UConn is back on top of the women’s basketball world after a dominant run through the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament that ended with an 82-59 win over South Carolina in the national championship game Sunday.
This is the first title for the Huskies since 2016 and a record-extending 12th overall. As the celebrations begin down in Tampa and up in Storrs, the obvious question is: Can they win again next year? No team has gone back-to-back since the Huskies themselves lifted the trophy four years in a row from 2013-16.
As Paige Bueckers stood on podium at Amalie Arena, basking in the glow of her long-awaited first championship in her final collegiate season, she made it clear she had no concerns about the program’s future.
“This team is in great hands. I’m not worried about them at all,” Bueckers said. “Obviously, the coaching staff speaks for itself, and these players, we got the blueprint now, we know how to do it, we know what it takes to get back here. They got a whole lot of heart, a whole lot of passion, a whole lot of faith. I’ve got nothing but trust in them.”
Of course, what was Bueckers going to say? “Good luck without me?”
There’s no way to replace the three-time unanimous First Team All-American, who averaged 20 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists this season, and will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft later this month. Bueckers’ impending departure is a major loss for the program. She won’t be around to direct the offense or bail them out of tough possessions, and her leadership in the locker room will be sorely missed.
Even without Bueckers, though, UConn will be a formidable team next season. And the challenge isn’t to be better than this season’s team, but to be better than everyone else.
Fudd, Strong to lead the post-Bueckers era
Leading the charge for the Huskies will be Azzi Fudd, who was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player, and freshman sensation Sarah Strong, who became the first player ever with at least 20 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a national championship game.
Fudd would have been a first-round pick in this year’s WNBA draft, but decided to use the extra year of eligibility she was granted from taking a medical redshirt last season to return to school for the 2025-26 campaign. There were numerous factors at play in Fudd’s decision, but one of the foremost was an opportunity to show that she has more to her game than she’s been able to show in college due to numerous injuries. UConn will certainly need her to take on more on-ball responsibility without Bueckers. If she can do that, and stay healthy, it will benefit UConn in the short-term and her in the long-term
Strong, meanwhile, just capped one of the best freshman seasons ever with one of the best national championship performances ever — regardless of class. Thanks to her versatility on both sides of the ball, she is a matchup nightmare for opponents and an elite defender. If anything, she was a bit too unselfish at times this season, and the Huskies will need her to lean more into a scoring role next season without Bueckers. There’s no question about her capability to do that, and she figures to be in Naismith Player of the Year conversations.
In Fudd and Strong, the Huskies will have a dynamite inside-outside combination and arguably the best one-two punch in the country.
There are more questions about the rest of the roster, however.
Depth a concern
Starting point guard Kaitlyn Chen will also graduate, along with reserve forward Aubrey Griffin. Outside of Fudd and Strong, the only returning player who averaged more than six points per game will be Ashlynn Shade.
Shade and fellow backup guard KK Arnold will have to step into a bigger role, and they’ve already shown that they’re capable. As freshman last season, they both started 30-plus games, including each game of their tournament run to the Final Four. Further progression from redshirt freshman center Jana El Alfy would also be a big boost for the Huskies’ frontcourt.
UConn does not have a huge incoming recruiting class, but they will bring in two top-100 prospects in point guard Kelis Fisher (No. 18 overall recruit, per 247) and center Gandy Malou-Mamel. The transfer portal will also be an option for adding talent. There’s no shortage of players to choose from this year, and the Huskies will always be an attractive option to those hoping to contend for a national title.
The Huskies’ top tier talent is undeniable, but it’s fair to wonder about their depth at this point. There are worse problems to have, though, as many of their fellow contenders would tell you.
USC, Notre Dame, TCU and NC State have all been decimated by injuries, graduations and/or transfer portal entries, while LSU and Texas have also suffered big losses. The only real contenders from this season that project to be just as strong next season are UCLA and South Carolina, and UConn just rolled through them in the Final Four.
A lot can and will change over the next few months as the portal shakes out, but as of right now, UConn projects as a top-three team in the country next season, at worst. They’re a good bet to make a 25th trip to the Final Four, and could very well pull off the repeat, though without Bueckers it will not be as easy as it was this year.
Was this the start of a new UConn dynasty? That feels a bit strong to say as Buecker walks out there door, but no one should put any limits on Strong. We may ultimately remember this season not as the last one of the Bueckers era, but the first of the Strong era.
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