Sarah Strong and Blanca Quinonez of the UConn Huskies play against the Creighton Bluejays during the first half of a semifinal game of the Big East Women’s Basketball Tournament at Mohegan Sun on March 08, 2026 in Uncasville, Connecticut.
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UConn guard Blanca Quinonez, center left, and UConn forward Sarah Strong, center top right, pressure Notre Dame guard Iyana Moore, center bottom right, in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
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UConn center Jana El Alfy, center, fights to maintain control of the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against St. John’s, Sunday, March 1, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
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For the first time in four years and the third time in the past seven, the UConn women’s basketball will not be adding any new players via the transfer portal.
The Huskies return 10 players from the 2025-26 season roster next season while adding two incoming freshmen. When preseason practices begin in the fall, it’ll mark the program’s smallest roster in six years (also had 12 during the 2021-22 season). The transfer portal officially closed on Monday, April 20, as the Huskies lost two players: Ayanna Patterson (committed to Kentucky) and Ice Brady.
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That leaves UConn with three available roster spots, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Geno Auriemma not a fan of carrying a full scholarship-maximum 15 as he did this season. And his team really didn’t need any reinforcements, nor were there any players in the portal who were a match for his system.
Former Iowa State star center Audi Crooks (now committed to Oklahoma State) was the biggest name in the portal, yet UConn didn’t need any more bigs. The frontcourt is already full with National Player of the Year Sarah Strong, Jana El Alfy, Blanca Quiñonez, Gandy Malou-Mamel and incoming freshman Olivia Vukosa.
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Losing Azzi Fudd’s scoring (17.3 per game in 2025-26) leaves a void for the Huskies. UConn could have tried to find another experienced scorer to make up for Fudd — the best available was Florida’s Liv McGill (22.5 ppg), who chose Oklahoma State. Yet there weren’t any top 3-point shooters available, and it really wasn’t a drastic need given who the Huskies have returning.
More offensive responsibility will be placed on Strong next season, with the expectation that Quiñonez becomes more consistent after a year of college ball under her belt. Rising seniors, Ashlynn Shade and KK Arnold, will also be asked to step up even more offensively, along with rising junior Allie Ziebell, who was second on the team after Fudd with a 41.1 3-point field goal percentage.
KK Arnold #2 of the UConn Huskies, Sarah Strong #21 of the UConn Huskies, and Blanca Quinonez #4 of the UConn Huskies react on the bench during the BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Tournament Quarterfinal game between the UConn Huskies and the Georgetown Hoyas on March 7, 2026 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
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While the Huskies benefited from the extra depth this season, the excess bodies makes it harder for the younger, less skilled players to get meaningful reps during games. Auriemma often runs with a solid six-to-eight player rotation, only bringing in the end-of-the-bench reserves at the end of blowout victories. The impossible balancing act of getting everyone valuable minutes often limits players’ chances at developing their game.
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This year, backup center El Alfy only averaged 11.5 minutes per game playing under senior Serah Williams, while freshman point guard Kelis Fisher only averaged 5.8 minutes per game. Next year, with fewer players ahead of them in the lineup, both are expected to have larger roles.
Here’s a deeper look into UConn’s 2026-27 roster:
Replacing Azzi Fudd
Expect Ziebell to become UConn’s best perimeter threat. The 6-foot guard, who came to UConn as a McDonald’s All-American and the No. 7 recruit in the Class of 2024, already proved she can be a dependable shooter as a sophomore last season. Against Xavier on Jan. 28, she went off from deep, tying a program single-game record of 10 made 3-pointers for 34 points. She’s UConn’s best returning 3-pointer and is likely to compete for a starting spot early.
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UConn’s Allie Ziebell lines up a shot in the second half of the Big East women’s basketball tournament final against Villanova at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., Monday, March 9, 2026.
Dave Zajac/Hearst Connecticut Media
Even though her offense wasn’t as consistent as in years past last season, Ashlynn Shade can also be an effective outside shooter. In 2024-25, she averaged a 41.1 3-point clip and went 7-of-10 from deep against Iowa State (six of her triples were made in the first quarter).
Replacing Serah Williams
The Huskies lost the 6-4 Williams, but Auriemma’s go-to combination in the post last year was Strong and Quiñonez. Not only do they have size (Strong is 6-foot-2 while Quiñonez is taller than her listed height of 6-2), but each can create for themselves on an incredibly high level. Expect those two to remain the top frontcourt contributors, with 6-5 El Alfy likely stepping back into a more consistent role whenever the Huskies need even more size.
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UConn guard Blanca Quinonez (4) celebrates with UConn forward Sarah Strong (21) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Ohio State, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
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Backing up El Alfy at center will be rising sophomore Malou-Mamel (6-5) and incoming freshman Vukosa (6-4). Malou-Mamel only played in two games last season; however, from what her teammates say, she’s expected to have a large impact this upcoming year.
Vukosa, ESPN’s No. 3-ranked player in the Class of 2026, was the Gatorade National Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American. She is an aggressive big who can also shoot from deep – something UConn hasn’t had in a while from a true center.
What’s the point guard rotation?
Arnold will begin her second season as the Huskies’ primary ball handler. The rising senior averaged career-highs in assists (4.6) and steals (2.7) per game last season as she became UConn’s best defender.
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UCONN’s KK Arnold, left, limps from the court after an injury in the final minutes of the Huskies’ Big East Tournament women’s basketball quarterfinals game at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. on Saturday, March 9, 2024. UCONN won the game 86-53. At right is UCONN’s Ashlynn Shade.
Brian A. Pounds/Hearst Connecticut Media
Just like last year, former USC transfer Kayleigh Heckel will be Arnold’s immediate backup and likely the first player off the bench. Rising sophomore Kelis Fisher and incoming freshman point guard Jovana Popovic will compete for that third spot at point guard.
Fisher didn’t get a lot of minutes to shine this past year because of UConn’s depth, while Popovic comes to Storrs already with loads of international experience, including at the senior level.
What about Morgan Cheli?
Cheli sat out the entire 2025-26 season recovering from a February 2025 ankle injury. The 6-2 combo guard-forward underwent season-ending surgery last season (in 2024-25) after appearing in 24 games. When she was healthy, Cheli averaged 2.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.4 steals in 13.3 minutes per game.
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She was highly-touted recruit two years ago as a McDonald’s and Naismith First Team All-America and the No. 11 player in her class. Cheli is long and quick and can slide into the frontcourt when needed. Expect her to be healthy to start the year and quickly work her way up in the Huskies’ rotation.