STORRS – UConn ladies’s basketball hosts Military Sunday afternoon on campus for its ultimate gown rehearsal earlier than the common season.
The Huskies handed their first two preseason assessments with wins over Syracuse (88-60) and Texas (83-61). Nonetheless, Geno Auriemma remains to be trying to fine-tune his squad at the start counts.
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In opposition to the Orange on Oct. 12, UConn shot an abysmal 3-of-22 deep. But in opposition to the Longhorns final Monday, the Huskies made 10 of their 18 3-point makes an attempt. UConn’s protection was additionally inconsistent throughout the 2 video games as starters struggled with foul bother in each exhibitions.
Auriemma is hoping Sunday’s recreation will assist nip unhealthy habits earlier than UConn’s Nov. 2 season-opener in opposition to Cornell.
“You understand, ensuring we turn out to be a extra vocal staff, a extra disciplined staff defensively, a extra constant staff offensively, discovering our rhythm, however a few of these issues simply take time,” he stated Saturday after the staff’s follow.
Sunday would be the Huskies’ first recreation within the newly renovated Gampel Pavilion locker room. UConn unveiled a brand new state-of-the-art locker room this week that may host each the boys’s and girls’s basketball groups. The renovations additionally embody a brand new coaches’ lounge and assembly room house.
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“You assume again to 1985 after I first acquired right here, we did not have one (a locker room),” stated Auriemma. “However it’s actually spectacular in what they have been in a position to do, and in a brief time period as properly. So I feel the boys’s staff, the ladies’s staff, I feel they’re actually actually lucky to have a facility like that. And I feel it does sort of signify who we’re, what we have achieved right here.”
Listed below are three keys to Sunday’s exhibition vs. Military:
Disciplined protection
Auriemma believes the Huskies’ foul bother is coming from undisciplined protection. Whereas he is been impressed together with his newcomers’ protection, others have discovered themselves on the bench early with fouls. In opposition to the Orange, Sarah Robust had 4 early fouls. On Monday, in opposition to Texas, KK Arnold fouled out whereas each Ashlynn Shade and Kayleigh Heckel completed with 4 every.
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“I assumed final 12 months we become a reasonably good defensive staff. We needed to change because the 12 months went on, but it surely took a while. And I feel this staff probably could possibly be the identical,” stated Auriemma. “I feel Olivia (Vukosa) offers us one other massive physique that may transfer and may possibly defend in several methods. And Jovana (Popovic) is similar means. I feel she’s turning into a very good defender.
“… We wish to play quick. We wish to put lots of stress on the opposite staff, however I feel we have to be extra disciplined. This staff must be extra disciplined, so we’re not having guys sitting on the bench with fouls, like we’ve had.”
KK Arnold #2 of the Connecticut Huskies defends in opposition to Lizzy Spaight #10 of the Texas Longhorns through the first half of an NCAA ladies’s exhibition basketball recreation at PeoplesBank Area on October 19, 2026 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Picture by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Photographs) (Joe Buglewicz/Getty Photographs)
Welcome again, Allie Ziebell
Ziebell made her preseason debut on Monday after lacking the Huskies’ exhibition in opposition to Syracuse attributable to an ankle harm. The junior guard spent the summer time in Storrs engaged on her conditioning. Ziebell stated she noticed enhancements in her recreation earlier than injuring her ankle through the first drill of UConn’s first day of official follow this fall.
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In opposition to the Longhorns, Ziebell performed 21 minutes and recorded eight factors, two rebounds, one steal and one block. She stated Saturday that regardless of her ankle harm, she feels extra assured heading into her third 12 months in Storrs.
“I am somebody that has by no means actually skilled this earlier than. So, simply sitting out for a few month, it was a really exhausting factor for me simply to course of, but it surely glided by quick,” she stated. “Prefer it was nothing main. Being round my teammates and serving to out wherever I may, nonetheless felt superb, however yeah, it was undoubtedly just a little exhausting.”
Allie Ziebell, left, of UCONN brings the ball up the court docket in opposition to Texas throughout a preseason recreation on the PeoplesBank Area in Hartford on October 19, 2026. (Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media)
Auriemma has additionally observed Ziebell’s development.
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“I discover that there is a distinction,” he stated. “I discover how she’s not hesitating with what she desires to do. She’s fairly decisive, you realize, and he or she’s taking pictures the ball actually rather well. … I am actually proud of the place she is true now.”
Last tune-up
Sunday’s recreation is Auriemma’s ultimate probability to experiment with completely different lineup mixtures in opposition to dwell competitors forward of the common season. Count on the identical starters, however for Auriemma to make use of extra rotations all through the exhibition than the primary two. That is the ultimate probability for rotational gamers to indicate what they will do in prolonged minutes and show they will contribute on each side of the ball because the Huskies look to construct consistency.
UCONN ladies’s head coach Geno Auriemma, middle, is photographed at a preseason recreation in opposition to Texas on the PeoplesBank Area in Hartford on October 19, 2026. (Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media)
“We will rating lots of other ways, however principally, you simply wish to see how the motion is, and for me, that is all the time necessary,” stated Auriemma. “You understand, will we generate sufficient motion offensively? And if we’re, then a number of individuals get an opportunity to attain. So we’ll be searching for that tomorrow, and it isn’t going to be straightforward to attain in opposition to our (regular-season) schedule.”
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This text initially revealed at 3 keys to the sport: UConn ladies’s basketball staff vs. Military in preseason exhibition.
