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FORT WORTH, TEXAS – MARCH 26: Head coach Geno Auriemma of the UConn Huskies speaks to his team during a practice session ahead of the NCAA Women’s Sweet Sixteen at Dickies Arena on March 26, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Stacy Revere\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
STORRS \u2014 In the college basketball calendar, the month of October is reserved for practice. Days in the gym are spent building on the season prior while introducing new pieces into the system and experimenting with what works and what doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s the longest time during the season that each team gets to themselves \u2014 a month-plus of practice that\u2019s only interrupted for dress rehearsals.<\/p>\n
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On Monday, the UConn women\u2019s basketball<\/a> team will take the stage for its first of three preseason exhibitions and give fans a first glimpse into what the Huskies have been working on during the first three weeks of practice.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re just excited to play,\u201d said senior guard Ashlynn Shade. \u201c\u2026 We can only control so much of what we do in practice, game-wise, like game speed. We do a bunch of that. But it’s different when you have refs, you have fans, you’re in a different (gym) \u2026 I think it is a good chance for us to see different combinations, see what works, see what doesn’t work, but that’s what you kind of expect going into exhibition games.<\/p>\n “And obviously you want to win, especially just because these are real games; essentially, they just won’t count towards our record. But every time we step onto the court, we want to produce our best basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n UConn women\u2019s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma spoke to the media Saturday after practice about Monday\u2019s exhibition vs. Syracuse and the upcoming season. New assistant coach Nykesha Sales, a former UConn player, shared why she decided to come back and what it’s been like so far. Footage by Maggie Vanoni and Mike Anthony \/ Hearst CT Media. Produced by Emily Scarvie \/ Hearst CT Media. #UConnBasketball #UConn #Connecticut #CT<\/p>\n Emily Scarvie, Hearst Connecticut Media<\/p>\n While expectations are always high in Storrs, Geno Auriemma<\/a> is realistic about what he\u2019ll learn from Monday\u2019s exhibition against Syracuse (6:30 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena).<\/a> It\u2019s the first time he\u2019ll see how his new team plays together, how they\u2019ll implement what they\u2019ve been working on and how his players react against real competition.<\/p>\n The program will treat Monday\u2019s game as if it were the real thing; they\u2019ll go through their normal pregame routine, spend the night before at Mohegan Sun, and hold a shootaround to set UConn\u2019s standard early.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cExhibitions are weird,\u201d\u00a0Auriemma said. \u201cYou’re basically playing a glorified practice game against other people rather than the people you normally practice against. But you’re working on how you prepare for regular games, staying over (the night before), shootaround; the whole game day experience and all that.<\/p>\n \u201cThe actual game part? You’re just going in there with some expectations of maybe getting a few things right that you know you’ve been working on, and how are we? And you hope that you see some things from the other team that you haven’t been able to see while you’re here. And you may look good doing it. You may look not good doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n How the Huskies look on Monday won\u2019t be how they\u2019ll look in\u00a0March, when it\u2019s tournament time, or even next month, when the regular season begins, and everything counts. It\u2019s OK if things are rusty or slightly discombobulated. Players are still learning new roles and newcomers are still adjusting to UConn\u2019s system. Plus, Auriemma is still experimenting with which lineups work best and which need more tinkering.<\/p>\n UConn guard Ashlynn Shade (12) looks to pass during UConn’s 102-35 win over DePaul in the NCAA women’s basketball game at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn. on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.<\/p>\n Tyler Sizemore\/Hearst Connecticut Media<\/p>\n UConn is also expected to be shorthanded against the Orange. While Morgan Cheli (ankle) will make her first appearance in over a year and a half, Allie Ziebell (ankle), Blanca Qui\u00f1onez (shoulder)<\/a> and freshman guard Marine Dursus (foot) are expected to sit out due to ongoing recoveries.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n All three were present during Saturday\u2019s open-viewing portion of practice but were not full participants. During a sprinting drill on the court, Ziebell stood to the side and held a plank while Dursus and Qui\u00f1onez practiced free throws on the other side of the gym.<\/p>\n \u201cHealth-wise, we’re close,\u201d said Auriemma. \u201cBlanca and Marine; I’m not sure exactly what day (they\u2019ll return). Allie thinks that maybe by Tuesday she’s going to be full go, so that would only leave Blanca and Marine that are not out there.\u00a0And they’ve been doing some things, but nothing that involves any full-blown (contact). But obviously, those are three of our best offensive players, so it’ll be great to have them back.\u201d<\/p>\n Monday will be the unofficial debut of freshmen Olivia Vukosa and Jovana Popovic. Vukosa was the No. 2-ranked recruit in the Class of 2026 while Popovic is UConn\u2019s first-ever player from Serbia.<\/p>\n<\/a>
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