ESPN - top title contenders and other stuff

[BRS24]

Will UConn go back-to-back? Predictions, top stories 100 days 'til women's hoops tips

From the biggest storylines to the top players to watch, we preview the 2025-26 women's basketball season.

www.espn.com

 

[Zonepress]

maybe it’s me but it seems Vopel has some kind of anti uconn Bias
the line about GA poss retiring has no basis in fact
as he has stated many times he has a contract
and has said he needs coaching more than the players
need him i’m paraphrasing
picked against uconn i believe in both final four games
all of this really means nothing lol but interested
if others feel the same

 

[visitingcock]

maybe it’s me but it seems Vopel has some kind of anti uconn Bias
the line about GA poss retiring has no basis in fact
as he has stated many times he has a contract
and has said he needs coaching more than the players
need him i’m paraphrasing
picked against uconn i believe in both final four games
all of this really means nothing lol but interested
if others feel the same

Storyline 1. “Can UConn go back to back? Absolutely.”

Not much bias there.

GA will retire “someday.” He may be Superman for ten more years but at 70 people start expecting US oldsters to retire ( it admittedly is extremely unlikely this year). Sarah may keep such thoughts at bay for several years. She IS special,

Good luck next season / but not too much

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Still strange that nobody at ESPN seems to know about Quinonez who is one of the x factors for UConn, a potential FOY, and perhaps threat for an AA team.

 

[Samoo]

Reaching a bit with the praise of the ACC for having final four participation 7 of the last 10 years with one championship when there are two schools that individually out-perform the entire conference.

 

[CL82]

Storyline 1. “Can UConn go back to back? Absolutely.”

Not much bias there

Maybe, still I like Alexa's commentary better:

 

[Vowelguy]

the line about GA poss retiring has no basis in fact

Geno is 71. There is a >50% chance he is not coaching in 5 years.
Work backwards. The probabilities do not progress linearly, but they're also not 100%.

25-26: 99%
26-27: 90?
27-28: 75?

 

[Vowelguy]

Still strange that nobody at ESPN seems to know about Quinonez who is one of the x factors for UConn, a potential FOY, and perhaps threat for an AA team.

Might wanna slow your roll.
I've seen rankings not even rate her the #1 international recruit. She hopefully will be very good, but the notion that she will be Maya Moore out of the box comes from I dont know where.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Might wanna slow your roll.
I've seen rankings not even rate her the #1 international recruit. She hopefully will be very good, but the notion that she will be Maya Moore out of the box comes from I dont know where.

I'm not suggesting she's Maya Moore. I am suggesting she's likely to be better than most if not all freshmen and the majority of if not most sophomores.

There aren't many international rankings that I know of, but she looks like a pro on film, and not because she has been one.

 

[Kaizen]

With Azzi and Strong, yes UConn will win 2026 NC ....

 

[Kaizen]

2025-26 Women's Basketball Roster - University of Connecticut Athletics

The official 2025-26 Women's Basketball Roster for the University of Connecticut Huskies

uconnhuskies.com

 

[CL82]

Geno is 71. There is a >50% chance he is not coaching in 5 years.
Work backwards. The probabilities do not progress linearly, but they're also not 100%.

25-26: 99%
26-27: 90?
27-28: 75?

87.5% of percentages you see on the Internet are made up.

 

[CL82]

With Azzi and Strong, yes UConn will win 2026 NC ....

 

[RockyMTblue2]

What's a YER? Does it have horns? Does it go to UConn? A pet peeve of mine illiteracy on line.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

maybe it’s me but it seems Vopel has some kind of anti uconn Bias
the line about GA poss retiring has no basis in fact
as he has stated many times he has a contract
and has said he needs coaching more than the players
need him i’m paraphrasing
picked against uconn i believe in both final four games
all of this really means nothing lol but interested
if others feel the same

It is almost certain that Geno will not retire before May 2026, which is the relevant period for the article.

Thus Voepel gratuitously devoting two (of four) sentences to a non-starter possibility is a head-scratcher. Most charitably, it is lazy writing.

