The UConn women’s basketball program is back to playing inside Gampel Pavilion. This time, though, the on-campus basketball arena is going to look a little different.
As part of the renovations to Gampel Pavilion, fans will now have the chance to see renovations to the roof, as well as new grab-and-go concessions.
In addition, below the concourse, both the men’s and women’s programs locker rooms had a makeover. Both squads had a chance to see these new space earlier this past week. Out of all the reactions to the renovations to the program’s spaces, Athletic Director Dave Benedict said Head Coach Geno Auriemma’s was his favorite.
Auriemma, having served at the helm of the women’s program since 1985, has seen many sides Gampel Pavilion. Whether that be seeing it being built from the ground up, or its new modern evolution.
“I’ve not been in there long enough to figure out where everything is, but obviously, if you think back to 1985 when I first got here, we didn’t have one,” Auriemma said to the media Saturday.
These renovations to the arena were started in the early spring this year, and was broken up into two phases. With phase one already complete, phase two is expected to be finished over at least the next year, which will include new club seating.
“I think the men’s team, the women’s team, I think they’re really, really fortunate to have a facility like that. I think it does kind of represent you know who we are, what we’ve done here,” Auriemma said when asked about the renovations.
Now, fans will get to see the renovations come to fruition when the Huskies take on Army for the last game of their three-game exhibition series.
Connecticut is coming off an 83-61 exhibition win over Texas last Monday. UConn’s defense was dealt a tough deck of cards, matching up against Vic Shaefers’ Longhorns and his All-American Madison Booker.
With the consistent pressure they applied on both ends of the court, as well as dominant performances from Jovana Popovic and Sarah Strong, the Huskies came out with the win.
“The one thing that we have to really do a good job of looking at the other exhibition games is, you know, we want to play fast,” Auriemma said to the media. “We want to put a lot of pressure on the other team, but I think we’ve got to be more disciplined. This team has to be more disciplined, so we’re not having guys sitting on the bench for fouls.”
On Monday against the Longhorns, fans also got to see Allie Ziebell check onto the court for the first time this season. After being sidelined for their first exhibition game against Syracuse, Ziebell racked up eight points on the night. As the start to the regular season is quickly approaching, the Wisconsin native has been working on her confidence on the court, especially on the defensive end.
Ziebell stayed on campus for the summer, even after the programs’ summer workouts, to get more confidence in her game before she starts her journey as an upperclassman.
“I think that we are a team that can really pressure the ball,” Ziebell said to the media when asked about what she and her teammates bring to the table. “I think we’re really smart, and we’re getting some of the rotations down. So, I think that can come out a little different way than we did last year.”
To see the 2026-27 Huskies in action in Storrs, tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. from M&T Bank Center at Gampel Pavilion. Husky fans can tune in to the matchup on UConn+.