It’s still five months before the start of the next college basketball season. But UConn head coach Geno Auriemma already has his eyes set on the new campaign, especially considering the manner with which his team crashed out of the NCAA Tournament last season, losing to archrival South Carolina and coach Dawn Staley in the Final Four.

“I think my team is going to be way more prepared this year… It’s okay every once in a while to come up short.” Auriemma said while speaking at the UConn Coaches Road Show in Southington, per Daniel Connolly. “It’s no disgrace, it’s no embarrassment, it’s another opportunity to learn.”

Of course, Geno Auriemma’s point is quite understandable. Sometimes a team is going to fall short, especially in a situation like UConn’s, where they had won the national championship the year before and were attempting to secure back-to-back titles. However, at the time the loss happened, it felt like a much bigger deal given the context of the rivalry with Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks, UConn’s dominant form throughout the season, and the manner in which they lost.

Specifically, the manner of defeat did not help matters. A UConn side that entered the game on a 54-game winning streak and ranked as the No. 2 scoring offense in the entire country was stifled defensively to the point that it managed just 48 points. The game ended in a 62-48 defeat, with the Huskies being held to an incredibly low 31.1% shooting percentage from the field.

From the rivalry perspective, the stakes were equally significant. Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks entered the matchup with revenge on their minds after it was Geno’s UConn team that denied them a national title the year before in 2025. The intensity of that rivalry was evident throughout the contest. It even culminated in a heated sideline altercation, with coaches needing to step in as both Auriemma and Staley exchanged words and openly voiced their frustrations toward one another.

All of that made the loss feel far more significant at the time than coach Geno Auriemma is making it seem now. Of course, it is safe to say he has had plenty of time to process and come to terms with the defeat. His focus now appears firmly fixed on ensuring a better outcome next season. As he put it himself, “My team is going to be way more prepared this year.”

How Geno Auriemma Is Building UConn for a Stronger 2026-27 Campaign

Since that Final Four loss, there have been a number of changes to the UConn roster, with a total of five players departing the program. Azzi Fudd went professional, entering the WNBA as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. There is also Caroline Ducharme and Sarah Williams, who graduated from college after completing their eligibility. Apart from those three, two other players, Ice Brady and Ayanna Patterson, also left through the transfer portal, with Brady heading to Florida State and Patterson joining the Kentucky Wildcats.

In return, coach Geno Auriemma has secured three replacements, and he is not bringing any of them in through the transfer portal. Instead, he has added three freshmen. Among them is Olivia Vukosa, a dominant 6-foot-4 five-star recruit from New York who is the No. 3 overall player in her class. He has also brought in two international prospects: 5-foot-8 Serbian guard Jovana Popovic and French wing Marine Dursus.

Geno’s introduction of Olivia Vukosa into this team obviously points to an attempt to add more physicality and size to the roster, something UConn was at a clear disadvantage in when they faced Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks in that Final Four matchup.

Vukosa gives the Huskies legitimate post size, brute strength, and rim protection, all areas they sorely missed in that defeat. Pairing her with returning National Player of the Year Sarah Strong, Jana El Alfy, and Gandy Malou-Mamel should ensure that UConn is far better equipped physically and far less likely to get out-muscled on the glass.

Beyond the reinforcements, Geno Auriemma has also had the team returning to campus this June for an intensive month-long summer mini-camp. He is not waiting for the autumn semester to begin preparations. Instead, the work for next season is already underway.

The preparation, as it appears, is definitely in motion. And of course, Geno Auriemma’s teams are always among the championship favorites. He is clearly working toward putting UConn in the best possible position to reclaim the title next season.