University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Louisville
No. 1 Huskies to Open Season vs. No. 20 Louisville in Armed Forces Classic
11/3/2025 4:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The top-ranked UConn women's basketball team opens the 2025-26 season against No. 20 Louisville in the Armed Forces Classic on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in Alumni Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy. The game will air on ESPN and the UConn Sports Network from Learfield (FOX Sports 97.9).
The annual Armed Forces Classic brings premier college basketball games to the United States' troops wherever they are stationed around the world. This is the first season the Armed Forces Classic will feature women's basketball programs.
UConn returned to the pinnacle of women's basketball and won its record 12th NCAA Championship in 2025 with an 82-59 win over South Carolina on April 6 in Tampa. The second-seeded Huskies became the first team to beat three No. 1 seeds (USC, UCLA, South Carolina) to win a championship.
UConn is 43-8 all-time in season openers, including 36-4 under head coach Geno Auriemma. The Huskies have won 29 straight season openers, with UConn's last season-opening loss coming on Nov. 19, 1995.
UConn is 20-3 all-time vs. Louisville. The teams faced off in the inaugural Women's Champions Classic last season at Barclays Center, an 85-52 win for UConn. Sarah Strong scored 21 points while Azzi Fudd had 18.
Louisville was picked to finish fourth in the preseason ACC poll. The Cardinals finished the 2024-25 season in the NCAA Tournament Second Round. Tajianna Roberts and Laura Ziegler were named Preseason All-ACC. Head coach Jeff Walz is in his 19th season at Louisville.
UConn beat Division II Southern Connecticut State, 105-39, in the Huskies' final preseason exhibition. Graduate student Azzi Fudd led the Huskies with 21 points, shooting 5-8 from three, and grabbed five steals. UConn had 48 bench points as all 13 players available scored.
UConn is ranked No. 1 in both the preseason Associated Press and WBCA Coaches' polls. This is the 13th time in program history the Huskies have opened the season as the preseason No. 1 team in the AP poll.
The Huskies were picked to finished first in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll. Strong was named the conference's preseason Player of the Year while Kelis Fisher was selected as preseason Freshman of the Year. Fudd, senior Serah Williams and juniors KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade were named Preseason All-BIG EAST.
UConn will host its Gampel Pavilion home opener next Sunday against Florida State at 4:30 p.m. Before tipoff, the Huskies will unveil their 2025 National Championship banner in the rafters. Limited tickets remain at www.uconntickets.com.
