UConn Huskies women's basketball

History

Connecticut Agricultural College (1899-1933)

The land-grant college fielded basketball teams for women that it called Co-Ed in 1925. The 1925 team played seven games. The 1927 yearbook states "Basketball is the major sport for women students and the one by which girls secure the Co-ed major "C"." That team finished 3–4.

Early Years (1974–1985)

The UConn Huskies' first ever game was played on December 5, 1974, and was a 40–27 win over visiting Eastern Connecticut State University. After winning their first two games, the team lost the other eight in a 10-game season. The team had a losing record during its first six seasons under coaches Sandra Hamm (1974–75) and Wanda Flora (1975–80), and only one winning season in five seasons under Jean Balthaser (1980–85).

Arrival of Coach Auriemma (1985–1991)

Prior to the 1985–86 season, UConn hired Geno Auriemma as their new head coach, who had served as assistant coach at Virginia, with the goal of revitalizing the program. Auriemma's training skills had an immediate impact, and the team showed steady signs of progress: after going 12–15 in his first season in 1985–86, Auriemma led UConn to winning seasons in 1986–87 and 1987–88.

Auriemma pulled off one of his biggest and most important early recruiting successes in 1987 when he persuaded an All-American from New Hampshire, Kerry Bascom, to come to UConn. Bascom had an immediate impact on the UConn program. In 1989 she won the Big East Player of the Year award as a sophomore (she also won the award in her junior and senior years) and led UConn to its first Big East regular season and tournament titles, along with its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance at a #8 seed. However, the Huskies season ended in the first round with a loss to #9 seed La Salle, 72–63.

With Bascom and teammates Laura Lishness, Megan Pattyson, Wendy Davis and Debbie Baer, UConn reached the NCAA Tournament again in 1990 as a #4 seed, losing 61–59 to Clemson in the second round after a first-round bye.

In Auriemma's 6th season (1990–91) the Huskies broke through on the national scene, again capturing the Big East regular season and tournament titles, and earning a #3 seed in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament, its highest seed up to then. UConn beat Toledo 81–80 at Gampel Pavilion in the opening round, with Bascom scoring an NCAA tournament single-game record 39 points. The Huskies then moved on to the regionals at The Palestra in Auriemma's hometown of Philadelphia. Here, the team upset heavily favored ACC power North Carolina State in the Sweet 16 by 11 points, and then defeated Clemson 60–57 in the Elite Eight to advance to their first-ever Final Four (also a first for any Big East school). UConn's season ended with a 61–55 loss to top-seeded Virginia in the National semifinals at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans. Bascom was hit with early foul trouble and Virginia held off a late UConn rally. Including all tournament games, Bascom had set a new UConn scoring record with 2,177 points during her years at the school. The 1990–91 season is widely credited with bringing UConn's women's basketball program into the national spotlight for the first time. It also followed the men's 1989–90 "Dream Season", which brought that program into the national spotlight as well.

Rebecca Lobo Era (1991–1995)

UConn followed up its surprise run to the Final Four in 1991 by landing All-American Rebecca Lobo from Southwick, Massachusetts.

UConn had modest success in Lobo's first 2 seasons, losing early in the NCAA Tournament in both seasons. In 1993–94, UConn had its most successful season up to that point; led by Lobo and teammates Jamelle Elliott, Jennifer Rizzotti, Pam Webber, Kara Wolters and Carla Berube, UConn won 30 games for the first time in program history, winning the Big East tournament and regular-season titles. In the NCAA tournament, the Huskies were awarded a #1 seed for the first time ever, having achieved a 27–2 record prior to the tournament. UConn managed to reach the Elite Eight, but came up short in its hopes to make it back to the Final Four, losing to eventual champion North Carolina, 81–69.

With every major player back from 1994, and the addition of Auriemma's most highly ranked recruit to date (Connecticut Player of the Year Nykesha Sales), UConn was in for a season to remember in 1994–95. The season started with an 80-point win over Morgan State; two weeks later, UConn defeated powerhouse North Carolina State by 23 points on the road. This season also saw the birth of one of the greatest rivalries in college sports, the UConn-Tennessee rivalry, that began when the two teams met for the first time on Martin Luther King Day at Gampel Pavilion. UConn defeated Tennessee 77–66 in front of a sold-out crowd in a game televised on ESPN and soon afterwards became ranked No. 1 in the polls for the first time in program history.

