UConn women’s basketball team by the numbers: One scholarship player lost, four 6-5 players and 615 days since playing in front of true home crowd

For a team that returns the majority of its regular contributors from last year, the UConn women’s basketball team faces a decent amount of questions heading into the 2021-22 season.

With the largest roster the program has had in over a decade, who will carve out the main spots in the rotation? How will the four newcomers, three of whom are freshmen, mix in with the returners? Will any starters from last season be asked to come off the bench this year? How will Paige Bueckers up her game, and what sort of role with mega recruit Azzi Fudd assume?

Fans and media will get their first look at the 2021-22 Huskies on Sunday in an exhibition game against Fort Hays State. Until then, here are some numbers that characterize this UConn team and all its promise.

1

Scholarship players lost from last season. Following an injury-ridden sophomore campaign, Anna Makurat opted to go pro in her home country of Poland. Walk-on Autumn Chassion also transferred from the program.

2

UConn’s ranking in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, the program’s best preseason slot since 2018-19.

3

Players who averaged over 30 minutes per game last season (Bueckers, Christyn Williams and Evina Westbrook). Expect that to change with much more depth this season.

4

Players over 6 feet 5: Senior Olivia Nelson-Ododa, graduate transfer Dorka Juhász, sophomore Piath Gabriel and freshman Amari DeBerry.

5

Seasons UConn has gone without winning a national title (including the NCAA Tournament-less 2019-20 campaign). That’s the longest drought since the program took home its first championship in 1995.

6

The number of Huskies opponents this season ranked in the AP Top 25 preseason poll: South Carolina (1), Louisville (6), Oregon (10), Tennessee (15), Georgia Tech (t-17) and UCLA (20). USF, whom the Huskies could face in their second game at Battle 4 Atlantis, is also ranked No. 21.

6

UConn players on the Basketball Hall of Fame and Women‘s Basketball Coaches Association’s Women’s Starting 5 watch lists: Bueckers, Williams, Nelson-Ododa, Juhász, Fudd and sophomore Aaliyah Edwards.

8

The postseason games (Big East Tournament plus NCAA Tournament) where Williams turned around her junior season and played arguably the best basketball of her career as a lockdown defender and more consistent offensive threat.

9

Freshmen and sophomores combined on the 2021-22 UConn team, making for a predominately young squad despite their undeniable talent.

11

UConn’s national titles, starting with the program’s first in 1995. It is the most of any women’s basketball program and tied with the UCLA men for the most in college basketball as a whole.

12.9

Bueckers’ nation-best total win shares last season, 2.5 more than the next-best player (per Her Hoop Stats).

13

UConn’s consecutive Final Four appearances, a streak kept alive this past season with the Huskies’ thrilling 69-67 win over Baylor in the Elite Eight.

14

UConn’s roster size this season, good for its largest team since 2008-09.

15

Millions that Geno Auriemma’s five-year contract extension, which was finalized this past April, is worth.

32

Percentage of 3s that players aside from Bueckers collectively made last season.

39.6

Juhász’s clip from beyond the arc as a sophomore, a career-best at Ohio State.

68.9

Edwards’ field goal percentage last season, the best in the nation for players attempting at least six shots per game.

100

Percentage of games that Westbrook and Nelson-Ododa played last season. They were the only two players to take the floor for all 30 games.

615

Days between the Huskies’ last home game in front of a real crowd (March 2, 2020, their regular-season finale at Gampel Pavilion) and Sunday’s exhibition game. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, only friends and family were allowed at home games last season.

1,119

Auriemma’s career wins, six behind Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer. Both coaches passed Pat Summitt’s all-time wins mark (1,098) last season.

4,253

Miles between Storrs and Pecs, Hungary, where Juhász is from.

Alexa Philippou can be reached at aphilippou@courant.com