UConn basketball reloads as both men’s and women’s teams surge behind stars and newcomers
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Jan 19, 2026, 04:46 IST
UConn basketball reloads as both men’s and women’s teams surge behind stars and newcomers
UConn basketball is thriving this season, with both the men’s and women’s teams ranked in the top five nationally. After winning the 2025 NCAA title, the women’s team reloaded behind Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong, key transfers, and standout freshman Blanca Quinonez. The men’s team rebounded from defensive struggles, winning 14 straight games. Strong offseason moves and impactful newcomers have kept both programs dominant.
The University of Connecticut ended its last season on two different notes, but kicked off this season by dominating the game. Led by paigebueckers the women’s team took home the 2025 NCAA Championship while the men’s team missed the opportunity of winning the Hatrick.
The Huskies are currently the top-ranked team in both women’s and men’s college basketball and are the only school to have both teams in the top 5.
Having lost their star guard Paigebueckers to the WNBA, the Huskies turned toward Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong to lead them to another championship. Fudd and Strong had a great outing last season, with Fudd receiving the Final Four's most outstanding player award and Strong receiving the freshman of the year 2024.
The men's team lost their third consecutive title win because of the problems with the team's defense, and are bouncing back this season after addressing these issues.
Both teams have been performing well after having a good offseason campaign. The women’s team, winning 18 consecutive games, remains undefeated so far this season, and the men’s team has won its 14th consecutive game against Georgetown.
With both Paige Bueckers and Kaitlyn Chen graduating The women’s team was in search of another point guard. The USC transfer, Kayleigh Heckle, is the perfect fit to fill that spot for the Huskies after being able to handle the ball easily and contributing to more assists and fewer turnovers.
The women’s team also added the 2023 Big Ten defensive player of the year, Serah Williams, to its roster to get a little help in the post. The Wisconsin transfer takes pressure off of Strong's defense, helping her with possession of the ball on the post.
The freshman forward Blanca Quinonez was also a new addition to the Huskies' side. Having been sidelined for the first two games, the 19-year-old freshman is recording stats very close to Sarah Strong. Currently, Quinonez is averaging 10.8 points per game and is looking to establish herself as the 2025 -2026 freshman of the year.
As reported by the Associated press Geno Auriemma, the UConn women’s basketball coach, said, “There is a comfort level. You are also stepping into a program where there is a set of standards that you have. It takes a little bit of time, a little bit of talking from the coaches for those kids to get a little more comfortable, a little more assertive.” He also added, “It may be a little bit easier on the guy’s side because some of those guys are 18-19 years old and they are men almost, they played a lot of basketball and they have aspirations to be pros. I think there is a purpose for them being at UConn. For us, sometimes they know they are going to be here for four years so there is, ’I’ll wait my turn.”
The Huskies are currently the top-ranked team in both women’s and men’s college basketball and are the only school to have both teams in the top 5.
Having lost their star guard Paigebueckers to the WNBA, the Huskies turned toward Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong to lead them to another championship. Fudd and Strong had a great outing last season, with Fudd receiving the Final Four's most outstanding player award and Strong receiving the freshman of the year 2024.
The men's team lost their third consecutive title win because of the problems with the team's defense, and are bouncing back this season after addressing these issues.
Both teams have been performing well after having a good offseason campaign. The women’s team, winning 18 consecutive games, remains undefeated so far this season, and the men’s team has won its 14th consecutive game against Georgetown.
With both Paige Bueckers and Kaitlyn Chen graduating The women’s team was in search of another point guard. The USC transfer, Kayleigh Heckle, is the perfect fit to fill that spot for the Huskies after being able to handle the ball easily and contributing to more assists and fewer turnovers.
The women’s team also added the 2023 Big Ten defensive player of the year, Serah Williams, to its roster to get a little help in the post. The Wisconsin transfer takes pressure off of Strong's defense, helping her with possession of the ball on the post.
The freshman forward Blanca Quinonez was also a new addition to the Huskies' side. Having been sidelined for the first two games, the 19-year-old freshman is recording stats very close to Sarah Strong. Currently, Quinonez is averaging 10.8 points per game and is looking to establish herself as the 2025 -2026 freshman of the year.
As reported by the Associated press Geno Auriemma, the UConn women’s basketball coach, said, “There is a comfort level. You are also stepping into a program where there is a set of standards that you have. It takes a little bit of time, a little bit of talking from the coaches for those kids to get a little more comfortable, a little more assertive.” He also added, “It may be a little bit easier on the guy’s side because some of those guys are 18-19 years old and they are men almost, they played a lot of basketball and they have aspirations to be pros. I think there is a purpose for them being at UConn. For us, sometimes they know they are going to be here for four years so there is, ’I’ll wait my turn.”