UConn went unbeaten through the Conference regular season and Tournament and easily advanced into the NCAA tournament. In the Elite Eight against Virginia, a 4-point win (their closest game of the year) secured the team's place in the Final Four at the Target Center in Minneapolis. UConn blew out Stanford in the semifinals 87–60 to reach the national championship game for a rematch against Tennessee. In the title game, UConn found itself in early trouble when Lobo was called for three personal fouls in 94 seconds in the first half. However, in the second half the team was able to rally from a 9-point deficit, and a key Rizzotti layup gave UConn the lead with less than 2 minutes to go. UConn won the game with a final score of 70–64 and claimed the program's first ever national title. Rebecca Lobo was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player.

A New Powerhouse is Born (1995–2000)

After the 1995 Championship, UConn rose to national prominence as one of the powerhouses in women's college basketball, giving coach Auriemma the chance to recruit star talents from high school like Shea Ralph in 1996 and Svetlana Abrosimova in 1997.

Starting with their two meetings in 1995, the rivalry between the Tennessee Lady Vols and UConn escalated through the late 1990s and into the 2000s, becoming the marquee matchup in all women's sports, and taking on parallels to the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry in Major League Baseball. Geno Auriemma jokingly once referred to Pat Summitt and Tennessee as the "evil empire", like Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino said of the Yankees.

In the 1995–96 season, UConn ended Tennessee's home court winning streak at Thompson–Boling Arena in Knoxville. Tennessee avenged itself in the Final Four that year in Charlotte, defeating UConn 88–83 in overtime; the game is often thought to be one of the more memorable games in NCAA tournament history, with many back and forth swings of momentum throughout.

UConn defeated Tennessee during the 1996–97 regular season yet again. However, after a season-ending injury for Shea Ralph in the first round of the NCAA tournament, UConn reached the Regional Final where the two teams met again, with Tennessee prevailing and ending Connecticut's unbeaten season by winning 91–81.

Tennessee defeated Connecticut in the 1997–98 regular season. A mini controversy erupted in the days after the game when Tennessee's Chamique Holdsclaw was quoted in the papers as saying UConn looked scared during the game; Auriemma denounced that quote. With Shea Ralph and senior Nykesha Sales out for the entire season due to injuries, freshman Svetlana Abrosimova led a young UConn team to the NCAA Tournament Regional Final, where they eventually lost to North Carolina State, 60–52.

Auriemma signed his best recruiting class to date in 1998 when he signed five top 15 nationally ranked players. High school All-Americans Swin Cash, Tamika Williams, Sue Bird, Asjha Jones, and Keirsten Walters were dubbed "TASSK Force" by Connecticut fans, using the players' initials. The class renewed hope of bringing more championships to UConn after watching archrival Tennessee win three in a row.

Diana Taurasi Era (2000–2004)

Auriemma pulled off another huge recruiting coup when he convinced All-American guard Diana Taurasi to travel across country to attend Connecticut. Taurasi hailed from Chino, California, and attended Don Lugo High School where she was the recipient of the 2000 Cheryl Miller Award, presented by the Los Angeles Times to the best player in southern California. She was also named the 2000 Naismith and Parade Magazine National High School Player of the Year. Taurasi finished her high school career ranked second to Cheryl Miller in state history with 3,047 points.

With Taurasi joining the core of the 2000 Championship team, Auriemma confidently predicted another championship in 2001, but the season turned out to be more difficult than expected. UConn won the Big East tournament over rising powerhouse Notre Dame in a game remembered for the Bird at the Buzzer shot, but lost key players Abrosimova and Ralph to season-ending injuries. As a consequence, Taurasi had to play a much larger role than anticipated in the NCAA Tournament. She led UConn to the Final Four, but in the National Semifinals against Notre Dame in St. Louis, Taurasi had a poor shooting game, and despite UConn having attained a 16-point lead at one point, the team lost 90–75. Notre Dame went on to win its first national championship.

