UConn women’s basketball’ s schedule once again features matchups against the nation’s best teams.
Paige Bueckers is back for her final year in college and
Geno Auriemma is just four wins away from becoming the winningest coach of all time. ELECTION SALE: 6 Months for 99¢. Unlock access to voting resources and critical coverage. The 2024-25 season is poised to be one of the most high-profiled and celebrated years in UConn history. From facing the reigning undefeated champs to battles with two of the program’s most heated rivals, the Huskies competition this season will match its off-court anticipation. UConn is again expected to dominate the Big East, especially after some of the league’s best teams saw its stars leave the league. Creighton’s Emma Ronsiek transferred to Colorado State, Villanova’s Lucy Olsen transferred to Iowa and Marquette former head coach Megan Duffy left to coach Virginia Tech. Despite Ronsiek’s departure, the Bluejays do return four of their starters from last season and should be the hardest test for the Huskies in conference play.
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Outside of the Big East, this season marks the end of UConn’s current contracts with South Carolina, UNC and Notre Dame. However, it also marks the beginning of new series with Tennessee, South Florida and Southern California. Auriemma needs just four wins to dethrone former Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer and becoming the all-time winningest coach in college basketball. Auriemma sits in second place with 1,213 wins heading into this season. Former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski sits in third with 1,202 wins. If the Huskies win their first four games, Auriemma’s magic win would be on Nov. 20 against Fairleigh Dickinson. While it’s highly likely the team does win its first four games, game No. 5 would be the team’s opening game in the Bahamas in the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship. As of now, Sept. 13, the tournament has yet to announce the field or game pairings for the Thanksgiving week event, but both UConn and LSU have the tournament on their schedules.
Feb. 16 at South Carolina
Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, S.C.
The Gamecocks enter the season without having lost since March 31, 2023. They became the first team since 2016 (UConn) to win the national championship on an undefeated season, defeating Caitlin Clark and Iowa in April’s title game. This year, South Carolina returns four of its starting five from last season as Dawn Stately will look to lead her team in becoming the first back-to-back title winners since UConn did so in 2015 and 2016 (the Huskies won four straight from 2013-2016). The Huskies got their behind handed to them in February when they last traveled to Columbia to face South Carolina,
losing 83-65. This season’s game is a makeup game from the 2021-22 season when the teams’ scheduled meeting that year got postponed due to scheduling conflicts. This February is the teams’ last scheduled meeting in their current series. UConn leads the series, 9-5.
Dec. 21 vs. Southern California
at XL Center
A rematch of one of the most competitive
Elite Eight matchups from last spring will be nationally televised by FOX with Bueckers facing now-sophomore sensation JuJu Watkins. Watkins was last year’s National Freshman of the Year and remains the program’s biggest star this season. The Trojans bolstered their 2024-25 roster thanks to the transfer portal, adding former Stanford forward Kiki Iriafen and former Oregon State guard Talia von Oelhoffen. Last year, USC advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994. The Trojan’s expectations to return to the Final Four this season are even higher than last year. USC has failed to reach the national semifinals since 1986. The Huskies lead the series, 3-0.
Dec. 12 at Notre Dame
at Purcell Pavilion, South Bend, Ind.
The Huskies are headed back to South Bend to look for its first win over their longtime rivals since 2021. Led by then-freshman sensation Hannah Hidalgo, the
Irish took down UConn last year in Storrs during the Huskies’ homecoming weekend. With Hidalgo a year older and star guard Olivia Miles expected to return from injury, Notre Dame will be even more dangerous this year. The Huskies are 12-5 when facing the Irish in South Bend. During their last trip in Indiana, UConn lost 74-60 after Azzi Fudd sat out the majority of the game due to a knee injury. Overall, UConn is 39-15 vs. Notre Dame.
UConn's KK Arnold (2) drives the ball to the basket as Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo (3) tracks her during women's basketball action in Storrs, Conn., on Saturday January 27, 2024. Dec. 17 vs. Iowa State at Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase
at Mohegan Sun Arena
Audi Cooks became a household name during March Maddess last spring. The freshman center became the program’s first freshman All-American and became the second college basketball player in NCAA history to score at least 40 points while shooting 90 percent or better in an NCAA Tournament game (other was Bill Walton for UCLA in 1973). Cooks led Iowa State with 19.2 points per game while averaging a 57.7 field goal percentage. She’s expected to be even better this season and push the Cyclones into the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2022. Cooks will be a great test for redshirt freshman Husky center Jana El Alfy.
Feb. 6 at Tennessee
at Thompson-Boiling Arena, Knoxville, Tenn.
It’s another new era for the UConn-Tennessee rivalry. Tennessee fired former Lady Vol Kellie Harper and hired former Marshall head coach Kim Caldwell to take over the reins less than a week later. Caldwell announced that she’s expected to give birth this winter, but that won’t stop the game from being a rivalry classic. Plus, it will be Bueckers’ first time playing in Knoxville in front of fans after appearing in Knoxville during the COVID year. The Huskies hold a 17-9 advantage over their rival.
Nov. 10 vs. South Florida
in Connecticut (home venue still TBD)
While the Huskies will likely run past their former American Athletic Conference foe, Auriemma is longtime friends with USF coach Jose Fernandez. The Bulls have never beat UConn, but came the closest during the teams’ last meeting when the Huskies came out with the 60-53 win during the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in 2021.