Whether the so-called lazy writing is endemic to UConn on Voepel’s (and only Voepel’s) part, fwiw, your guess is as good as any.

 

[Cuango]

maybe it’s me but it seems Vopel has some kind of anti uconn Bias
the line about GA poss retiring has no basis in fact
as he has stated many times he has a contract
and has said he needs coaching more than the players
need him i’m paraphrasing
picked against uconn i believe in both final four games
all of this really means nothing lol but interested
if others feel the same

ESPN hates UConn, Vopel works for ESPN, draw your own conclusions.
“Let’s see, UConn just laid waste to the 2025 Final Four, absolutely humiliated the big dog that’s been dominating women’s basketball for the past eight years, has the best player to come out of high school for years, a truly dominant 6’2” player who has the skills to play all five positions, got the best frontcourt player in the portal, who just coincidentally fixes their only potential weakness.”

“This as their 6’5” wunderkind from Egypt finally broke out in the Final Four and began to show signs of fulfilling the expectation most had for her before her achilles injury two years ago and their #4 raked forward Ayanna Patterson looks to be finally healthy. Caroline Ducharme may actually be able to play! They added a very good point guard from the portal as well, in Kaleigh Heckel (who just showed her worth in helping the USA U19 team dominate the world once again as they once again brought home the gold medal.) They have a finally healthy Azzi Fudd who was a dominant force in their romp to a championship, winning the MOP of the FF who looks to be in the best shape of her career and absolutely driven to go out with another title!”

“Aside from all the stars on the roster there are also a number of second and third year players who would likely be the star on most other teams!” “Their freshman class has great potential, with one 6’2” wing being touted as a potential top ten player if she had played here!” “Good Grief!” (Thinking, thinking, thinking…..) “Oh yeah! That’s the ticket!” “Over all this sunshine and rainbows looms the grim possibility that 71 year old Geno Auriemma, the architect of this generational roster, may decide to hang it up!“

(After all, he is 71, with the one of the best rosters he’s ever had, defending champions, with a roster that (on paper) has no weaknesses, with a player who could turn out to be the best he’s ever coached, just signed an extension and appears to be very upbeat and excited over this team’s potential.) We’re doomed!

 

[Alydar]

Storyline 1. “Can UConn go back to back? Absolutely.”

Not much bias there.

GA will retire “someday.” He may be Superman for ten more years but at 70 people start expecting US oldsters to retire ( it admittedly is extremely unlikely this year). Sarah may keep such thoughts at bay for several years. She IS special,

Good luck next season / but not too much

Voepel can't write about UConn without throwing some shade. "What could go wrong" is the usual theme every year. This year it's Geno retiring.

What problems does SCar have to overcome? Nothing.

There's nothing quite like avenging a blowout defeat, and Staley has put together a team capable of doing just that. She recruited the NCAA's leading scorer (Latson) last season to join Joyce Edwards, Raven Johnson, Chloe Kitts, Tessa Johnson and Ashlyn Watkins, the latter of whom will return to the court after a knee injury ended her 2024-25 campaign in January.

Notice that there is no doubt about Watkins' return to 100%. When it was Fudd or Bueckers their return to 100% was always in doubt. But that's Voepel, who still pines for his orange goddess.

 

[Alydar]

From the article:

UConn Huskies: Auriemma knows how to win consecutive championships -- he did it for four straight seasons between 2013 and 2016. As the Huskies transition out of the Bueckers era, they'll be looking to projected preseason All-Americans Fudd and Strong to lead the way. Returners KK Arnold, Ashlynn Shade, Jana El Alfy and Ice Brady will benefit from incoming transfer Serah Williams in providing depth as Auriemma chases his 25th Final Four.

Maybe I'm being a little petty but between 2013 and 2016 Geno won consecutive titles three times, not four. If the word "consecutive" was left out it would have been fine.

Sloppy, but more and more that's what has become of "journalism".