As with the 2000 champions, who had also come off a disappointing loss the year before, UConn returned hungrier than ever in 2001–02. With the TASS force in their senior season and Taurasi emerging as a star in her sophomore year, UConn rolled through all its opponents throughout the year and maintained an undefeated record going into the NCAA Tournament. The team easily won the Big East regular season and tournament trophies, defeating Boston College 96–54 in the Big East championship game. In the NCAA Tournament, the Huskies were once again awarded the #1 overall seed and then demolished their opponents in the early rounds to ultimately advance to their 3rd consecutive Final Four. Their smallest margin of victory was an 18-point win over Penn State in the Sweet 16.

In the National Semifinals, UConn used tenacious offensive play to defeat rival Tennessee by a whopping 23 points, winning 79–56. In front of a record-breaking crowd at the Alamodome in San Antonio, UConn defeated Oklahoma 82–70 in the championship game to complete a perfect 39–0 season. The starting five of Bird, Taurasi, Cash, Jones, and Williams is widely regarded as the best starting five in women's college basketball history. The championship game that year shattered ratings for ESPN and at the time was the highest rated college basketball game to air on the network, men's or women's.

Rebuilding Years (2004–2007)

Relative to their high standards, UConn struggled during the first two years following Taurasi's graduation in 2004. Some of its highly touted recruits did not play up to expectations while others suffered injuries. Taken together during the three years 2005–2007, UConn never made a Final Four, something that had become almost routine (7 final fours in 10 years from 1995 to 2004).

The 2004–05 season was marked with sloppy play and ragged offense; UConn lost 8 games and failed to win the Big East regular season crown for the first time since 1993. In the NCAA tournament, UConn lost to Stanford 76–59 in the Sweet Sixteen.

In the 2005–06 season, UConn showed some signs of improvement, winning the Big East tournament and beating Georgia in the Sweet Sixteen thanks to a fadeaway 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left by senior Barbara Turner. Behind a home state crowd, UConn almost upset #1 ranked Duke in the NCAA Tournament regional final, before falling in overtime by 2 points.

In the 2006–07 season, the team improved their record with the additions of Renee Montgomery, Mel Thomas, Ketia Swanier, and the #1 ranked high school player Tina Charles, helping UConn emerge as a national contender again. UConn was a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but eventually lost to LSU 73–50 in the regional final (Elite Eight) to end their season with a 32–4 record. This season would be the last one in which UConn did not make the Final Four until 2023.

Maya Moore Era (2007–2011)

After three down years by UConn standards, the team emerged as a heavy contender for the championship in the 2007–08 season. In addition to all of the star players returning from the 2006–07 team, #1 ranked high school player Maya Moore joined the Huskies after a bitter recruitment battle between UConn and Tennessee. Shortly after Moore's commitment to UConn, Tennessee announced they were cancelling the annual series with UConn, thus ending one of the biggest rivalries in the sport. Even if both coaches remained vague and unspecific about the reasons of the cancellation, Tennessee filed a complaint to the NCAA about UConn's recruitment of Moore. UConn was found to have committed a secondary violation (involving a tour of the ESPN campus) and no punishment was handed out.

Despite losing Mel Thomas and Kalana Greene to season-ending knee injuries, UConn went through the 2007–08 regular season with only a single loss at Rutgers by two points, winning both the Big East regular season and tournament titles. Rallying from a 14-point deficit in the NCAA tournament regional final, they beat conference rival Rutgers 66–56 and advanced to their first Final Four since Taurasi graduated in 2004. These tournament victories were largely credited to senior Charde Houston, a top-ranked recruit out of San Diego viewed as not living up to expectations from Geno Auriemma and the UConn fans up to that point, but who came up with key rebounds and clutch points in those games. In the National Semifinals, UConn lost to Stanford 82–73, ending its season with a 36–2 record.

For the third consecutive year, UConn successfully recruited the top ranked high school player in Elena Delle Donne, but shortly before enrolling at UConn Delle Donne requested a release from her scholarship, giving up basketball in order to stay closer to home and play volleyball at the University of Delaware; Delle Donne would eventually play basketball at Delaware, having a great college career that culminated in the #2 pick in the 2013 WNBA draft. Despite losing Delle Donne, the Huskies were ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls, having returned 10 players from their 2008 Final Four team (including All-Americans Maya Moore, Renee Montgomery and Tina Charles), in addition to Kalana Greene (who had recovered from her knee injury by this point).

