HARTFORD, Conn. — The UConn women’s basketball season is just around the corner. Fans and media will get their first glimpse at the 2022-23 Huskies in an exhibition game against Division II Kutztown this Sunday, followed by the season opener against Northeastern on Thursday night.
The No. 6 Huskies are in a much different position than a season ago, with lots of new faces to match. Lou Lopez Sénéchal joined the program as a graduate transfer from Fairfield, while Ayanna Patterson, Ice Brady and Inês Bettencourt make up the latest freshman class.
With key players graduated and injuries already playing a significant factor, there are lots of questions for this UConn team. Who will make a big leap? How do players respond to facing more doubt than the program is used to on a national scale? Can the Huskies extend their impressive streak of Final Four appearances? Those will all be answered in the months to come, but for now, here are some numbers that characterize this UConn team.
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Season-ending injuries already suffered by the Huskies already. Star guard Paige Bueckers tore the ACL in her left knee in early August and freshman forward Ice Brady dislocated the patella in her right knee in late October.
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Players who graduated from a season ago. The Huskies will be without Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Evina Westbrook and Christyn Williams, all of whom moved on to careers in the WNBA.
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UConn players on the Basketball Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s Women’s Starting 5 watch lists: Caroline Ducharme, Aaliyah Edwards, Azzi Fudd and Dorka Juhász.
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International players on UConn’s roster: Nika Mühl (Croatia), Dorka Juhász (Hungary), Aaliyah Edwards (Canada), Lou Lopez Sénéchal (France) and Inês Bettencourt (Portugal).
6
UConn’s ranking in the AP Top 25 poll. It’s the lowest preseason ranking for the program since 2006-07.
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Teams the Huskies face this season that are ranked in the AP Top 25 preseason poll: No. 1 South Carolina, No. 3 Texas, No. 5 Tennessee, No. 9 Notre Dame, No. 10 NC State, No. 17 Maryland, No. 21 Creighton and No. 24 Princeton. They could also possibly play No. 4 Iowa at the Phil Knight Legacy tournament over Thanksgiving weekend.
11
National titles for UConn, dating back to the first under Geno Auriemma in 1995. It’s the most of any women’s college basketball program, with Tennessee in second place all time with eight.
14
Consecutive Final Four appearances for the Huskies, which is the most of any NCAA women’s basketball program.
43
Azzi Fudd’s shooting clip from 3-point range, which led the team last season.
183
Total rebounds grabbed by Aaliyah Edwards last year, which is the most of any returning player.
587
Days between when Aubrey Griffin last played a basketball game and the season opener on Nov. 10. She sat out all of last season with injuries and had surgery in January for a disc injury in her back.
1149
Careers wins for head coach Geno Auriemma. That is eight wins behind Tara VanDerveer, who holds the all-time record with 1157 wins.
