A demanding non‑conference slate
UConn’s women’s basketball program has released its 2026‑27 non‑conference schedule, a 15‑game lineup that blends early‑season exhibitions with a packed slate of regular‑season contests. The announcement underscores the Huskies’ intent to test themselves against some of the nation’s strongest programs before stepping into Big East play.
The schedule opens at home on November 2 against Cornell and will feature additional home games versus Iowa on November 8, UNLV on December 2 and Tennessee on December 12. All of these opponents finished among the top 25 in the final NCAA NET rankings, making the non‑conference slate one of the toughest in recent memory.
Travel will take the Huskies to Michigan on November 5, Ohio State on November 12, Louisville on November 15 and Notre Dame on December 9. In addition, neutral‑site games are set for the Mohegan Sun Arena, TD Garden, the Barclays Center and Bridgestone Arena, culminating in a December 20 showdown with LSU at the arena’s namesake venue.
UConn will also hold its first public practice on September 20 at Sacred Heart’s Pitt Center, and the team will meet three exhibition opponents — Syracuse on October 12, Texas on October 19 and Army on October 25 — before the regular season begins.
Head coach Emily Garner, who previously led Division III Trinity College to multiple conference titles, inherits a program that has posted a 9‑18 record in the 2025‑26 season but has enjoyed a 70‑game winning streak in Big East play. Her experience and the challenging schedule are expected to sharpen the Huskies for a deep NCAA Tournament run.
With twelve of the fifteen games involving NCAA Tournament teams — including six that reached the Elite Eight and two that appeared in the Final Four — the 2026‑27 slate offers a clear path toward building momentum heading into March.