Three Returning UConn Players to Watch

The hardcourts in Storrs feel different this season. Paige Bueckers, the backbone of the UConn Huskies for four unforgettable years, is off to the WNBA. Along with Bueckers' familiar faces like Kaitlyn Chen and Aubrey Griffin, are also long gone. Geno Auriemma has had to rebuild and rethink the next rotation.

It’s a challenge only a 12-time national champion and 41-year coaching veteran could relish. As the Huskies prepare for their exhibition opener against Boston, all eyes are on the players returning to Storrs. Here are three names to watch this season:

Azzi Fudd

This was perhaps a no-brainer. Despite being eligible for the WNBA draft, Azzi Fudd decided to return for her final season at UConn. This season is monumental for Fudd, as she returns after battling injuries that limited her to 72 games over four years.

Despite setbacks, including an ACL tear in November 2023 and a knee tweak in December, Fudd has made her presence felt. Last season, the 5-foot-11 sharpshooter scored 24 points and five rebounds in an upset at defending champion South Carolina.

In the NCAA tournament, Fudd scored 27 points against Arkansas State and 17 against South Dakota State. She shot 43.6% from deep, ranking in the nation’s top 10. Her 1 points per game in the tournament are second-best on the team.

With her ability to stretch defenses and hit from anywhere on the floor, she’s the cornerstone of UConn’s backcourt this season. If she stays healthy, the Huskies’ offense has a formidable weapon ready to fire.

While there are no doubts about her gameplay, the big question now is, with Buckers gone, can Fudd be the voice that leads the Huskies?

Sarah Strong

It was only recently that Geno Auriemma sang high praises about Sarah Strong. “Every day, there isn’t a day that goes by that one of the coaches and I don’t look at each other and go, ‘Man, there’s just something about her right now,’” said Auriemma. And for good reason.

Strong is a 6’2 "forward with guard-like fluidity. In her freshman season, she started all 40 games and set an NCAA record with 114 points in the tournament. In the postseason, she averaged 19 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. From Auriemma’s words, this season is bound to be bigger and better.

Additionally, if Strong pairs with 6’4 rim protector Serah Williams this season to form one of the country’s most formidable frontcourt duos. Strong’s ability to stretch the floor and Williams’ defensive presence give UConn an inside-outside combo that can dominate any opponent.

KK Arnold

KK Arnold has traveled a long way to get here. After stepping into a starting role as a freshman during an injury-riddled 2023–24 season, Arnold helped UConn reach the Final Four. Unfortunately, UConn lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes that year.

Then came her sophomore season. With Kaitlyn Chen added, Arnold was out of the starting lineup. She, however, adapted seamlessly off the bench alongside Ashlynn Shade. Despite being taken off the starting lineup, Arnold was a big part of the program winning their 12th National Championship.

Arnold played in the national championship against South Carolina and scored nine points on 3-3 shooting. Now, stepping into her first year as an upperclassman, she’ll reclaim a starting role

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