UConn Gives Updates on Long-Injured Players Before Villanova Clash
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The UConn Huskies soon return home for yet another matchup. At 17–0 overall and a perfect 8–0 In Big East play, the Huskies will soon host Villanova Wildcats at Gampel Pavilion. The Huskies are coming off a 95–54 win over Creighton and now have 55 straight conference games, scoring 90-plus points nine times.
Going into the game against Vilanova, the Huskies will be down two players, with a third nearing return. Geno Auriemma talked to the press ahead of the game and went on to speak about redshirt sophomore Jana El Alfy’s status. Alfy is getting closer, having returned to workouts this week after suffering a concussion in practice on January 6.
“Jana has done a couple of workouts, so we’re kind of really close with her,” Auriemma said. “Maybe next day or two.”
Meanwhile, things weren’t as good with Ice Brady and Morgan Cheli. Brady, a redshirt junior forward, hasn’t played since early November due to inflammation in her right knee. It was the same issue that kept her off the court in her freshman season in 2022–23.
Cheli, meanwhile, has yet to suit up this year after ankle surgery ended her freshman campaign last February. Asked if he still expects either back this season, Auriemma simply said, “No, I’m not. That’s why if they are, I’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
The Huskies will have at least 12 players available for the Villanova game. The Huskies lead the nation with 24.4 assists per game and have recorded 20 or more assists in 16 consecutive contests.
Villanova is sitting at 17–3 and 7–1 in league play after an 85–55 win over Providence. The Wildcats are led by Jasmine Bascoe’s 17.4 points per game and coached by Denise Dillon, now in her sixth season.
Still, history leans heavily in favor of Storrs. UConn is 47–18 all-time against Villanova, and last saw the Wildcats in the 2025 Big East Tournament semifinals, where Sarah Strong led the way with 20 points and 16 rebounds in the game. This time, she is coming off an 18-point, 13-rebound, six-assist, and five-steal game against Creighton.
What’s Next for the Huskies?
Once the Villanova game is over, the road gets more demanding. On January 19, UConn hosts the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Now, that’s a rivalry that has swung back and forth for nearly three decades. Notre Dame has won the last three meetings, including a 79–68 decision in South Bend in December,.
Sarah Strong ➡️ Blanca Quiñonez pic.twitter.com/durISXMIYi
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) January 11, 2026
The Huskies are also 5–5 over the last ten matchups. With a 23–4 home record against the Irish all-time, Gampel Pavilion gives a chance to flip the momentum. After Notre Dame, there are road trips to Georgetown and Seton Hall before Xavier comes to town.
-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.