NEW YORK – The UConn women’s basketball team was picked as the favorite to win the Big East Conference in 2024-25 and six Huskies earned preseason Big East honors. The Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll and preseason individual honors were announced Tuesday ahead of Big East Media Day.
Redshirt senior Paige Bueckers was selected as the Big East Preseason Player of the Year. Sarah Strong was tabbed as the Big East Preseason Freshman of the Year. Redshirt junior Azzi Fudd and sophomores KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade were named to the Preseason All-Big East Team while graduate student Kaitlyn Chen earned honorable mention honors.
UConn won both the regular season and tournament titles in 2023-24, going 18-0 in Big East play. The Huskies have won 23 Big East regular season titles and 22 Big East Tournament titles. UConn has won both championships in each year since rejoining the Big East in 2020.
Bueckers returns to UConn for a final season after leading the Huskies back to the NCAA Final Four in 2023-24. She led the Huskies with 21.9 points per game, 53 blocks and 86 steals and was one of the most efficient guards in the nation with a .530/.416/834 shooting split. Bueckers totaled 854 points last season, the second most by a Husky in a single season all-time.
The Hopkins, Minn., native is a two-time Big East Player of the Year (2021, 2024), All-Big East First Team selection and Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Bueckers was also named the conference’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2023-24.
Strong is ESPN’s No. 1-ranked recruit in the Class of 2024. She was named the 2024 Naismith High School Player of the Year and was selected as a McDonald’s, Naismith, SLAM and Jordan Brand All-American. She also earned 2023 and ’24 North Carolina Miss Basketball and Gatorade North Carolina Player of the Year honors.
Fudd returns after missing the majority of the 2023-24 season to injury. Fudd averaged 15.1 points in 15 games in 2022-23. As a freshman, Fudd shot 43.0 percent from three-point range to lead the team. She was a 2021-22 Big East All-Freshman Team selection.
Arnold and Shade stepped up as freshmen last season as the Huskies dealt with numerous injuries. Arnold averaged 8.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.3 steals and stepped into a starting role in December.
Shade was the 2024 Big East Freshman of the Year and an All-Freshman Team selection. She also joined the starting lineup in December and finished the season third on the team with 11.0 points per game.
Chen transferred to UConn this summer after being on the roster at Princeton for four seasons. Chen was the 2023 Ivy League Player of the Year, averaging 16.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as a junior. She notched 15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists as a senior in 2023-24. Chen was First Team All-Ivy in both seasons and was a 2024 WBCA Honorable Mention All-America selection.
The Huskies face Fort Hays State in an exhibition on Sunday, Nov. 3, at noon in Gampel Pavilion. The game will air on The Wax (WWAX) and UConn+.
Big East Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
1. UConn – 100 (10 first-place votes)
2. Creighton – 91 (1)
3. Providence – 71
4. St. John’s – 67
5. Georgetown – 66
6. Villanova – 56
7. Seton Hall – 51
8. Butler – 46
9. DePaul – 24
10. Marquette – 23
11. Xavier – 10
Big East Preseason Player of the Year – Paige Bueckers, UConn, R-Sr., G
Big East Preseason Freshman of the Year – Sarah Strong, UConn, Fr., F
Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Big East Team
Caroline Strande, Butler, Gr., G
KK Arnold, UConn, So., G
Azzi Fudd, UConn, R-Jr., G
Ashlynn Shade, UConn, So., G
Lauren Jensen, Creighton, Sr., G
Morgan Maly, Creighton, Sr., G/F
Kelsey Ransom, Georgetown, Gr., G
Olivia Olsen, Providence, Sr., F
Grace Efosa, Providence, Gr., G
Ber’Nyah Mayo, St. John’s, R-Sr., G
Honorable Mention
Kaitlyn Chen, UConn, Gr., G
Jorie Allen, DePaul, Gr., F
Savannah Catalon, Seton Hall, So., G
