One Conversation with Geno Auriemma Lead to UConn's Allie Ziebell Surge

The UConn Huskies' last match ended with a 97–39 win over Xavier. With that win, the Huskies are 22–0 overall, pushing their Big East winning streak to 50 straight in the regular season and their overall run to 38 consecutive wins.

While the stats and numbers are brilliant, the real brilliance came from Allie Ziebell on the court. Ziebell tied the program record with 10 three-pointers, matching legends like Maya Moore and Katie Lou Samuelson, on her way to a career-high 34 points in just 29 minutes.

To make it more interesting, four of those threes came in the second quarter, three in a row, as the Huskies blew the game open and led 43–24 at halftime. So it is no surprise that, soon after the game, Geno Auriemma had something to say about Ziebell and why it took her so long to play like she did this game.

“I've talked to her about it, and she's told me on a number of occasions that when she was in high school, she had a tendency to kind of just sit back and wait to see what happens, and then if they needed her to do stuff, she would do it. But here, I think she spent all of last year like, ‘Oh, wow.’ Wow, you know, I'm playing with Paige Beckers and Sarah Strong, and Azzi Fudd. Wow. You know, she's spent way more time being starstruck than actually playing,” said Auriemma.

As a freshman, Ziebell averaged just 2.8 points off the bench. However, even then, she had moments, including a 17-point night against Xavier and a five-three performance. This season, her role has expanded. Ziebell is up to 7.5 points per game on 53.3% shooting, making nearly 48% of her threes.

ALLIE ZIEBELL TONIGHT 🔥

• 34 POINTS
• 3 ASSISTS
• 2 STEALS
• 10/14 3PM (!!!)
• 11/15 FG
• 29 MINUTES PLAYEDpic.twitter.com/XDQJmLVuZ2
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) January 29, 2026

And one of the reasons for that growth, according to Auriemma is a boost in confidence

“We had a little conversation this year. And I said 'who do you defer to?' She Azzie and Sarah. I said, ‘Well, Azzi's leaving at the end of this year. Who are you going to defer to next year?’ She said, ‘I don't, Sarah, Blanca maybe. I don't know.’ Like she she she's in that mindset. I said, ‘Why?’ She said, ‘Well, they're all Americans.’ I said, ‘Well, last time I checked, you were a high school All-American, too.’ Sometimes kids forget how good they are, and they need to be reminded. You wouldn't be here if you weren't really good. So hopefully this is a great boost for her, for her confidence."

That reminder showed up in every confident release against Xavier. Ziebell went 11-for-15 from the field and 10-for-14 from deep. This season, she sure has played more confidently. Against Seton Hall, she scored 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting and hit four threes. She also had 10 points vs Utah on 75% shooting.

Allie Ziebell’s Breakout Was Just One Part of a Historic Night

Before Ziebell got on court, Gampel Pavilion was already gushing as Aaliyah Edwards was inducted into the Huskies of Honor. Edwards ended her journey as a Husky with 1,861 points, 1,020 rebounds, three Final Fours, eight Big East titles, and a national championship game appearance across four seasons.

And now, Edwards' name will join the rafters. She is ranked 16th in program history in scoring, eighth in rebounds, and sixth in double-doubles, becoming just the sixth Husky ever to cross 1,800 points and 1,000 boards. She went on to be the No. 6 pick in the WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics and is a current member of the Connecticut Sun organization.

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