There are nonetheless months remaining within the ladies’s school basketball offseason, however a brand new marketing campaign will likely be right here earlier than we all know it. The primary main signal that the 2025-26 season is quick approaching got here this week when groups started releasing their nonconference schedules.
The reigning nationwide champion UConn Huskies introduced their nonconference matchups Friday. As anticipated, Geno Auriemma has lined up a lot of marquee opponents for his squad forward of, and through, what figures to as soon as once more be an uncompetitive Large East schedule.
UConn will hit the courtroom for the primary time Oct. 13 in an exhibition recreation in opposition to Boston Faculty, and can start common season motion Nov. 4 in opposition to Louisville. That recreation will likely be performed at Ramstein Airbase in Germany because the Armed Forces Basic.
Six of the Huskies’ nonconference video games will come in opposition to groups ranked within the prime 25 of CBS Sports activities’ way-too-early energy rankings, which got here out in April after the conclusion of final season. And that doesn’t embrace USC, which misplaced a whole lot of expertise and will likely be with out Juju Watkins, however may nonetheless be a prime 25 group. Nevertheless, UConn won’t play any of the opposite most important pre-season title contenders, akin to South Carolina, UCLA, Texas or LSU.
This is a take a look at the Huskies’ full schedule:
- Oct 13 vs. Boston Faculty (Exhibition) — Uncasville, CT
- Oct. 26 vs. South Connecticut State College (Exhibition) — TBA
- Nov. 4 vs. Louisville — Germany
- Nov. 9 vs. Florida State — Storrs, CT
- Nov. 12 vs. Loyola (IL) — TBA
- Nov. 16 vs. Ohio State — Hartford, CT
- Nov. 21 vs. Michigan (Basketball HOF Ladies’s Showcase) — Uncasville, CT
- Nov. 23 vs. Utah (Basketball HOF Ladies’s Showcase) — Uncasville, CT
- Dec. 3 at South Florida
- Dec. 13 at USC
- Dec. 20 vs. Iowa (Ladies’s Champions Basic) — Brooklyn, NY
- Jan. 19 vs. Notre Dame — Storrs, CT
- Feb. 1 vs. Tennessee — Hartford, CT
Now let’s take a more in-depth take a look at the three most anticipated matchups:
Nov. 4 vs. Louisville
Since his arrival almost 20 years in the past, Jeff Walz has turned Louisville into one of the crucial strong and constant packages within the nation. The Cardinals misplaced seven gamers from final 12 months’s NCAA Match group, together with two of their three main scorers, Jayda Curry and Olivia Cochran, however made some good strikes within the switch portal. Notably, Skylar Jones arrived from Arizona and Laura Ziegler made the leap from St. Joseph’s the place she averaged a double-double.
The season opener will likely be a very good take a look at for each groups. Can UConn choose up the place they left off with out Paige Bueckers? And can this new-look Louisville group have what it takes to compete in opposition to the elite groups? We’ll quickly discover out. Plus, there will likely be further intrigue with the sport set to be performed on an Air Power base.
Jan. 19 vs. Notre Dame
The Preventing Irish have been ranked No. 1 within the nation at one level final season earlier than melting down in March. The dangerous instances continued even after their Candy 16 exit in opposition to TCU. There was a mass exodus from South Bend, as Sonia Citron, Maddy Westbeld and Liatu King went to the WNBA and Olivia Miles, Kate Koval and Kylee Watson all transferred. Coach Niele Ivey managed to do some work within the portal, and Naismith Participant of the 12 months candidate Hannah Hidalgo stays, however there are all types of questions on this Notre Dame group heading into this season.
There’s an opportunity we get to mid-January and this matchup is not all that attention-grabbing as a result of Notre Dame is not all that good. Even so, it is a recreation everybody could have circled. The 2 packages have constructed an actual rivalry during the last decade or so, and Notre Dame has gained the final three conferences. UConn will likely be desperate to get some revenge.
Feb. 1 vs. Tennessee
UConn vs. Tennessee was as soon as among the best rivalries in all of sports activities, not to mention ladies’s school basketball. However after Tennessee’s win over UConn in 2007, the 2 packages did not play one another once more till 2020. By then, the Woman Vols have been not on the Huskies’ stage. It wasn’t till final 12 months that the rivalry returned in any significant sense. Tennessee shocked UConn in Knoxville final February, handing the eventual nationwide champions what could be their closing lack of the season. Kim Caldwell, in her first season in command of the Woman Vols, grew to become the primary Tennssee coach to beat UConn since Pat Summitt.
This season’s matchup must be glorious. The rivalry will return to Connecticut, although the sport will likely be performed in Hartford as a substitute of in Storrs. Tennessee introduced again three of its top-four main scorers, and added Janiah Barker and Nya Robertson within the switch portal. The Woman Vols hope to enhance on final season’s Candy 16 journey and have the expertise accomplish that. This may very well be among the best video games of your complete season.