After back-to-back undefeated seasons in conference play, the UConn women’s basketball team is once again a unanimous favorite to win the Big East in 2025-26.

All 10 opposing coaches in the Big East voted the Huskies to finish first in the league’s preseason poll with Marquette voted second and Seton Hall third. UConn has lost just three conference games since it rejoined the Big East in 2020-21, and it has swept both the regular season and conference tournament titles for the past five straight years. The Huskies haven’t lost a conference title since 2014 including their seven seasons as members of the American Athletic Conference.

UConn’s entire projected starting five earned preseason recognition from the conference, headlined by sophomore forward Sarah Strong, who was named the Big East Preseason Player of the Year. Strong was the Big East Freshman of the Year in 2024 after averaging 15.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks in conference play. Strong would be the youngest player to win Big East Player of the Year since former Huskies star Paige Bueckers earned it as a freshman in 2021, and she would be the first sophomore winner since Creighton’s Marissa Janning in 2014. Just 10 underclassmen have earned the award in Big East history dating back to 1983.

Redshirt senior guard Azzi Fudd, junior guards Ashlynn Shade and KK Arnold and senior center Serah Williams were also named to the All-Big East Preseason Team. Fudd earned her first career All-Big East first team honors last season, averaging 13.6 points per game shooting 48.6% from the field and 46.7% on 3-pointers in conference games.

Shade was the Big East Freshman of the Year in 2024, then earned Sixth Woman of the Year in 2025, but she has never made an all-conference team. In just 21 minutes per game during Big East play last season, Shade averaged 8.2 points plus 1.6 steals shooting 49.6% from the field and 46.2% beyond the arc.. Arnold has also never made an All-Big East team, but she was named to the All-Freshman team alongside Shade in 2024. She averaged 6.6 points. 3.1 assists and two steals per game in conference play last season.

Williams will make her Big East debut this season after spending the last three years at Wisconsin. She was a two-time All-Big Ten first team selection and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2024. Williams averaged 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks per game in her final season with the Badgers, and she looks poised to be UConn’s go-to in the post this season.

Huskies guard Kelis Fisher was voted the preseason Big East Freshman of the Year, completing the Huskies’ sweep of the preseason honors. She would be the third consecutive UConn player to win the award after Shade in 2024 and Strong in 2025. Fisher was the No. 25 recruit in the Class of 2025 and ended her high school career on a national championship with IMG Academy.

The preseason AP women’s college basketball poll is out. See where UConn ranks

Big East women’s basketball preseason poll

UConn
Marquette
Seton Hall
Villanova
Creighton
St. John’s
Georgetown
DePaul
Butler
Providence
Xavier

Preseason All-Big East Team

KK Arnold, UConn

Jasmine Bascoe, Villanova

Savannah Catalon, Seton Hall

Jada Eads, Seton Hall

Skylar Forbes, Marquette

Azzi Fudd, UConn

Ashlynn Shade, UConn

Halle Vice, Marquette

Lee Volker, Marquette

Serah Williams, UConn

Honorable Mention

Kate Clarke, DePaul

Meri Kanerva, Xavier

Victoria Rivera, Georgetown