How to watch UConn / Louisville; pregame info, spread, more: Gameday Central
The No. 1 ranked UConn Women’s Basketball team will kick off the 2025-2026 season later today, as they face off against No. 20 ranked Louisville Cardinals in the Armed Forces Classic down in Annapolis, Maryland.
GameDay Central gets you ready for tip-off below.
Game Time, TV channel, How to Watch
WHO: UConn Huskies vs. Louisville Cardinals
WHEN: Tuesday, 5:30pm ET
WHERE: Alumni Hall (Annapolis, MD) OR ESPN
The Huskies are favored to win, as they own a 20-3 record over the Cardinals, dating back to the 1992-1993 campaign. The last time the two programs met was last year in the Women’s Championship Classic at the Barclays Center. Connecticut defeated Louisville 85-52, with Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd combining for a total of 39 points.
Within 26 minutes, Strong knocked down three of five (60%) shots from downtown and banked all five field goals. As for Fudd, the senior buried four of seven (57.2%) three-pointers and two of three (66.6%) shots from within the paint.
Heading into Tuesday’s matchup, this will be UConn’s first true test without the 2024-2025 scoring leader Paige Bueckers. Versus the Cardinals last year, the guard struggled and contributed eight points, with 10 rebounds and four assists.
With the 24-year-old gone, forward Serah Williams will need to fill the missing piece. In the preseason, the Wisconsin Badger transfer looked as if she had played under Head Coach Geno Auriemma for years. Between the two exhibition matches, the New York native shined from within the arc and produced 29 points.
During Williams’ time with the Badgers, she has yet to face Louisville but has battled against top-ranked teams. In Wisconsin’s 2024-2025 run, the 21-year-old dropped 19-plus points in the program’s four top 10-ranked clashes.
For Williams, capitalizing on free throws is a must. Within 30 games last season, the forward racked up 224 points from the free-throw line and converted 50% of her attempts.
With that being said, with Williams’ ability to thrive from the field and force opponents to commit fouls, it should come as no surprise to see her dominate tonight.
One sneaky off-the-bench player that could help the Huskies is Guard Allie Ziebell. In Connecticut’s final exhibition match versus Southern Connecticut, the sophomore notched 13 points within 15 minutes.
As the 2025-2026 campaign progresses, Ziebell is expected to see more playing time and it could start today.
Turning to the Cardinals, the squad departed from two of their best players. Guard Jayda Curry led Louisville with nearly 14.5 points and slightly over three assists per meeting. As for forward Olivia Cochran, she topped the team with almost seven boards per clash. Both players exhausted their colligate eligibility.
In last year’s matchup, Louisville faced challenges shooting from all ranges. Collectively, the program drained 10 of 35 (28.6%) two-pointers and six of 27 (22.2%) tries from deep.
Fans can tune into the battle on ESPN, with tipoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
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