UConn women's basketball season preview 2025-26: How does Geno Auriemma's roster shape up following Kayleigh Heckel transfer?

The UConn Huskies, coached by legendary tactician Geno Auriemma, will be defending their national title in the 2025-26 season. This is the first time they have done this since 2016, which was the last occasion they won the national championship before the 2024-2025 campaign.

They are heading into next year with a huge chunk of returning players from their national chip squad, who went 37-3 as their overall record and an undefeated 18-0 during Big East conference play. However, they will be missing superstar Paige Bueckers and veterans Kaitlyn Chen and Aubrey Griffin who have moved on to the WNBA.

As the Huskies uncork their first national title defense in almost a decade, they have a great shot at going back-to-back. Here's an early preview of the 2025-26 season for UConn.

UConn Huskies 2025-26 Season Preview

Sarah Strong - Source: Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn

Highlighted by the return of senior standout Azzi Fudd, UConn has retained most of its national championship-winning core apart from the aforementioned graduated players.

The additions of Kayleigh Heckel and Serah Williams also bolster both the backcourt and frontcourt sets of the Huskies as they are one of the favorites to win the 2016 national title.

Starting Lineup

Guard: Azzi Fudd

Azzi Fudd is slated to return to the Huskies for one last run with the program that she has become one of the faces of. Last campaign, she dropped 13.6 points, 2.0 caroms, 1.8 assists and 1.4 swipes per game.

Guard: KK Arnold

KK Arnold has shown flashes of talented scoring in her two years at UConn. She could be eligible for a starting role after she averaged 5.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals in her sophomore stint.

Guard: Ashlynn Shade

Ashlynn Shade provided a steady presence as a guard for the Huskies last year, especially when she was inserted into the starting lineup when Paige Bueckers went down with an injury in January. In her rookie campaign, she put up averages of 7.7 markers, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 dimes and 1.4 steals a game.

Forward: Sarah Strong

Sarah Strong is perhaps the cornerstone player for the Huskies as she tallied impressive averages of 16.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks all in her rookie season. She ended up winning several individual accolades, such as the 2025 Big East Freshman of the Year award, in the process.

Center: Jana El-Alfy

Incoming second-year center Jana El-Alfy was an efficient and realiable force down low in the Huskies' national championship run. She posted 5.0 markers, 5.1 boards and 1.0 dimes in her first stint, and was a key starter for coach Auriemma.

Rotation Players

Kayleigh Heckel was a steady freshman for the USC Trojans, averaging 6.1 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals in her rookie year. Given that the Huskies will be returning a number of its key perimeter players, Heckel can be expected as a rotation piece as she moved up to the starters. Wisconsin Badgers transferee Serah Williams is set to boost UConn's frontline as well.

Impact Players

Both Fudd and Strong will assume their roles back as the clear cut leading stars of the Huskies, given that they were two of the 2024-25 squad's top three scorers.

Fudd will be serving her final year of eligibility, as her talent as a veteran guard will likely make her a top pick in the 2026 WNBA draft. For Strong, she bedazzled the college scene as a rookie with her maturity and polished game as a forward.