UConn finished the regular season undefeated for the 5th time in school history with a 30–0 record. They won their 17th Big East Regular Season title and their 15th Big East tournament title, beating the Louisville Cardinals in the championship game. The Huskies advanced to their 10th Final Four with an 83–64 victory over Arizona State, and then to their 6th NCAA Championship Game in program history by defeating Stanford in the Final Four, also by a score of 83–64. In the championship game, UConn defeated Louisville 76–54 with help from Charles' 25 points and 19 boards, ending the season with a perfect 39–0 record (with every victory by at least 10 points, a record of its own) and sixth national title.

Calm Before the Storm (2011–2012 Season)

The 2011–12 season would inevitably be a new era after Maya Moore's graduation. Her absence and the loss of 6th-man Lorin Dixon left significant holes to fill in the roster. Geno Auriemma seemed to find the right pieces with a freshman class that included Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Brianna Banks and Kiah Stokes. Mosqueda-Lewis was another State Farm/WBCA High School Player of the Year for UConn, Banks was a highly rated point guard, and Stokes, a 6'3 post player, was highly ranked as well. Other key players included sophomores Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley, junior Kelly Faris and senior Tiffany Hayes, who would be all selected in the WNBA draft after graduation.

Even if the Huskies were still a strong national contender, they were no longer viewed as a favorite to win it all. Two key rivals were usual conference foe Notre Dame and their new rival Baylor, who had the nation's top player in Brittney Griner. In December, Griner led #1 ranked Baylor against #2 UConn, scoring 25 points to go along with nine blocks. The 66–61 loss was UConn's first of the season, but not its last. Notre Dame, led by junior star Skylar Diggins, beat the Huskies twice in the regular season, but UConn was able to reverse the roles in the Big East tournament Championship Game, where they defeated Notre Dame 63–54. The win was the school's 15th conference title, as well as the 800th career win for coach Geno Auriemma. Ultimately Notre Dame found its revenge with an upset win in the NCAA Tournament Final Four, winning in overtime 83–75. The Fighting Irish finished the season with a 3–1 record against the Huskies, a record that would be repeated the following year. Ultimately, the Huskies finished the season with a 33–5 overall record, with 3 losses to Notre Dame, 1 to Baylor, and 1 to St. John's.

Breanna Stewart Era (2012–2016)

The 2012–13 season began with high hopes for UConn. The team landed three highly ranked recruits: #1 overall Breanna Stewart from Cicero – North Syracuse High School, forward Morgan Tuck and guard Moriah Jefferson. Their play was uneven during the regular season, where the team went 27–3 with a loss to Baylor and a pair of losses to Notre Dame (including a three-overtime game in South Bend). In the Big East tournament, UConn lost for a third straight time to Notre Dame, who delivered a last-minute comeback to win 61–59. However, in the NCAA tournament, key-players Breanna Stewart, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Stefanie Dolson and senior Kelly Faris raised their level of play significantly, and UConn easily advanced to the Final Four. In the National Semifinals, the team handily beat fellow #1 seed rival Notre Dame 83–65 in a rematch of the previous year's Final Four. Two days later, the Huskies obtained a 93–60 win over #5 seed Louisville in the championship game to garner a record tying eighth national championship. UConn finished the season with a 35–4 overall record, with 3 of their losses to Notre Dame.

The end of the 2012–13 season saw the breakup of the Big East Conference. First Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Notre Dame defected to the Atlantic Coast Conference, with Louisville announcing that they would follow in 2014. Then, the non-FBS football playing members of the Big East (Georgetown, Villanova, Providence, DePaul, Marquette, Seton Hall, St. John's), known colloquially as the "Catholic 7", left to form their own conference, taking the conference name with them. The remaining teams of the former Big East (Connecticut and Cincinnati) joined the new American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC), thus ending the UConn–Notre Dame rivalry in conference tournaments.

With Faris and Doty graduated, sophomore Breanna Stewart became the undisputed leader of the 2013–14 UConn team, starting in all 40 games and leading the team with 19.4 points and 2.8 blocks per game; her 291 field goals made was the third-highest single-season total in UConn history.

The Huskies beat every opponent by at least 10 points during the season, with their average margin being 34.1 points. Some notable wins included a 76–57 victory over No. 3 ranked Stanford on November 11, 2013, and an 83–61 victory at No. 2 Duke on December 17. In the AAC tournament, the Huskies defeated every opponent by at least 20 points, including a 72–52 over No. 3 Louisville in the conference championship.

