Nykesha Sales implied to the media that, as a former player, turned assistant coach, she is like a “cheat sheet” for the players.
Now, as the Huskies reach the second game of their three-game exhibition series, they will have another cheat sheet before they enter the regular season – a game.
Connecticut will return to PeoplesBank Arena on Monday evening to take on Vic Shaefer and the University of Texas Longhorns.
Both programs have a unique experience coming into this exhibition matchup, as they were both in the Division I Women’s Final Four for the last two years.
However, with the way the bracket was made, the programs didn’t face off against one another. This was due to Texas exiting in the Final Four and UConn winning the National Championship in 2025 and both teams exiting in the Final Four in 2026.
With this matchup coming at the midway point of October, it’ll give the Huskies a good chance to iron out any kinks, especially in the front court.
“I think it’s really important to prepare us kind of early, before everything starts,” Jana El Alfy said on Saturday. “That’s also gonna help the new guys to try to have an idea of what it’s gonna look like later on.”
The Huskies’ only loss against the Longhorns came from their most recent matchup in 2023, when the Longhorns defeated Connecticut 80-68. Now, as the Huskies look towards the start of their regular season on Nov. 2 against Cornell, a high-caliber matchup against Texas will be a good test for them.
“You just want to get out on the court, like we did the other day,” Head Coach Geno Auriemma said on Saturday. “You go to practice the following week and you have a much clearer picture of what you want to work on. I think you’re gonna see more of these so-called high-profile exhibition games.”
When El Alfy subbed out of the game against Syracuse, freshman Olivia Vukosa subbed in putting her skills on full display.
“I don’t think Olivia’s had one day of practice that was as good as today,” Auriemma said after their matchup against the Orange. “She’s only going to get better from here, and I thought she looked pretty darn good tonight.”
With the Longhorns’ size and depth down low, it will be a good chance for UConn’s bigs, like El Alfy and Vukosa, to get March Madness experience in the preseason.
Tip-off between the two teams is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at PeoplesBank Arena.