The UConn Huskies start their season this afternoon playing the Louisville Cardinals at the storied campus of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Virginia. The game is at Navy Alumni Hall at 5:30 pm ET.
The objective for the Huskies is clear: repeat what they did in 2024-25. Last year, they won the Big East regular season and the Big East tournament. They then went on to win the national championship and finish the season as the No. 1 team in the nation. Louisville’s season was much more disappointing, finishing with a 22-11 overall record, which wasn’t enough to rank among the Top 25. They fell in the quarterfinal of the ACC’s tournament and the second round of the NCAA tournament.
UConn vs. Louisville Project Lineups
UConn’s Expected Lineup
- Azzi Fudd (Guard)
- KK Arnold (Guard)
- Ashlynn Shade (Guard)
- Sarah Strong (Forward)
- Serah Williams (Forward)
The UConn Huskies are expected to play their same starting lineup that they played in their last exhibition game, a 105-39 dominant victory over Southern Connecticut State.
Louisville’s Expected Lineup
- Imari Berry (Guard)
- Tajianna Roberts (Guard)
- Skylar Jones (Guard/Forward)
- Laura Ziegler (Forward)
- Elif Istanbulluoglu (Center)
The Louisville Cardinals haven’t played exhibition games this year, so projecting their lineup is more difficult. This is an estimation of who they could play.
UConn vs. Louisville Injury Report
UConn’s Injury Report
The UConn Huskies had some injury problems coming into their exhibition games in early October. Back on October 10th, Geno Auriemma spoke about two players in particular: Ashlynn Shade and Jana El Alfy.
Geno Auriemma says Ashlynn Shade (hamstring) will be available for Monday’s exhibition
He said he’s still unsure on Jana El Alfy’s (calf) status but that she’s doing more and more in practice
— Maggie Vanoni (@maggie_vanoni) October 10, 2025
Shade’s prognosis was good, with her expected to fully participate in the exhibition games, but El Alfy’s case was uncertain, on the other hand. Both played in the team’s latest game, Shade starting and playing 18 minutes, and El Alfy coming off the bench for nine minutes on the court.
Louisville’s Injury Report
There are no major injuries or issues reported by the Louisville Cardinals ahead of their season opener against the Huskies later today.
UConn vs. Louisville prediction
Clearly, the Huskies are the big favorites here for the Armed Forces Classic. ESPN Bet has them as 23.5-point favorites. Expect the Huskies to cover the spread also. The ESPN game predictor is giving Geno Auriemma’s team a 95.2% chance of winning the game.
Prediction:
95-40 UConn victory
Read More:
- “Never Had This Many People Available and This Much Talent”: Azzi Fudd Gives Bold Verdict on UConn’s 2025 Squad Despite Paige Bueckers’ Absence
- Paige Bueckers Drops 2-Word Comment Praising Ex-UConn Teammate, and It’s Not Azzi Fudd
- Paige Bueckers Drops 4-Word Reaction As GF Azzi Fudd And UConn Start Their Season
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