2024–25 UConn Huskies women's basketball team facts for kids
The 2024–25 UConn Huskies women's basketball team had an amazing season! They played for the University of Connecticut (UConn) and won their 12th NCAA championship. This means they are one of the most successful teams in college basketball history.
The team was coached by Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma. This was his 40th year leading the Huskies! They played their home games in two places: Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut, and the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut. UConn is part of the Big East Conference, which they rejoined in 2020.
The Huskies started the season ranked #2. They had star player Paige Bueckers back, who was an All-American twice before. They also had new talented players like Sarah Strong, who was the top recruit in the country, and Kaitlyn Chen, a transfer student from Princeton.
Coach Auriemma made history early in the season. A win against Fairleigh Dickinson was his 2017th victory, making him the winningest coach in NCAA history! The team had big wins against tough opponents like Ole Miss, North Carolina, and Louisville. They had a few losses against other highly ranked teams. In February, they surprised everyone by beating the defending national champions, South Carolina, by a huge score of 87–58. The Huskies were perfect in their Big East conference games for the second year in a row!
In the 2025 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, UConn was a second seed. They played incredibly well, winning games by a lot of points. In the championship game, they faced South Carolina again and won their 12th national title with a score of 82–59. They finished the season with an amazing record of 37 wins and only 3 losses.
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What Happened Last Season?
The 2023–24 UConn Huskies team was also very strong. They were ranked second before the season began. Even though they lost some players to injuries, they still played great. They won all their Big East conference games and the conference tournament.
Star players Aaliyah Edwards and Paige Bueckers were named All-Americans. Nika Mühl became UConn's all-time leader in assists. The Huskies made it to the NCAA tournament Final Four. They lost a very exciting game to Iowa, which was watched by a record number of people. UConn finished that season with 33 wins and 6 losses. Both Edwards and Mühl were chosen in the 2024 WNBA draft to play professionally.
Changes Before This Season
Before the 2024–25 season, some players left the team.
Players Who Left
Two senior players, Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Mühl, finished their college careers and were drafted into the Women's National Basketball Association. Two other players, Inês Bettencourt and Amari Deberry, decided to transfer to different schools.
- Aaliyah Edwards (Forward) was drafted by the WNBA's Washington Mystics.
- Nika Mühl (Guard) was drafted by the WNBA's Seattle Storm.
- Inês Bettencourt (Guard) transferred to Gonzaga.
- Amari Deberry (Forward) transferred to Maryland.
New Players Joining
The Huskies welcomed Kaitlyn Chen, a graduate student from Princeton University. At Princeton, she was named the Ivy League Player of the Year.
New Recruits for 2024
UConn also brought in some amazing new players from high school. These young stars are part of the "recruiting class of 2024."
- Sarah Strong, a top-ranked forward, joined the team.
- Allie Ziebell, a five-star guard, also committed to UConn.
- Morgan Cheli, another five-star guard, became a Husky.
ESPN ranked UConn's 2024 recruiting class as the sixth-best in the country!
New Recruits for 2025
UConn is also looking ahead to future seasons. They have already received commitments from talented players for the 2025 class.
- Kelis Fisher, a five-star point guard.
- Gandy Malou-Mamel, a four-star center.
- Blanca Quinonez, a forward.
Coaching Staff
The coaching team stayed mostly the same. Geno Auriemma and Chris Dailey returned for their 40th season. Assistant coaches Jamelle Elliott, Morgan Valley, and Tonya Cardoza are all former UConn players. Ben Kantor was promoted to assistant coach. Coach Auriemma's 2017th win in November made him the winningest coach in NCAA history!
How the Season Went
UConn started the season ranked #2 in both major polls. They had Paige Bueckers back, along with other players who had been injured. New players like Sarah Strong and Kaitlyn Chen quickly made an impact.
Coach Auriemma's record-breaking 2017th win happened early against Fairleigh Dickinson. The main starting lineup included guards Bueckers and Chen, forward Strong, and center Jana El-Alfy. Guard Azzi Fudd returned from injury, making the team even stronger. Players like Ashlynn Shade, KK Arnold, and Ice Brady were key players coming off the bench.
The Huskies had a great start, beating ranked teams like North Carolina, Ole Miss, and Louisville. They did lose a couple of close games in December to Notre Dame and USC.
Once Big East conference play began, UConn went on an 11-game winning streak. They had a tough non-conference loss to Tennessee in February. But just ten days later, they played against South Carolina, the #4 team and defending national champions. UConn completely dominated, winning 87–58!
UConn finished the regular season with 28 wins and 3 losses. They won the Big East regular season title, going undefeated in conference play for the second year in a row. They then won the Big East tournament. Bueckers and Strong were named to All-American teams. Many people started calling Bueckers, Strong, and Fudd UConn's "big three" because they were so important to the team's success.
In the 2025 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, UConn was ranked #3 but was a second seed in their regional. They easily won their first two games, reaching their 31st straight Sweet Sixteen! They then beat Oklahoma and got revenge against USC to reach the Final Four. Bueckers, who had announced she would enter the 2025 WNBA draft, scored over 30 points in three straight tournament games, including a career-high 40 points against Oklahoma. UConn won their Final Four game against UCLA by 34 points. The championship game was a rematch against South Carolina. The Huskies won their 12th national championship, defeating the Gamecocks 82–59. Azzi Fudd was named the tournament's most outstanding player.
UConn finished the season with an incredible 37 wins and 3 losses. They ended with a 16-game winning streak. All 37 of their wins were by at least 10 points! Sarah Strong led the team in rebounds, and Paige Bueckers led in points and assists. Bueckers finished her UConn career as the third-highest scorer in program history.
Team Players
The 2024–25 UConn Huskies roster included many talented players:
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Player Statistics Highlights
Here are some of the top performers and their stats for the season:
- Paige Bueckers: Led the team in points (756) and assists (176). She also had 168 rebounds and 81 steals.
- Sarah Strong: Led the team in rebounds (356) and was second in points (657). She also had 142 assists, 66 blocks, and 92 steals.
- Azzi Fudd: Scored 462 points, with 79 three-pointers. She also had 68 rebounds and 46 steals.
- Kaitlyn Chen: Had 277 points and 135 assists.
- Ashlynn Shade: Scored 308 points, with 53 three-pointers.
- KK Arnold: Scored 218 points and had 112 assists.
- Jana El-Alfy: Had 200 points and 203 rebounds.
Awards and Special Honors
Many UConn players and coaches received special awards for their amazing season:
- Paige Bueckers
- Won the Wade Trophy and Nancy Lieberman Award.
- Named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, USBWA, and WBCA.
- Named Big East Player of the Year.
- Was the Most Outstanding Player of the Big East tournament.
- Sarah Strong
- Named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press and a third-team All-American by the USBWA.
- Won the WBCA Freshman of the Year award.
- Named Big East Freshman of the Year.
- Azzi Fudd
- Named the NCAA Division I tournament Most Outstanding Player.
- Ashlynn Shade
- Named Big East Sixth Woman of the Year.
- Geno Auriemma
- Named Big East Co-Coach of the Year.
See also
- 2024–25 UConn Huskies men's basketball team