A New Record Streak Ends (2016–2020)

After losing the stellar trio of Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck, many predicted a sub-par season for UConn standards; the AP Poll ranked the team third in the nation, and coach Auriemma had designed a very tough non-conference calendar to test the strength of his young team. The first regular season game, a 78–76 win against #12 Florida State, seemed to confirm the expectations, with coach Auriemma predicting "a good beat" ahead. As the season progressed, however, the team quickly found its rhythm, beating AP top-5 teams like Baylor, Notre Dame and Maryland, and showcasing a talented core of young players. Along with sophomore Katie Lou Samuelson and junior Kia Nurse, the duo of sophomore Napheesa Collier and junior Gabby Williams quickly rose to national attention; even senior Saniya Chong, who had played only a few minutes in her first three seasons, showed great improvements, leading the nation in assists-to-turnovers ratio. Coming from a 75-win streak in the previous season, UConn tied its own previous 90-win record with a 102–37 win against South Florida on January 10, 2017; the 100th straight win mark was reached on February 13, 2017, with a 66–55 win against South Carolina.

After easy wins in both the conference regular season and conference tournament, UConn entered the NCAA tournament unbeaten, #1 overall, and once again a heavy favorite to win it all. They easily won their region and advanced to their 10th straight Final Four after defeating #10 seed Oregon 90–52 in the Elite Eight. However, the season came to an unexpected end when #2 seed Mississippi State's Morgan William hit a buzzer-beater to give its team a 66–64 overtime victory over UConn in the NCAA Final Four. The shocking loss ended UConn's winning streak at 111 consecutive wins, an all-time record not only for college basketball, but also for any team sport played at the college level.

UConn entered the 2017–18 season with high energy. The team gained a 5-star recruiting class that included future All-American player Megan Walker. On December 19, 2017, a win over Oklahoma gave coach Geno Auriemma his 1000th victory in just 1135 games, making him only the fourth women's coach to reach that plateau — preceded by Pat Summitt, Tara VanDerveer and Sylvia Hatchell — and the fastest one. UConn finished the regular season 16–0 in AAC play (and undefeated overall) to win the AAC regular season championship for the 4th consecutive year. The Huskies had 6 wins against AP top-10 opponents throughout the regular season, including an 80–71 victory over eventual national champion No. 3 Notre Dame on December 3, 2017. UConn ultimately defeated Tulane, Cincinnati, and No. 19 South Florida to win the AAC women's tournament title for a fifth straight year. As a result, they received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA women's tournament.

Paige Bueckers Era (2020–2025)

The Huskies entered the 2020–2021 season with extremely high hopes. They gained two ESPN five-star recruits with the addition of point guard Paige Bueckers and forward Aaliyah Edwards, as well as future 2-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year Nika Mühl. This season also marked the teams return to the Big East Conference, which they had previously left in 2013 to join the AAC. UConn was ranked #3 in both the AP and Coaches pre-season polls. During the regular season, they had a record of 21–1, including 18–0 in the Big East to easily win the conference regular season championship. The team's only loss during the regular season was a 90–87 defeat at No. 19 Arkansas on January 28, 2021. The Huskies most notable win of the season came on February 8, 2021, when they defeated No. 1 ranked South Carolina in overtime at Gampel Pavilion, 63–59. UConn easily won the Big East tournament, winning all three of their games by over 30 points.

As a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, the Huskies won their regional title with a narrow victory over #2 seed Baylor in the Elite Eight, 69–67. This game is considered highly memorable, as UConn used a 19–0 run late in the game to knock off the Lady Bears and reach their 13th straight Final Four. However, the Huskies lost to #3 seed Arizona 69–59 in the Final Four and finished their campaign with a record of 28–2. This was the program's 4th straight tournament in which they lost in the National Semifinals. Bueckers, the team's leading scorer, won several awards at the end of the season, including the Naismith College Player of the Year award. The season was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with numerous game cancellations and no spectators allowed at any sporting events.

