10/25/2026 8:31:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Head Coach Geno Auriemma
On what he has learned most about his team through the preseason games:
"The main thing is the stretches that we look good need to last longer. When it's good, it's good. I like it. There's a lot of good things, and then there's a lot of things that get in the way of us being good. I don't know that we're set yet on the lineup that works best. So, we'll continue to work on that. But we played three games, so that's good, and now I think everybody's ready for the next phase."
On wanting his players to figure out their own problems on the court:
"It's a little bit of a pattern, the three games that we've played, where we kind of wait around for somebody to get us going offensively. The thing that makes us good is when everybody touches the ball and we give ourselves opportunities. We're not very good when the ball gets stagnant, and only two people are playing a two-man game, and everybody else is standing watching. I thought once we got everybody involved, we did a much better job. I think we have to be better at pushing out there and contesting more, and we were in the second quarter. And then when you score, you can get into your pressure more."
On Sarah Strong stepping into more of a leadership role:
"It is because when you get to a certain point here, you're a junior now, and you've been to the Final Four twice. There are things that you bring that people are looking for you to guide them. If we had two or three other loud voices on our team, that would be great. But we don't. When Sarah decides to say something, no matter what it is, everybody just gets quiet and they listen. So the more she takes advantage of it, I think the better for us. And she's been doing that. We had a long conversation in June about what that looks like, what that means. I think when you're younger, a freshman or sophomore, you don't want to step on anybody's toes or get in their way. I think there comes a point where you can't worry about that stuff. You just got to be you. I like the direction that she's gone and it's constantly evolving."
On Allie Ziebell's development and consistency:
"You saw when she first came in, she made a couple bombs right away. But things always get in the way. The very first day of practice, we went in for a layup drill, and she caught her ankle, and now she's had a week or eight days to recover, whatever the heck it was. I would like for her to get more touches, which, for me, she has to move more. I'd like her to be better defensively. I'd like for her to rebound better. Those things are going to help her play more. They're going to help her get more shots. I trust her, and when she shoots it, I think it's going in. And when she's going to the basket, especially on the left side, she finishes at the basket. We just got to get her to be more active. She's a somewhat passive person, and we need her to be more active, for sure."
Redshirt Junior Center Jana El Alfy
On how ready the team is to start the season"
"I think we're very ready. It's a little different than we had last year and having a couple games to start a little early is going to help us prepare and get us ready."
On playing with Sarah Strong:
"It's always great playing with her. She sees things differently on the court and she always finds us and looking for us posting up. She's great."
On having Olivia with her as a center:
"I think it's a huge advantage that we have on our team. When we're on the court, we try to help as much as we can, whether it's setting screens, getting looks in the paint, or rebounding. I try to take advantage of that every second we're on the court."
Junior Guard Allie Ziebell
On the team's defensive identity:
"I think we have emphasized a lot on pressuring the ball. Getting in those gaps and taking some things away will really disrupt other teams. These first couple games we're starting to get rotations down better, but I still think we can reach another level."
On Sarah Strong's growth from freshman year:
"Sarah is still the same exact person. I think she has gotten more comfortable and she's grown so much in her personality. She is the first one to say anything when we need it to be said. Everyone really expects her voice and opinion; it weighs a lot. I think her being that leader and stepping into it is really great to see."
Freshman Center Olivia Vukosa
On starting her first season at UConn:
"I am really excited. It's been great working with everyone over the summer, getting better myself and as a team. Finally, being able to start these games is really exciting and how we start our first season game next week, so I'm really looking forward to it."
On playing at UConn vs. watching last season:
"I'm finding places for me to fit in. I hear a lot more now, obviously, because I'm in the game and not watching. It's been a lot of fun and finally getting to play feels surreal to me."
