckers | 5 – Bueckers | Walsh Gymnasium (1,350) South Orange, NJ | |||
| February 22, 2025 4:30 p.m., SNY |
No. 5 | at Butler | W 86–47 | 26–3 (16–0) |
23 – Bueckers | 9 – Strong | 10 – Bueckers | Hinkle Fieldhouse (9,100) Indianapolis, IN | |||
| February 27, 2025 7:00 p.m., CBSSN |
No. 5 | No. 22 Creighton | W 72–53 | 27–3 (17–0) |
22 – Strong | 9 – Strong | 7 – Bueckers | XL Center (15,684) Hartford, CT | |||
| March 2, 2025 2:00 p.m., FS1 |
No. 5 | Marquette | W 92–57 | 28–3 (18–0) |
19 – Bueckers | 5 – Strong | 7 – Bueckers | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,299) Storrs, CT | |||
| Big East tournament | |||||||||||
| March 8, 2025 12:00 p.m., FS1 |
(1) No. 3 | vs. (8) St. John's Quarterfinals |
W 71–40 | 29–3 |
20 – Bueckers | 14 – Strong | 4 – 2 tied | Mohegan Sun Arena (8,816) Uncasville, CT | |||
| March 9, 2025 2:30 p.m., FOX |
(1) No. 3 | vs. (5) Villanova Semifinals |
W 82–54 | 30–3 |
23 – Bueckers | 16 – Strong | 6 – Bueckers | Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, CT | |||
| March 10, 2025 7:00 p.m., FS1 |
(1) No. 3 | vs. (2) No. 22 Creighton Championship |
W 70–50 | 31–3 |
24 – Bueckers | 11 – Strong | 4 – Strong | Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, CT | |||
| NCAA tournament | |||||||||||
| March 22, 2025* 1:00 p.m., ABC |
(2 S4) No. 3 | (15 S4) Arkansas State First Round |
W 103–34 | 32–3 |
27 – Fudd | 12 – Strong | 7 – Fudd | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,299) Storrs, CT | |||
| March 24, 2025* 8:00 p.m., ESPN |
(2 S4) No. 3 | (10 S4) No. 24 South Dakota State Second Round |
W 91–57 | 33–3 |
34 – Bueckers | 7 – Strong | 5 – 2 tied | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,299) Storrs, CT | |||
| March 29, 2025* 5:30 p.m., ESPN |
(2 S4) No. 3 | vs. (3 S4) No. 11 Oklahoma Sweet Sixteen |
W 82–59 | 34–3 |
40 – Bueckers | 11 – Strong | 5 – 2 tied | Spokane Arena (10,610) Spokane, WA | |||
| March 31, 2025* 9:00 p.m., ESPN |
(2 S4) No. 3 | vs. (1 S4) No. 4 USC Elite Eight |
W 78–64 | 35–3 |
31 – Bueckers | 17 – Strong | 6 – Bueckers | Spokane Arena (10,141) Spokane, WA | |||
| April 4, 2025* 9:30 p.m., ESPN |
(2 S4) No. 3 | vs. (1 S1) No. 1 UCLA Final Four |
W 85–51 | 36–3 |
22 – Strong | 8 – 2 tied | 5 – Chen | Amalie Arena (19,731) Tampa, FL | |||
| April 6, 2025* 3:00 p.m., ABC |
(2 S4) No. 3 | vs. (1 B2) No. 2 South Carolina National Championship |
W 82–59 | 37–3 |
24 – 2 tied | 15 – Strong | 5 – Strong | Amalie Arena (19,777) Tampa, FL | |||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time. | |||||||||||
Rankings
[edit]| Week | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | 2 (2) | 2 | 2 | 2 (9) | 2 (7) | 2 (8) | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 (7) | 3 (5) | 1 (31) |
| Coaches | 2 (3) | 2 (1) | 2 (1) | 1 (13) | 2 (14) | 2 (8) | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 (3) | 3 (3) | 1 (31) |
Player statistics
[edit]| Player | Games Played | Minutes | Field Goals | Three Pointers | Free Throws | Rebounds | Assists | Blocks | Steals | Points |
| Sarah Strong | 40 | 1149 | 272 | 59 | 54 | 356 | 142 | 66 | 92 | 657 |
| Paige Bueckers | 38 | 1146 | 287 | 70 | 112 | 168 | 176 | 29 | 81 | 756 |
| Kaitlyn Chen | 40 | 938 | 108 | 29 | 32 | 71 | 135 | 1 | 46 | 277 |
| Azzi Fudd | 34 | 901 | 175 | 79 | 33 | 68 | 61 | 10 | 46 | 462 |
| Ashlynn Shade | 40 | 887 | 120 | 53 | 15 | 108 | 53 | 6 | 57 | 308 |
| KK Arnold | 40 | 855 | 82 | 10 | 42 | 95 | 112 | 4 | 61 | 218 |
| Jana El-Alfy | 40 | 639 | 86 | 1 | 27 | 203 | 40 | 24 | 22 | 200 |
| Ice Brady | 32 | 500 | 47 | 3 | 17 | 90 | 55 | 12 | 18 | 114 |
| Morgan Cheli | 24 | 318 | 25 | 10 | 1 | 58 | 30 | 1 | 9 | 61 |
| Allie Ziebell | 33 | 271 | 32 | 22 | 6 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 92 |
| Qadence Samuels | 33 | 185 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 43 |
| Aubrey Griffin | 16 | 177 | 25 | 0 | 20 | 54 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 70 |
| Caroline Ducharme | 9 | 34 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
Awards and honors
[edit]- Paige Bueckers
- Wade Trophy[16]
- Nancy Lieberman Award[17]
- Associated Press first-team All-American[18]
- United States Basketball Writers Association first-team All-American[19]
- Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-American[16]
- Big East Player of the Year[20]
