Basketball
Although UConn’s year did not end in the exact way they hoped, the 2025-26 season was yet another successful one for Geno Auriemma and his Huskies squad. They came up just short of a trip to the national championship with a 62-48 loss to South Carolina in the Final Four — their first and only loss of the season.
Now, it’s time to look towards next season. Here’s a complete rundown of who won’t be returning to UConn, possible transfers, incoming freshmen, and who’s most likely to step up and join the starting five for the 2026-27 NCAA season.
Which players won’t be returning to UConn?
Azzi Fudd is the obvious departure here. She just finished her fifth season playing at UConn and will now begin her professional career. Fudd will hear her name called at the 2026 WNBA Draft on April 13 — possibly even being the No 1 overall pick. She closes out her UConn chapter having averaged 14.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game across her five seasons. She’s been their primary 3-point weapon, shooting 42.5 percent throughout her collegiate career.
Serah Williams is also hoping to hear her name called at the upcoming WNBA Draft. She transferred to UConn last offseason after spending the previous three years at Wisconsin. She finished this season averaging 6.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game for UConn.
Fudd and Williams should be the only starters UConn loses this offseason. But the team will also be saying goodbye to Caroline Ducharme. She just wrapped up her fifth and final year at UConn. As an underclassman, Ducharme was an integral part of UConn on the court. Unfortunately, Ducharme was out for over a year during her junior and senior campaigns to prioritize her brain health after multiple concussions, causing neck and head pain. She returned to play last year, and although she has still had to battle through different injuries, she got back on the court. Across her five years, Ducharme averaged 5.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game.
Possible UConn transfers
I do not suspect there will be many, if any, Huskies entering the transfer portal. It hasn’t been much of a trend for UConn players to enter the portal. Last season, they saw only one go — Qadence Samuels, who ended up transferring to NC State. This year, the portal will close on April 20, so if any Huskies want to make a move, we should hear about it soon.
Geno Auriemma and UConn also don’t have much of a habit of adding players from the transfer portal. Back in 2021, Auriemma stated, “The transfer portal is a mess. It was going to be a mess from the beginning and it’s a mess now and it’s going to be a bigger mess each and every year.” He’s made it apparent that he believes in the process of recruiting players out of high school and developing them from there.
Last offseason, UConn took in two transfers — Kayleigh Heckel from USC and Serah Williams from Wisconsin. UConn having two transfers come in was a first for them. They’ve never welcomed two transfers in the same offseason; in fact, they’ve only had five total, including Heckel and Williams.
I wouldn’t hold my breath that UConn will explore anyone in the transfer portal this offseason. Is it possible? Surely. They could use more rim protection, so maybe they’ll go to the portal to find a promising big.
UConn’s incoming freshmen
UConn has signed two members from the class of 2026 to join the team as freshmen for the 2026-27 season. The first signing was Olivia Vukosa, a center from Whitestone, New York. She was ranked No. 3 on ESPN’s SportsCenter NEXT 100 List. Her accolades don’t stop there; Vukosa was also named the 2024-25 Gatorade New York Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
As a junior, Vukosa averaged 19.4 points, 17.9 rebounds, 5.5 blocks and 3.8 assists per game.
“She’s a big kid who can move, she has skills, she’s smart,” Auriemma said. “She works really hard at both ends of the floor. She comes from a great program. I think she’s the kind of basketball big kid that the game demands today. She’s a terrific kid and comes from a great family. We’re really lucky, and we’re excited to have her here.“
The second signing was Jovana Popovic from Serbia. Popovic gained experience playing for the Serbian Senior National Team at the 2025 FIBA Women’s Eurobasket. She also plays in the First League of Serbia, where she was named the 2024-25 season’s MVP and Best Shooter.
“Jovana is a high-level guard with a lot of experience,” Auriemma said. “She can handle the ball, she’s a playmaker, she can score. Jovana is a really nice kid who will fit in great with our team.”
Who will need to step up for UConn?
UConn’s starting five this season consisted of Sarah Strong, Serah Williams, Ashlynn Shade, KK Arnold and Azzi Fudd. With Fudd and Williams both leaving, UConn will have to assemble a new starting lineup with hopes of remaining dominant.
I assume that Strong, Arnold and Shade will remain prominent starters next season. UConn will, without a doubt, need a post player to step up. Vukosa coming in will be great, and depending on how she transitions, we could see her integrated into the system more, but I don’t think she will be a starter. I believe Blanca Quińonez will slide into that starting spot to replace Williams. During her freshman season, she averaged 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. She put up monster numbers against Notre Dame in the Elite Eight, recording 20 points and 8 rebounds. So she’s already established herself quite well within the UConn system, and I believe we’ll see great growth during her sophomore campaign.
Replacing Azzi Fudd in the starting lineup will be next to impossible; she was just simply that player for UConn. KK Arnold will most likely have to step up when it comes to shooting, along with Shade. But the Huskies also have some other dominant guards in their arsenal. Immediately, Allie Ziebell and Kayleigh Heckel come to mind.
Allie Ziebell finished the 2025-26 season averaging 7.4 points per game. She shot 50.3 percent from the field through this season. Ziebell put up a monster game in January against Xavier, recording 34 points, shooting 73.3 percent from the field, including 10 3-pointers.
Kayleigh Heckel also played reliable minutes for the Huskies during the 2025-26 season. She finished the season averaging 6.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 18.9 minutes per game. Heckel shot 55.1 percent from the field. Both Ziebell and Heckel will be juniors next season, and I could see either one of them in the starting lineup.
In addition, a lot of these players have never played on a team without Paige Bueckers and/or Azzi Fudd at least being in the huddle. Sarah Strong and KK Arnold, along with other upperclassmen like Jana El Alfy and Ice Brady, come to mind when I think about who will need to step up as the leaders of this UConn squad next season.
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Read More Margherita Guillemette