UConn Women Unanimous Big East Preseason Favorite

UConn’s women were unanimously picked as the Big East preseason favorite for 2025-26 after consecutive undefeated conference seasons and five straight regular-season and tournament sweeps, including the 2025 NCAA Championship. Sophomore Sarah Strong — the 2025 National/WBCA Freshman of the Year who set multiple UConn freshman records and broke the NCAA Tournament freshman scoring mark — was named Big East Preseason Player of the Year and the youngest preseason AP All-American. Graduate Azzi Fudd and senior Serah Williams were unanimous preseason All-Big East selections, joined by juniors KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade and incoming freshman Kelis Fisher, who was named Preseason Freshman of the Year, giving UConn six preseason honorees. The UConn men were picked second in the Big East coaches’ poll behind St. John’s and placed four players on preseason All-Big East teams — Solo Ball, Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. on the first team and Silas Demary Jr. on the second — while McDonald’s All-American Braylon Mullins earned Preseason Freshman of the Year. The men open Nov. 3 at Gampel Pavilion against New Haven, face a nonconference slate that includes five AP Top 25 opponents, and begin conference play in mid-December.