{"id":154992,"date":"2025-08-16T08:00:33","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T12:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=154992"},"modified":"2025-08-16T02:47:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T06:47:30","slug":"five-key-storylines-for-uconn-huskies-open-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/08\/16\/five-key-storylines-for-uconn-huskies-open-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Key Storylines for UConn Huskies Open Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"

On September 21, the UConn Huskies<\/a> women\u2019s basketball team will give fans a special treat with an exclusive open practice<\/a> in Fairfield. In fact, this marks the first public chance to see the 2025\u201326 Huskies in action, so the anticipation is high. Moreover, with a mix of returning stars, exciting newcomers, and a fresh season ahead, there is plenty to look forward to.<\/p>\n

Five Key Storylines for UConn Huskies Open Practice<\/h2>\n

1. First Look at the New Season\u2019s Roster<\/h3>\n

For fans, nothing beats seeing the team together for the first time before the season officially begins. The open practice offers a close-up view of how the Huskies are shaping up after the offseason. Supporters will get to see how the roster comes together, which players have improved their skills, and how the new additions fit into the system. With UConn chasing another championship run, this early look could give clues about the team\u2019s style and depth for the months ahead.<\/p>\n

2. Azzi Fudd\u2019s Return<\/h3>\n

One of the biggest storylines of the day will be the return of senior guard Azzi Fudd<\/a>. Indeed, the graduate from Arlington, Va., came to UConn as the No. 1 ranked<\/a> recruit in the country after winning Gatorade Washington D.C. Player of the Year and being named to the McDonald\u2019s All-American team in 2021. Fudd had one year of eligibility remaining after suffering a season-ending injury that kept her out for all but two games of the 2023\u201324 season. She has now returned to the Huskies for a fifth season and her final year of eligibility, delaying the WNBA Draft.<\/p>\n

3. The Rise of Sarah Strong<\/h3>\n

Sophomore forward Sarah Strong<\/a> is another reason fans will be watching closely. Strong brings an impressive r\u00e9sum\u00e9 to UConn, earning the 2025 WBCA National Freshman of the Year<\/a> and 2025 Big East Freshman of the Year. She scores from multiple spots on the floor and plays strong defense, and Geno Auriemma expects her to play a big role this season. Fans will get their first real chance to see her in the Huskies\u2019 system and watch how she adjusts to Auriemma\u2019s style of play.<\/p>\n

4. Geno Auriemma\u2019s Practice Culture<\/h3>\n

One of the highlights of any UConn event is watching Geno Auriemma at work. Indeed, the Hall of Fame coach runs intense, organized, and competitive practices. Furthermore, this rare event lets fans watch the team operate behind the scenes\u2014how he pushes players, teaches plays, and sets high expectations from day one. Ultimately, it\u2019s not just about drills; it\u2019s about building the mentality and chemistry that have made UConn one of the most successful programs in sports history.<\/p>\n

5. Who Will Step Up as the New Floor Leader?<\/h3>\n

Finally, with Kaitlyn Chen<\/a> and Paige Bueckers<\/a> now in the WNBA, UConn will need a new voice to take command on the court. Consequently, the point guard position becomes crucial in Geno Auriemma\u2019s system, and fans will be watching to see which player takes charge. Ultimately, this open practice could give the first hints of how the Huskies will organize their backcourt leadership for the season ahead.<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On September 21, the UConn Huskies women\u2019s basketball team will give fans a special treat with an exclusive open practice in Fairfield. In fact, this marks the first public chance to see the 2025\u201326 Huskies in action, so the anticipation is high. Moreover, with a mix of returning stars, exciting newcomers, and a fresh season […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5425,"featured_media":155049,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,49709],"tags":[49936,4154,4153,1744],"class_list":["post-154992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-wnba","tag-azzi-fudd","tag-geno-auriemma","tag-paige-bueckers","tag-uconn-huskies"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5425"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154992"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154992\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":155048,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154992\/revisions\/155048"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}