With the start of the regular season around the corner, the Texas women’s basketball team will participate in a high-profile exhibition game.
On Monday, Texas will play an exhibition game against UConn in Hartford, Conn. This exhibition game — which UT coach Vic Schaefer said was scheduled as an NIL benefit for the players of both programs — will feature two of college basketball’s top powerhouses. Texas and UConn have both been a Final Four qualifier in each of the past two seasons, and UConn won a national championship in 2025.
This will be the first meeting between the two schools since Texas recorded an 80-68 win Dec. 3, 2023 over UConn in Austin.
Texas will be led by senior forward Madison Booker, a three-time Associated Press All-American, while UConn junior forward Sarah Strong was named the AP’s Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season. The Longhorns will open their season at home against Fairleigh Dickinson on Nov. 4. UConn’s season opener is set for Nov. 2 against Cornell.
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Texas and UConn exchanged blows in the second quarter as lead-taking baskets by UT’s Brihanna Crittendon, Breya Cunningham and Addison Bjorn were countered by advantage-seizing scores from UConn’s Allie Ziebell and Olivia Vukosa. A jumper by UConn freshman Jovana Popovic in the first half’s final seconds sent this game into the halftime intermission with a 37-37 tie.
UConn got 12 points from both Sarah Strong and Popovic in the first half, and Popovic also added four assists. With 12 points, Texas senior forward Breya Cunningham led the six Longhorns who scored in the first half.
Texas forced 11 turnovers and gave the basketball back on nine occasions. Cunningham had three steals and a block in the first half.
The All-Americans are heating up in Connecticut. UConn star Sarah Strong, who was the Associated Press Player of the Year during the 2025-26 season, has scored eight points on 4-of-5 shooting in the second quarter. Meanwhile, three-time All-American Madison Booker has countered with seven points in the frame.
UConn led by as many as five points in the first quarter, but Texas battled back to tie the game before Jana El Alfy made a last-second shot for the Huskies. After 10 minutes, Jovana Popovic leads UConn with her eight points. Senior forward Breya Cunningham has also scored eight points for Texas.
UConn played eight players in the first quarter while nine of UT’s 13 healthy players got on the floor. Texas played four of its five freshmen in the quarter.
Behind two 3-points from Jovana Popovic, a freshman from Serbia, UConn has grabbed an early lead. Texas has knocked down four of its first nine shots, but none of those attempts has been from deep as the Longhorns have spread out their scoring among four players.
Where: PeoplesBank Arena (Hartford, Conn.)