STORRS – In the college basketball calendar, the month of October is reserved for practice. Days in the gym are spent building on the season prior while introducing new pieces into the system and experimenting with what works and what doesn’t.
It’s the longest time during the season that each team gets to themselves – a month-plus of practice that’s only interrupted for dress rehearsals.
On Monday, the UConn women’s basketball team will take the stage for its first of three preseason exhibitions and give fans a first glimpse into what the Huskies have been working on during the first three weeks of practice.
“We’re just excited to play,” said senior guard Ashlynn Shade. “… We can only control so much of what we do in practice, game-wise, like game speed. We do a bunch of that. But it’s different when you have refs, you have fans, you’re in a different (gym) … I think it is a good chance for us to see different combinations, see what works, see what doesn’t work, but that’s what you kind of expect going into exhibition games.
“And obviously you want to win, especially just because these are real games; essentially, they just won’t count towards our record. But every time we step onto the court, we want to produce our best basketball.”
While expectations are always high in Storrs, Geno Auriemma is realistic about what he’ll learn from Monday’s exhibition against Syracuse (6:30 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena). It’s the first time he’ll see how his new team plays together, how they’ll implement what they’ve been working on and how his players react against real competition.
The program will treat Monday’s game as if it were the real thing; they’ll go through their normal pregame routine, spend the night before at Mohegan Sun, and hold a shootaround to set UConn’s standard early.
“Exhibitions are weird,” Auriemma said. “You’re basically playing a glorified practice game against other people rather than the people you normally practice against. But you’re working on how you prepare for regular games, staying over (the night before), shootaround; the whole game day experience and all that.
“The actual game part? You’re just going in there with some expectations of maybe getting a few things right that you know you’ve been working on, and how are we? And you hope that you see some things from the other team that you haven’t been able to see while you’re here. And you may look good doing it. You may look not good doing it.”
How the Huskies look on Monday won’t be how they’ll look in March, when it’s tournament time, or even next month, when the regular season begins, and everything counts. It’s OK if things are rusty or slightly discombobulated. Players are still learning new roles and newcomers are still adjusting to UConn’s system. Plus, Auriemma is still experimenting with which lineups work best and which need more tinkering.
UConn guard Ashlynn Shade (12) looks to pass during UConn’s 102-35 win over DePaul in the NCAA women’s basketball game at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn. on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media)
UConn is also expected to be shorthanded against the Orange. While Morgan Cheli (ankle) will make her first appearance in over a year and a half, Allie Ziebell (ankle), Blanca Quiñonez (shoulder) and freshman guard Marine Dursus (foot) are expected to sit out due to ongoing recoveries.
All three were present during Saturday’s open-viewing portion of practice but were not full participants. During a sprinting drill on the court, Ziebell stood to the side and held a plank while Dursus and Quiñonez practiced free throws on the other side of the gym.
“Health-wise, we’re close,” said Auriemma. “Blanca and Marine; I’m not sure exactly what day (they’ll return). Allie thinks that maybe by Tuesday she’s going to be full go, so that would only leave Blanca and Marine that are not out there. And they’ve been doing some things, but nothing that involves any full-blown (contact). But obviously, those are three of our best offensive players, so it’ll be great to have them back.”
Monday will be the unofficial debut of freshmen Olivia Vukosa and Jovana Popovic. Vukosa was the No. 2-ranked recruit in the Class of 2026 while Popovic is UConn’s first-ever player from Serbia.
Both got reps with UConn’s expected starting lineup during Saturday’s practice. Popovic’s ball-handling and 3-point range were impressive. The guard started alongside KK Arnold, Shade, Sarah Strong and Jana El Alfy (UConn’s expected lineup) for the majority of one drill.
Vukosa’s rebounding prowess was evident. But Auriemma and Chris Dailey often reminded the center to get out of the paint and move. The freshman will have her first real test in the post against Syracuse star sophomore center Uche Izoje.
Sarah Strong #21 of the UConn Huskies looks to pass the ball during the first half of a NCAA Women’s Final Four semifinal game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 3, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) (Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
“I knew it was going to be hard coming in in June, and that’s exactly what it was,” said Vukosa. “It lived up to my expectations, and ever since then, I’ve just been working hard and getting better every day.”
And if Monday doesn’t go smoothly or Auriemma doesn’t love what he sees, the Huskies still have two more preseason games to readjust. UConn will host Texas a week later on Oct. 19 in Hartford (7 p.m.) before one last preseason tune-up against Army on Sunday, Oct. 25 (4 p.m. in Storrs).
Once October passes and Halloween night turns into Nov. 1, the lights get brighter and the stage gets higher. Not everything will be perfect by then, but close as the Huskies begin their quest to return to the Final Four and bring home title No. 13.
The Huskies officially open the 2026-27 season on Nov. 2, hosting Cornell.
This article originally published at What Geno Auriemma, UConn women’s basketball hope to learn from preseason exhibitions.