The No. 1-ranked UConn Huskies are unwilling to budge this year.
The No. 1-ranked UConn Huskies are unwilling to budge this year. Game after game, they have dominated every opponent they’ve gone up against. However, their latest matchup against the Xavier Musketeers was more than just another conference game of the 2025–26 NCAA season.
It was a night where the program honored its former star, Aaliyah Edwards. But what was supposed to be her moment, Edwards made sure to shift the attention to the next generation – players who are now veterans of the team.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Huskies’ matchup, Edwards was asked about the growth she’s seen from KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade since their freshman seasons, especially with Arnold now running the point for UConn.
“It’s surreal. I was actually sitting with (Caroline Ducharme) at shootaround, and we were just talking about it like everyone’s growing up, and it goes by like this quick and to see how far (KK Arnold) has grown. I know she just got on the defensive player of the year watch list. So super proud of her,” she said.
Arnold has quickly emerged as one of the most indispensable players on this year’s UConn roster. The junior guard runs the Huskies’ offense with precision, ranking third in the nation with an impressive 4.45 assist-to-turnover ratio while serving as the primary playmaker for the country’s top-ranked team.
On the defensive end, she’s just as dominant, recently earning a spot on the Naismith Women’s College Defensive Player of the Year Watch List and racking up 54 steals (second on the team).
Aaliyah Edwards further added, “(Azzi Fudd) was also like, she wasn’t my freshman, but like my freshman, Caroline as well, (Jana El Alfy), all those people. So, I’m just super proud of how far they’ve come along… I’m just super proud of them, and as I said, hopefully they get that second natty because all the work that they put in, they definitely deserve it.”
On the other hand, Fudd is averaging 17.2 points per game. She ranks 14th nationally in three-point percentage and 10th in total threes made.
And that’s why, even entering the game against Xavier with just nine available players, the Huskies remain overwhelming favorites. With players like KK Arnold and Azzi Fudd on the roster, the Huskies have nothing to worry about, and they have already proved that by building a 33 points lead by the third quarter of the game.
But it’s also worth noting that Edwards wasn’t any less impactful during her time at UConn
Aaliyah Edwards Joins UConn’s All-Time Greats
Wednesday night was a celebration of one of the Huskies women’s basketball team’s most consistent and accomplished players, and now, her No. 3 jersey will hang among the program’s all-time greats. She is one of the 24 players who have been inducted into the Huskies of Honor.
“It’s not something that I work to achieve, but um to get this honor, it’s just it’s amazing. It’s more than just honoring myself; it’s honoring my family as well. And then everyone who helped play a part for me to achieve it. So, it’s super cool,” she said.
During her four seasons in Storrs, Edwards helped lead UConn to three Final Four appearances, a national championship game, and eight BIG EAST titles. But if you think that’s all? It’s not, as she also became only the sixth Husky in history to surpass both 1,800 points and 1,000 rebounds, while recording 35 career double-doubles.
However, now she has entered in the professional leagues, where she is playing for the Connecticut Sun after being selected as the No. 6 overall pick by the Washington Mystics in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Although her induction was originally scheduled for January 19, it had to be postponed due to her commitments with Unrivaled.
So on Wednesday, the program and the fans finally got the chance to honor her legacy at UConn, which continues to inspire the next generation of Huskies.
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Category: General Sports
