After helping lead the UConn Huskies to the 2025 national championship, Paige Bueckers declared for the WNBA Draft and was selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Wings. But even with Bueckers off to the WNBA, does UConn and head coach Geno Aueriemma still have enough to be one of the elite teams in the country this season?
During a recent segment on ESPN prior to UConn’s first game of the season against Louisville, analysts Andraya Carter, Chiney Ogwumike and Elle Duncan, spoke about what losing Paige Bueckers to the WNBA will mean for the Huskies as they look to defend their national title.
“They did lose a generational talent, and that is going to affect things at first,” Carter said. “Paige Bueckers’ presence on the floor certainly makes life easier for everyone else. But what we have always known every UConn team to have, a superstar, and a system. And they have both of those things to start the season. UConn, they have high basketball IQ, they move, they cut, they play off of each other, they make great reads. You know they’re going to start with that, and they get better as the season goes on.”
“When you look at UConn, you can understand, seeing them practice, why they won a national championship last year. Because they were communicative, they were crisp. And most importantly, they were confident towards the end of the year, and that will carry over,” Ogwumike said. “You have Sarah Strong, one of the best freshman seasons we’ve ever seen, Azzi Fudd leaning into her strength. . .they practice the way they play and that’s at the highest level.”
While Bueckers is no longer there to lead the team, as mentioned, UConn still has formidable players to justify the program’s preseason No. 1 ranking in the AP poll. Sarah Strong was the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and on the All-BIG EAST Team, while Azzi Fudd was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
