UConn women’s basketball taking European tour in August

UConn women’s basketball has imported plenty of international talent over the last few seasons. Now, the Huskies are heading abroad themselves as part of a three-country tour in August.

The trip begins in Zagreb, Croatia followed by stops in Ljublijana, Slovenia; Bologna, Italy and Venice, Italy. The team will play an exhibition contest in each city. Dates, as well as possible viewing options, were not included in the release.

“These foreign tours are really beneficial in a lot of ways,” head coach Geno Auriemma said. “From a basketball standpoint, we get to play some really good, experienced teams. It’s a little like an extended training camp, you get a bit of a head start on getting your team together. Off the court, the team gets to experience other cultures and see parts of the world they may never have seen otherwise. We’ve wanted to go back to Europe for a few years and haven’t been able to for various reasons. It should be a fun time for everybody and we’re looking forward to it.”

The Huskies will begin in Zagreb, the hometown of rising senior point guard Nika Mühl. The team will go around that city as well as nearby Samobor, Croatia — roughly 30 minutes outside Zagreb.

After, UConn will head north to Slovenia, where they’ll tour Lake Bled and Ljubljiana, including Old Town Ljubljiana and Ljubljiana Castle.

The team will then travel to Auriemma’s native land of Italy, first to Bologna — where they’ll explore the Adriatic Coast, go to the Ferrari and Lamborghini museums, and take cooking lessons — then the canal city of Venice — which will feature visits to the islands of Murano and Burano, a tour Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Square and a gondola ride.

UConn last took a foreign tour in 2017, when they traveled to Italy. The Huskies’ 2023-24 roster features three players from outside North America: Mühl (Croatia), sophomore Inês Bettencourt (Portugal) and Jana El Alfy (Egypt).