- First-team All-Big East[20]
- Big East tournament Most Outstanding Player[21]
- Sarah Strong
- Azzi Fudd
- NCAA Division I tournament Most Outstanding Player[23]
- First-team All-Big East[20]
- Ashlynn Shade
- Big East Sixth Woman of the Year[20]
- Geno Auriemma
- Big East Co-Coach of the Year[20]
See also
[edit]Footnotes
[edit]- ^ The settlement of the 2013 split of the Big East Conference resulted in the so-called "Catholic 7" purchasing the "Big East" name and reorganizing as a new conference. The original conference charter was retained by the Division I FBS football schools that now operate as the American Athletic Conference. As part of the settlement, the current Big East recognizes the competitive history of the original conference in all sports that it sponsors.
References
[edit]- ^ Philippou, Alexa (April 28, 2024). "Former Ivy Player of Year Chen joining UConn". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
- ^ Arguello, Ricardo (December 3, 2022). "Neenah girls basketball standout Allie Ziebell commits to UConn". The Post-Crescent. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ^ Laflin, Shane. "2024 women's college basketball recruiting rankings: Updated top 25 classes". espn.com. November 21, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
- ^ "Top 2024 recruit Sarah Strong commits to UConn". espn.com. April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
- ^ Laflin, Shane. "2025 NCAA women's basketball recruiting: Top 25 class rankings". espn.com. March 25, 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
- ^ Bonjour, Doug (February 14, 2019). "UConn's Jamelle Elliott happy to be back home". Connecticut Post. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ "Morgan Valley leaves Hartford to become UConn assistant". The Washington Times. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ a b Eaton-Robb, Pat (June 13, 2023). "Former Temple coach Tonya Cardoza returning to UConn, among two assistant hires". USA Today. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ Voepel, Michael (November 21, 2024). "The road to the record: Geno Auriemma's 12 biggest coaching wins at UConn". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ Barnes, Katie. "More than a shooter: How Azzi Fudd lifted UConn to title". espn.com. April 6, 2025. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ Philippou, Alexa. "How Paige Bueckers and UConn got their fairytale ending with national title". espn.com. April 6, 2025. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ Voepel, Michael. "UConn dominates South Carolina, wins 12th national title". espn.com. April 6, 2025. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ "UConn Huskies Schedule 2024-25". espn.com. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ "2024-2025 Women's Basketball Schedule". UConn Huskies. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
- ^ "2024-25 Women's Basketball Cumulative Statistics". University of Connecticut Athletics. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Paige Bueckers wins Wade Trophy, headlines 2025 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches' All-America team". wbca.org. April 3, 2025. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ "Paige Bueckers Earns 2025 Nancy Lieberman Award". uconnhuskies.com. April 5, 2025. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ a b "The Associated Press 2024-25 women's college basketball All-America teams". apnews.com. March 19, 2025. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
- ^ a b "USBWA unveils 2024-25 Women's All-America Team". sportswriters.net. March 19, 2025. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "2025 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Annual Awards Announced". bigeast.com. March 6, 2025. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
- ^ "Huskies Win Fifth-Straight BIG EAST Women's Basketball Tournament title". bigeast.com. March 10, 2025. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
- ^ "UConn’s Sarah Strong named 2025 WBCA NCAA Division I Freshman of the Year presented by adidas". wbca.org. April 2, 2025. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ "A healthy Azzi Fudd stars as UConn wins women's NCAA Tournament". apnews.com. April 6, 2025. Retrieved April 6, 2025.