Could UConn’s Frontcourt Duo Be Key to Another Championship?
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Last season, the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team reminded everyone why they are the gold standard. The Huskies went on to win their 12th national championship with Paige Buckers leading the team. However, their road to the tournament was not without a few questionable moments, especially in the front court.
The frontcourt was often seen as the team’s soft spot during the regular season. But by March, they had changed their gameplay. So much so that they managed to hold Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers to 10 points on 3-11 shooting and slowed UCLA’s Lauren Betts just enough to clinch the most significant Final Four victory margin in history.
With players like Sarah Strong, Jana El Alfy and Ice Brady returning, a repeat with these names would not have been a long shot. However, the Huskies and Geno Auriemma have learned their lesson from last regular season. So, they added the Wisconsin star Serah Williams to beef up the front court.
Now, with Strong’s year-long growth and Williams’ arrival, UConn’s bigs could be the X-factor to another title. The exhibition match against Boston debuted their revamped frontcourt, and it is safe to say that Strong and Williams were running the show.
By the third quarter, both were carrying the game. Strong, the 6’2 forward with guard-like agility, scored 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists in the first half. Meanwhile, Williams contributed 10 points and three rebounds. Together, they made the frontcourt look like a well-oiled machine, something last year’s UConn teams couldn’t always claim.
Sarah Strong is the best player in the entire country
— paige bueckers and azzi fudd (@g1endale) October 14, 2025
pic.twitter.com/xCIwidDIyD
“Those two have a really good connection,” head coach Geno Auriemma said post-match.“I think the more she plays with us, it’s not the easiest thing in the world to play one way for three years and then come in and perform in a scenario like that.”
Williams is a true rim protector, averaging 2.3 blocks per game last season at Wisconsin while posting nearly 10 rebounds and 19.2 points per contest. Her experience as a primary scorer in the Big Ten translates into a capable double-digit threat for UConn.
As Auriemma puts it, “I think she’s (Williams) going to be a huge help to us. I don’t know how many minutes she played today, 17 minutes, 21 seconds. She should probably play a lot more in the future.”
Serah Williams highlights from today against Boston College #BLEEDBLUE pic.twitter.com/htkE5xqm9d
— Anastasia (@TheAnastasia25) October 13, 2025
Gameplay aside, the best part is that Williams perfectly complements Strong’s inside-outside game. The frontcourt no longer needs to rely solely on perimeter scoring because the paint finally has its own enforcers.
Only recently, Auriemma said Strong had “just something about her right now.". If she can do better than last year’s NCAA Tournament average of 19.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.0 blocks, then the Big East should be worried.
In Storrs, this duo’s potential is obvious. Strong draws defenders out with her versatility, Williams punishes anyone lingering in the paint, and both can create opportunities for teammates.
The next exhibition against Southern Connecticut State will be another test, but if Strong and Williams keep clicking, UConn’s frontcourt could very well be the key to back-to-back titles.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.