 

[Jonathan14]

I don't think ESPN has a blanket anti-UConn bias, but I think Michael V. is specifically no fan of Geno and the Huskies. Agreed that whether Geno is leaning toward retirement has nothing to do with whether UConn can repeat as national champions in 2025–2026, but what bothered me more was his "wild prediction":

The SEC makes up the entire Final Four. It sounds pretty wild to suggest that UConn might not be back to defend its national championship. But what if some combination of South Carolina, LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Ole Miss somehow are spread out in the bracket and end up playing in Phoenix for the title? It's possible. -- Voepel

 

[BobbyJ]

I don't think ESPN has a blanket anti-UConn bias, but I think Michael V. is specifically no fan of Geno and the Huskies. Agreed that whether Geno is leaning toward retirement has nothing to do with whether UConn can repeat as national champions in 2025–2026, but what bothered me more was his "wild prediction":

Your point may well be true. However, he’s doing exactly what his bosses want. Jacking up the hopes and reeling in the fans of those other schools by listing them as contenders. And generating outrage from all the UConn fans that are convinced that they have the greatest team ever assembled now. All the while getting clicks, clicks, and more clicks. Tune in tomorrow for another hot take, what will he say about UConn next?

 

[visitingcock]

Whelp. Already wrong on SCar. Ashlynn Watkins announced she will not play this coming year

 

[triaddukefan]

Your point may well be true. However, he’s doing exactly what his bosses want. Jacking up the hopes and reeling in the fans of those other schools by listing them as contenders. And generating outrage from all the UConn fans that are convinced that they have the greatest team ever assembled now. All the while getting clicks, clicks, and more clicks. Tune in tomorrow for another hot take, what will he say about UConn next?

Already scheduled an appointment to get a Duke WBB 2026 Final 4 tattoo.

 

[Jonathan14]

Already scheduled an appointment to get a Duke WBB 2026 Final 4 tattoo.

Cancel your appointment, @triaddukefan. Voepel says it's only going to be SEC teams in the final four.

 

[oldhusky]

Still strange that nobody at ESPN seems to know about Quinonez who is one of the x factors for UConn, a potential FOY, and perhaps threat for an AA team.

While I can't quite share the extent of your enthusiasm for Blanca, a think third best starter behind Sarah and Azzi is possible and would be great. Regardless I don't think ESPN is going to project a foreign freshmen as a big difference maker on a major contender.

The reason is it raises the question of why they largely ignore foreign prospects in their high school rankings. Rightly or wrongly they are used as the standard for recruits. Players are referred to as the number whatever prospect, solely based on where they were in ESPN's rankings. Calling Blanca, Jana, Aaliyah or Nika game changers would be admitting there is a serious flaw in their rating process, because they don't rate probably a half dozen to a dozen top foreign prospects that would easily make their top 100 if they were given equal consideration.

Now I realize the difficulty. They don't get to see those players in person, or get to compare them to other good players in AAU competition, and I'm sure the people doing the rating are reasonably good and dedicated, but their top 100 list is not, and has not been a list of the best prospects for college recruitment for a number of years.

It can't be if it excludes a significant portion of incoming freshmen that are foreigners. Until they do their top 100 list will be flawed, as will their class recruiting rankings, and projections of difference makers on contenders that generally exclude top foreign incoming freshmen.

I think they have shown some minor interest in covering or rating a few Canadian players but those are frequently players competing in the US or participating in US AAU competitions. I believe there is enough video on players, both in age related world competitions, and playing for their country to at least try to make an assessment IMO.

 

[Zonepress]

sl

Voepel can't write about UConn without throwing some shade. "What could go wrong" is the usual theme every year. This year it's Geno retiring.

What problems does SCar have to overcome? Nothing.



Notice that there is no doubt about Watkins' return to 100%. When it was Fudd or Bueckers their return to 100% was always in doubt. But that's Voepel, who still pines for his orange goddess.

so I guess most agree with my feeling that Voepel
has not exact been objective when it comes to
Uconn