UConn HC Says Big East Pace Testing Serah Williams
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It's been quite the start to UConn’s season. The Huskies, in their last matchup, took down Florida State 99–67, making it the program’s 35th straight home opener win. Azzi Fudd scored 23 points, Sarah Strong was brilliant as always, and a new face, forward Serah Williams, found her footing in the chaos.
The Wisconsin transfer’s seven points during a 15–0 third-quarter run said a lot about her potential. While it isn’t flashy, Geno Auriemma sees more than the box score. He sees a player still recalibrating her timing and feel for the game, something he says isn’t unusual for bigs transitioning into UConn’s system.
“The challenge initially,” Auriemma said, “is the pace of the game, you know, the physicality and the quickness that she has to deal with, both with her teammates and how we play, our style of play. So she gets caught sometimes between being rushed, like you saw a couple of times today, and then being a step slow. There was a stretch there where she found kind of a little bit of a rhythm.”
For Williams, who was used to being the focal point at Wisconsin, this new rhythm is a test of adaptation as much as skill. In the game against FSU, Williams ended with nine points and three blocks in just 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in the season opener against Louisville, she had an eight-rebound, four-assist showing.
Serah Williams with the steal and score as UConn is ROLLING against FSU 💪 pic.twitter.com/oMfAN9Djbx
— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) November 9, 2025
Additionally, in the exhibition game against Boston College, she recorded 15 points and five rebounds, which she followed up with 14 points and five rebounds against Southern Connecticut. Those numbers tell the story of a player who is already impacting the stat sheet, even as she adjusts.
As Auriemma puts it, “It’s really, really much more difficult for bigger guys…It’s going to take a little bit of time. But I like the direction that we’re going with her. I need to help her a little bit more, you know, stay calm a little bit more.”
While Williams continues to find her footing, she has her UConn teammates helping her out every step of the way.
Serah Williams is Finding Her Rhythm with a Little Help
The shift from the Big 10 to the Big East is not easy. However, Williams has support. She’s got Sarah Strong helping her find her rhythm in the storm.
“Sarah helps me at the right times,” Williams admitted after the Florida State win. “Today I was struggling, and she just told me to slow it down. She does that in practice, too; she just knows when I need help.”
Serah-Williams.mp4 pic.twitter.com/HOEFM0iuNI
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) October 13, 2025
While there is no doubt that Strong can lead the way, for those who followed Williams’ Wisconsin career, this learning phase might feel strange. She was the player there. In her last season, Williams averaged 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game.
In fact, she was the fastest Badger to reach 1,000 points and set program and Big Ten records for consecutive double-doubles. Williams , dictated tempo, and controlled paint touches. At UConn, though, the game moves faster and Williams is learning to play within it, not just above it.
The foundation is there and the ceiling is higher than ever. But if Geno Auriemma’s track record says anything, it’s that the bigs who learn his rhythm end up defining it.
-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.