Top UConn WNBA Playoff storylines, UConn WBB exhibitions announced

For UConn women’s basketball fans, there is plenty to talk about at this point of the year. The WNBA Playoffs are up and rolling and Huskies alumni have been, as they often are, under the spotlight of incredibly meaningful games. But this time of year also brings excitement about what is on the horizon for the Huskies in the upcoming season. This is what you need to know across the board.

Breanna Stewart issues a reminder

With the increase in star power across the entire WNBA, it has felt at times over the last couple of years that the general WNBA discourse has not given Breanna Stewart the proper time she has deserved. That hasn’t been an option for people anymore as Stewie has issued a reminder this past month. 

At the FIBA World Cup, Stewart led Team USA to yet another Gold Medal and she has fully carried that over into her return to the WNBA Playoffs. Stewart is certainly not unfamiliar with making history on the hardwood and she has done so once again.

For the first time in the WNBA Playoffs, a #8 seed eliminated a #1 seed in the First Round as the Liberty took down the Lynx. And it was more than just an elimination, the Liberty swept the Lynx in dominating fashion. 

It has been a rollercoaster of a year for the Liberty as a whole due to a new coaching staff and constantly full injury reports, but the lone consistent piece of New York has been Breanna Stewart. In the first two games of the playoffs, the Liberty were playing much closer to the level they should be on paper. Any team in postseason basketball that rosters Breanna Stewart is going to be threatening to the opponent, but the Liberty look like they can make a potentially deep run. 

Paige Bueckers has the chance to make a Playoff moment

When the Dallas Wings hosted the Golden State Valkyries for Game Two of their First Round series, there wasn’t a ton of general hope for them to push it to a Game Three. Game One was a disaster for the Wings where Paige Bueckers was the only Wings player to really get going.

Game Two was the opposite of just about every expectation. The Wings won in overtime, Arike Ogunbowale scored a WNBA Playoff record 45 points, and Paige Bueckers had a rough night shooting the ball. It really did feel like the whole series got flipped on its head. 

Bueckers shot 3-13 from the field, and even with the Valkyries throwing as many bodies as possible at her, she was able to get some decent looks that just would not fall. Luckily for Bueckers, the Wings had had her back and kept their season alive.

Now the series goes back to Golden State, an arena with the nickname of Ballhalla that is consistently one of the toughest arenas to play away at, and Bueckers has an opportunity to make a playoff moment. The Wings are playing with house money at its truest form in this Game Three. If Bueckers can push this team to advance past this Golden State team it would be an incredible feat that immediately goes high up on the WNBA resume for Bueckers. It will be fellow UConn alumni, and a world class defender, in Gabby Williams who will be guarding her while she tries to get it done. 

UConn WBB exhibition times and venues announced

The NCAA season is rapidly approaching and UConn women’s basketball fans now fully know when and where they will be getting their first looks at this year’s team during the preseason. 

Adding to the already fully announced preseason matchup with Syracuse on October 12th at Mohegan Sun Arena are the matchups with Texas and Army.

Texas will take place on October 19th at PeoplesBank Arena with a 7:00pm ET tip-off while the matchup with Army will tip-off at 4:00pm ET at Gampel Pavilion on October 25th.

Of these three matchups the preseason game against Texas is the highlight. Texas has been a Final Four team in back-to-back years now under head coach Vic Schaefer and will once again be powered by star forward Madison Booker. Preseason games always are taken with a grain of salt, but the Huskies will have a good feel for where they stand after this matchup of top teams.

* Also recently announced: UConn to Face Seton Hall in Coretta Scott King Classic on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 18th) at the Prudential Center. The game will air on FOX at 2:30 p.m.