STORRS, Conn. (AP) — All that is left of UConn's journey to a record 12th national championship are some banners hanging in both of their home courts and the practice facility, as well as memories that will last a lifetime.
From the time that Paige Bueckers walked off the court for the final time, it was clear that UConn's bid for a repeat was going to have a different look to it.
Everything about the 2024-25 team ran through Bueckers. With Bueckers now playing in the pros, the question is how the Huskies adapt without one of the best players in program history.
“You have to wait for somebody to fill that void,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “Nobody is going to be able to fill it completely, but it will start to show itself. It was like when Stewie (Breanna Stewart) left, when Diana (Taurasi) left, it is like when Maya (Moore) left, Tina (Charles) …Anytime you have somebody who is so dominant at their position, it takes some getting used to for sure.”
Nobody is shedding tears for the Huskies, who are loaded.
UConn returns seven players who have started for the team already and landed two top transfers in Serah Williams and Kayleigh Heckel. A talented freshman class led by Blanca Quinonez and Kelis Fisher gives Auriemma possibly his deepest team since Taurasi’s freshman season even with loss of Kaitlyn Chen and Aubrey Griffin to the WNBA along with Bueckers.
The Huskies begin their title defense as the top-ranked team in The Associated Press Top 25 poll.
“I think we have an opportunity to play a different way than we have been forced to play the last couple of years,” Auriemma said. “I think we can put a few different combinations out there than we have in the past few years. We are a little bit longer than we have been. People can play different positions a little more easily, and people can get a breather during games. We are trying to develop our depth as well. We are trying to make sure that it is quality depth, not just extra bodies.”
It is a pretty quiet group and they will lead differently than Bueckers did. Auriemma has seen preseason All-American forward Sarah Strong step up and make play after play when things weren’t proceeding according to plan. Or perhaps sweet-shooting Azzi Fudd would hit a 3-pointer or two at the perfect time. Having veteran guard Caroline Ducharme play an on-court role will be a huge help after a pair of injury-plagued seasons.
“You can feel the excitement, the energy, the intensity in the gym,” Fudd said. “This is a new team, we have five new faces, so I don’t think we consider ourselves defending champs. It is the same goal as last year, the same mindset. We’ve had a taste, so now we want it even more.”
Fudd was the leading scorer in each of UConn’s two exhibition games. However, Strong is probably the team’s best player and one of the best in the country heading into her sophomore season. She is trying to be more vocal though her leadership tends to come on the court, making plays.
The Huskies were again picked to win the Big East; UConn has won 24 regular-season titles and 23 league tournament titles, including both of them every year since rejoining the league in 2020. The season opener is Tuesday against Louisville in Annapolis, Maryland.
The coaching staff knows a thing or two about replacing legendary players like Bueckers. Now it's up to the team.
“We miss her presence, but we are just focusing on what we have here,” junior guard KK Arnold said. “We have a new team and kind of (focus) on what we need to do to get better each and every day.”
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