Returning from a 28–2 season with no graduations, UConn went into the 2021–22 season highly regarded, starting the season ranked #2 in the AP poll. The Huskies returned several starters: seniors Christyn Williams, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, and Evina Westbrook, plus accomplished sophomore Paige Bueckers, while adding a 2nd ranked recruiting class that included number one ranked high school recruit Azzi Fudd. Several athletes transferred during the offseason and early season, leaving the team with 12 players. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to cause game postponements and cancellations. Injuries plagued the team throughout the season; only two athletes played every game. In early December, Bueckers suffered a knee fracture which kept her sidelined until late in the season. Guards Azzi Fudd and Nika Mühl both suffered early season injuries which caused them to miss several games as well.

Head coaches

Sandra Hamm (1974–1975)

Sandra Hamm, a Terryville native, was employed part-time as the interim women's coach in the 1974–75 season, when the team was 2–8. When she wasn't coaching, she taught physical education at a junior high school in Manchester.

Wanda Flora (1975–1980)

After graduating from college in California, Wanda Flora went to graduate school at Indiana University, where she was an assistant coach for the women's basketball team and coached the junior varsity team. After a brief stint at a small college in Pennsylvania, she applied for the job at UConn, starting in 1975 and leading the team to a 38–66 record in five seasons. During her tenure, shooting guard Karen Mullins was the first UConn woman to receive a basketball scholarship; that number had increased to 12 by 1980.

Jean Balthaser (1980–1985)

In 1980 the university hired Jean Balthaser, who had coached at the University of Pittsburgh. Ms. Balthaser continued to expand the program, leading UConn to its first winning season in her first year as coach, and finishing with a 52–88 record over five seasons.

Geno Auriemma (1985–present)

In his 40 years as head coach of the University of Connecticut women's basketball team, Luigi "Geno" Auriemma has become very well known with the program. Inheriting a program that had only had one winning season in its entire history, Auriemma has overseen one of the largest turn arounds in college sports history. Under his watch, UConn has become the team that wins most often in women's college basketball. Auriemma has won more than 25 different national Coach of the Year awards, and was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. He was head coach of the United States women's national basketball team from 2009, until stepping down from that role after the 2016 Summer Olympics. During his tenure with Team USA, they won the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, plus Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016.

Season-by-season results

Conference tournament

UConn played in the Big East Conference from the 1982–83 season, the first in which the league sponsored women's basketball and held a tournament, until the conference split in 2013. The Huskies won 18 tournaments in 31 years. From 2013–14 to 2019–20, UConn played in the American Athletic Conference, where they went unbeaten both in regular season and conference tournament games, with a perfect 139–0 record and 7 conference tournaments. In 2020–21, UConn rejoined several of its former conference mates in the current Big East Conference.

Postseason

The Huskies have appeared in the NCAA tournament 36 times, every year since their first appearance in 1989. Their combined record is 146–25 (.854); they have been to 25 Final Fours and are 12-time National Champions (1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2025).

The following lists where the Huskies have been seeded in the NCAA tournament.

Notable players

Individual achievements

UConn has featured a great number of star players, All-Americans, Hall of Famers and recipients of individual trophies. The following table shows the UConn players recipients of the major individual awards in women's college basketball.

After the end of the NCAA tournament, the Associated Press selects a Most Outstanding Player.

Eight UConn players have received this award since its induction in 1982: Rebecca Lobo (1995), Shea Ralph (2000), Swin Cash (2002), Diana Taurasi (2003 and 2004), Tina Charles (2009), Maya Moore (2010), Breanna Stewart (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), and Azzi Fudd (2025).

School records

Statistics correct through April 6, 2025.

Players active in 2024-2025 are in bold.

Huskies of Honor

The Huskies of Honor is a program recognizing the most significant figures in UConn history, with plaques in Gampel Pavilion commemorating the inductees.

The women's basketball players list includes guards Sue Bird, Paige Bueckers, Bria Hartley, Moriah Jefferson, Renee Montgomery, Shea Ralph, Jennifer Rizzotti, Nykesha Sales, and Diana Taurasi; forwards Svetlana Abrosimova, Swin Cash, Napheesa Collier, Aaliyah Edwards, Maya Moore, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Katie Lou Samuelson, Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck, and Gabby Williams; centers Kerry Bascom, Tina Charles, Stefanie Dolson, Rebecca Lobo, and Kara Wolters.

