University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Picked to Win BIG EAST; Huskies Earn Preseason Conference Honors
10/21/2025 8:30:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NEW YORK – The UConn women's basketball team was picked as the favorite to win the BIG EAST Conference title in 2025-26 and six Huskies earned preseason conference honors. The BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll and preseason individual honors were announced Tuesday ahead of BIG EAST Media Day at Madison Square Garden.
Sophomore Sarah Strong was selected as the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year. Kelis Fisher was named the BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year. Graduate student Azzi Fudd (unanimous), senior Serah Williams (unanimous) and juniors KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade were tabbed to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.
UConn won both the regular season and tournament titles in 2024-25, going 18-0 in BIG EAST play en route to the 2025 NCAA Championship. The Huskies have won 24 BIG EAST regular season titles and 23 BIG EAST Tournament titles and have won both championships in each year since rejoining the league in 2020.
Strong, the 2025 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, had one of the best rookie campaigns in UConn history. She was also named the WBCA National Freshman of the Year and a WBCA All-American. Strong was selected to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team. She set the UConn freshman record for rebounding and ranks second in points, assists and steals for a UConn freshman campaign.
Fisher is ESPN's No.25-ranked recruit in the Class of 2025. She was named a 2025 Jordan Brand Classic All-American. Fisher led IMG Academy to its first Chipotle National Championship in 2025, scoring 25 points in the championship game. She competed in Overtime Select in September 2024, leading ISO World to the championship game.
Fudd returns to Storrs for her final collegiate season after being named the 2025 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. She averaged 17.5 points in the 2025 NCAA Tournament and 22 points per game in the Final Four. Fudd was a 2025 All-BIG EAST First Team and BIG EAST All-Tournament Team selection and led the Huskies in three-point percentage (.436) last season.
Arnold averaged 5.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as one of UConn's top players off the bench in 2024-25.
Shade was named the 2025 BIG EAST Sixth-Woman of the Year after averaging 7.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game last season. She averaged a 41.1 three-point percentage in 2024-25.
The Huskies return to the court this Sunday to face Southern Connecticut in an exhibition at 1 p.m. at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Conn. The game will air on The Wax (WWAX) in Connecticut and will stream on UConn+.
