UConn women’s basketball ranked No. 6 in AP Preseason Poll

For the first time in 16 years, UConn women’s basketball will begin the season outside the top 10 in the AP Poll. On Tuesday, the Huskies were picked sixth in the AP’s Preseason Poll, behind top-ranked South Carolina, Stanford, Texas, Iowa and Tennessee.

The last time UConn came in lower than five was the 2006-07 season, when they were No. 8. The Huskies were the No. 2 team in the country in last year’s preseason poll and likely would’ve been in the same spot had Paige Bueckers not torn her ACL over the summer.

UConn will play nine teams ranked in the preseason: No. 3 Texas on Nov. 14, No. 10 NC State on Nov. 20, Iowa on Nov. 27 (assuming both teams win their first game at the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament), No. 9 Notre Dame on Dec. 4, No. 25 Princeton on Dec. 8, No. 17 Maryland on Dec. 11, No. 21 Creighton on Dec. 28 and Feb. 15, No. 5 Tennessee on Jan. 26 and No. 1 South Carolina on Feb. 5.

Elsewhere in the Big East, Villanova and DePaul both received votes.

Also on Tuesday, the Huskies were picked to finish first in the Big East, Ayanna Patterson was named Big East Preseason Freshman of the Year while Caroline Ducharme, Aaliyah Edwards and Azzi Fudd all made the All-Big East Preseason Team.