Retired numbers

On December 7, 2018, UConn announced that the #50 worn by Rebecca Lobo would be permanently retired, effective with ceremonies to be held during the Huskies' final 2018–19 home game on March 2, 2019. In its announcement, UConn stated that going forward, number retirement would be reserved for former Huskies players inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as Lobo was in 2017. At the same time, the Huskies announced that the #34 worn by Ray Allen, a 2018 Naismith Hall inductee, would be retired by UConn men's basketball, with ceremonies held during the season's final men's home game on March 3, 2019.

UConn's announcement did not make it clear whether both numbers would be retired across both men's and women's programs, but a university spokesperson clarified that the retirements applied only to the teams that Lobo and Allen competed for, meaning that #50 remains available in men's basketball and #34 in women's. Additionally, on November 14, 2022, UConn retired the #32 worn by Swin Cash, as she was a 2022 Naismith Hall inductee, with ceremonies held during the women's team game against Texas.

UConn retired Sue Bird's #10 in December 2025.

WNBA success

Twenty-two UConn players have been selected in the first round of WNBA drafts. Seven of them have been first overall picks: Sue Bird (2002), Diana Taurasi (2004), Tina Charles (2010), Maya Moore (2011), Breanna Stewart (2016), Paige Bueckers (2025), and Azzi Fudd (2026). Rebecca Lobo was part of the 1997 inaugural draft, with the top players allocated to founding teams without any particular order; similarly Nykesha Sales was part of the 1998 WNBA expansion players allocation.

In the 2002 WNBA draft, the four UConn players tabbed "TASS Force" (Tamika Williams, Asjha Jones, Sue Bird, Swin Cash) were all first round selections, each having immediate impact with their WNBA team.

In the 2016 WNBA draft UConn performed even better, with the three seniors Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck sweeping the first three picks for the first time in the history of any major sport.

Trophies and awards

12 NCAA Tournament Championships (1995, 2000, 2002–2004, 2009–2010, 2013–2016, 2025)

30 Conference tournament Championships: 23 Big East Conference (1989, 1991, 1994–2002, 2005, 2006, 2008–2012, 2021–2025) and 7 American Athletic Conference (2014–2020)

31 Conference regular season Championships: 24 Big East Conference (1989–1991, 1994–2004, 2007–2011, 2021–2025) and 7 American Athletic Conference (2014–2020)

Team of the Decade 2000–2009

In 2010 Sports Illustrated selected the top 25 sports franchises of the decade 2000–2009. The sports under consideration were the four major professional sports (NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL) along with the three most prominent college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The Connecticut Huskies were the #3 selection on the list, behind only the professional basketball Lakers and the professional football Patriots, making the Connecticut women's basketball team the highest ranked of the collegiate teams for the three sports under consideration. During this period, UConn won five national titles, while making the Final Four seven of the ten years. Two of the seasons (2001–02 and 2008–09) resulted in perfect 39–0 records.

Records and achievements

Overall

Most NCAA Championships, any Division, men's or women's (12)

Most NCAA Division I Final Fours, men's or women's (24)

Most NCAA Division I Elite Eights, women's (28)

Most NCAA Division I tournament #1 seeds, men's or women's (22)

Most NCAA Division I undefeated seasons, men's or women's (6)

Most NCAA Division I 30-win seasons, men's or women's (27)

Most NCAA Division I weeks ranked No. 1 in AP National poll, women's (250)

Streaks

Active streaks in bold

Most consecutive NCAA Championships, any Division, women's (4, 2013–2016)

Most consecutive NCAA Division I Final Fours, men's or women's (14, 2008–2022)

Most consecutive NCAA Division I Elite Eights, men's or women's (16, 2006–2022)

Most consecutive NCAA Division I Sweet Sixteen, men's or women's (32, 1994–)

Most consecutive NCAA Division I tournament wins, women's (28, 2013–2017)

Most consecutive NCAA wins, any Division, men's or women's (111, 2014–2017)

Most consecutive NCAA Division I regular-season wins, men's or women's (126, 2014–2019)

Most consecutive NCAA Division I home court wins, women's (99, 2007–2012)

Most consecutive NCAA Division I road wins, men's or women's (62, 2014–2019)

Most consecutive NCAA Division I 30-win seasons, men's or women's (14, 2006–2019)

Most consecutive NCAA Division I weeks ranked in AP National Top 25 poll, women's (615, 1993–)