UConn won the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament for the 12th time in program history. The Huskies were led by their superstar Paige Bueckers, who went on to win the Wade Trophy as the league’s Most Outstanding Player.
What Does the Future Hold for UConn?
However, the 2025-26 season will be different as the Huskies will be without Bueckers, who the Dallas Wings selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft.
However, 12 NCAA and 30 conference titles are not won on the shoulders of just one player, and UConn has shown plenty of signs of being able to rebuild its team whenever it has needed to. Next season will be no different, as they have already made some exciting additions, with a few more that might come.
The Newcomers
The Huskies have already added three new names to their roster. They are the talented Kelis Fisher and Gandy Malou-Mamel, both seniors in high school in the United States, and the no less impressive Ecuadorian Blanca Quiñonez, who arrives after playing five seasons in Italy.
Fisher is a 5’9″ point guard who plays for the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. ESPN ranks her 22nd in the class of 2025, and she committed to UConn after receiving offers from Florida State, Maryland, Mississippi State, and Oklahoma, among others.
Malou-Mamel is a 6’6″ center with Congolese roots from Limerick, Ireland. Sheo came to the United States with the express goal of building a career. Until this season, she played at Gill St. Bernard’s School in central New Jersey.
Quiñonez, a 6’2″ forward, will be the first South American player in Huskies’ history. At 18, she has already had a long basketball career in Italy, where she has been playing since 2020.
She currently plays for Magnolia Basket Campobasso, where she played 24 games in 2025, averaging 11 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
“Blanca is mature, and her game has matured because she’s playing against high-level competition over in Europe that you wouldn’t get at a normal high school,” UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said about Quiñonez. “She’s a physical player and skilled in knowing how to play because you have to be older than your years to play in a pro league. I’m excited to see what she brings because it’s different.”
The Transfer Prospects
So far, the Huskies have not added any players in the current NCAA transfer window. However, there are still a few players available who could help make up for the 19 points per game they will be missing with the departure of Bueckers.
KEEP READING: 5 Things Dallas Wings Fans Can Expect From Paige Bueckers
Among them is Gianna Kneepkens, who averaged 19.3 points per game for Utah last season. The same can be said for Serah Williams, who averaged 19 points per game for Wisconsin and was the Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and baseball!
