STORRS, Conn. — As hoops season inches closer, the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team has announced its 2024-2025 nonconference schedule.
Coming off the program’s 23rd Final Four appearance, the Huskies are led by Hall of Fame Coach Geno Auriemma and former National Player of the Year/multi-time First Team All-American guard Paige Bueckers. The team’s ultimate goal is simple: bring back a 12th national championship trophy to Storrs.
First Night in October will jumpstart the new season for UConn’s women’s and men’s basketball teams. Following several weeks of practice, the UConn women will begin nonconference play the first week of November.
After an exhibition against Fort Hays State on Sunday, Nov. 3, the regular season kicks off with a game against Boston University on Thursday, Nov. 7 and a contest against South Florida on Sunday, Nov. 10. The location of all three matchups has yet to be announced, although they’ll likely be in Connecticut at either Gampel Pavilion in Storrs or the XL Center in Hartford.
The Huskies presumably hit the road for the first time when they travel to Greensboro, N.C. for a game against North Carolina on Friday, Nov. 15.
Last season, the Tarheels advanced to the NCAA Tournament before being dismantled by eventual national champion South Carolina in the second round.
UConn returns home for a game against Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday, Nov. 20, although the venue has yet to be announced.
Leading up to Thanksgiving, UConn travels to Nassau, Bahamas for games on Monday, Nov. 25 and Wednesday, Nov. 27. The team’s opponents in the Bahamas have not yet been determined. Following the holiday, UConn returns home for a game against Holy Cross on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Where this game will be played has not yet been determined either.
The Huskies travel next to Brooklyn, N.Y. on Saturday, Dec. 7 to take on Louisville in the Women’s Champions Classic at the Barclays Center.
The Cardinals were upset by Middle Tennessee in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament but look to build off a 24-10 season.
In a game Huskies fans are anticipating, UConn travels to South Bend, Ind. to play perennial rival Notre Dame on Thursday, Dec. 12.
The Fighting Irish were upset by Oregon State in the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament but not before they handedly defeated UConn 82-67 in Gampel Pavilion last January. The Huskies will surely seek revenge.
The difficult non-conference schedule continues when UConn takes a short trip to Mohegan Sun Arena to play Iowa State in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Last season, Iowa State advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Stanford in overtime, nearly completing the upset. Iowa State is led by sophomore Audi Crooks, who scored a remarkable 40 points in the first round of March Madness against Maryland in 2024.
The next challenge awaiting UConn is a familiar one and will occur at the XL Center on Saturday, Dec. 21, when the Huskies play USC. The Huskies upset and eliminated the Trojans in the Elite Eight of last season’s NCAA Tournament.
USC will look to avenge that loss by defeating UConn on its home court this time around. USC is led by sensational sophomore guard JuJu Watkins, who earned First Team-All American honors last season as a freshman.
At this point on the calendar, UConn embarks into Big East play against a range of familiar foes. The nonconference schedule doesn’t resume until February, but when it returns, it will in a big way.
On Thursday, Feb. 6, the Huskies take on arch-nemesis Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn. The two storied programs have combined for 19 national championships and, for a long stretch, faced each other regularly in March with championships on the line.
While the rivalry has cooled down since the retirement and passing of Hall of Fame Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, bad blood still exists between the two fanbases.
The home crowd in Knoxville should be electric when the Huskies come through in early February. The Lady Vols are formidable as well, coming off a season in which they reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to North Carolina State.
UConn’s last nonconference game before the NCAA Tournament is its toughest. The Huskies travel to Columbia, S.C. to take on the defending national champion South Carolina. The Gamecocks capped off a perfect season in 2024 by defeating Iowa and shooting sensation Caitlin Clark in the national championship game.
In many ways, South Carolina is what UConn was a decade ago, as the team led by Hall of Famer Dawn Staley looks to continue its dominance and win a third national title in a four-season stretch. Last season, South Carolina dominated UConn 83-65 in their lone meeting. The Huskies will look to compete with the Gamecocks this time around and keep it close enough to secure an upset.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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