With three freshmen and three sophomores expected to play key roles in the upcoming season, UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma wanted his young team to face some challenges before attempting to become the first women's Division I team to reach six straight NCAA Final Fours.

Auriemma seems to be getting his wish as UConn will face 14 NCAA tournament teams and six more which played in the postseason NIT during the 2012-13 regular season.

While it is never easy to circle just one game on the schedule, certainly the Feb. 18 showdown against defending national champion Baylor could be the most anticipated regular-season game of the season. The Huskies will also play at Stanford on Dec. 29, UConn's first game in Palo Alto since seeing its NCAA Division I basketball record 90-game winning streak snapped at Maples Pavilion in 2010. UConn and Notre Dame will meet twice in the regular season for the fourth consecutive season.

The Huskies will play four of their first five regular-season games outside the state of Connecticut for the first time since the 2002-03 season as UConn follows up the Nov. 11 season and home opener against College of Charleston by playing at 2011 national champion Texas A&M on Nov. 18 and facing Wake Forest, Marist and Purdue at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands from Nov. 22-24.

The Gampel Pavilion portion of the schedule will be highlighted by a Dec. 6 game against Penn State, Final Four rematch with Notre Dame on Jan. 5 and showdown with Duke on Jan. 21.

Baylor, fresh off the first 40-0 season in NCAA Division I women's basketball history, will face Connecticut on Feb. 18 at the XL Center and the Huskies will end the regular season on the road against South Florida on Mar. 2 and at Notre Dame two days later.

There are a couple of new twists to the schedule as UConn will play Marquette home and away for the first time and will play at the University of Hartford, coached by former UConn star Jen Rizzotti, on Dec. 22 after years of playing the Hawks' exclusively at the XL Center.


EXHIBITION GAMES
Date Opponent Time TV
Nov. 2 vs. Indiana (Pa.) 7 p.m.
Nov. 7 vs. Holy Family (XL) 7 p.m.
REGULAR SEASON
Nov. 11 vs. Charleston,TBA  
Nov. 18 at Texas A&M 2:30 p.m. ESPN2
Paradise Jam at U.S. Virgin Islands
Nov. 22 Wake Forest, 6 p.m.
Nov. 23 Marist, 8:15 p.m.
Nov. 24 Purdue, 8:15 p.m.
Nov. 28 vs. Colgate (XL),
Dec. 3 vs. Maryland (XL) 7 p.m. ESPN2
Dec. 6 vs. Penn State  
Dec. 19 vs. Oakland (XL)
Dec. 22 at Hartford, 1 p.m.
Dec. 29 at Stanford, 4 p.m. ESPNU
Dec. 31 at Oregon, 3 p.m.
Jan. 5 vs. Notre Dame, 4 p.m. CBS
Jan. 9 at Georgetown
Jan. 12 at Marquette, 4 p.m.
Jan. 15 Louisville (XL) 9 p.m. CBS Sports Network
Jan. 19 vs. Syracuse, 4 p.m. (XL)
Jan. 21 vs. Duke, 7 p.m. ESPN2
Jan. 26 at Cincinnati, 7 p.m.
Jan. 29 vs. Villanova, 7 p.m. (XL)
Feb. 2 at St. John's, 2 p.m. SNY/Big East TV
Feb. 5 vs. Marquette, 7 p.m.
Feb. 10 vs. DePaul, 3:30 p.m. ESPNU
Feb. 12 at Providence, 7 p.m.
Feb. 16 at Rutgers, 4 p.m.
Feb. 18 vs. Baylor (XL), 9 p.m. ESPN2
Feb. 23 vs. Seton Hall, 4 p.m.
Feb. 26 vs. Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. (XL)
Mar. 2 at South Florida, noon
Mar. 4 at Notre Dame, 7 p.m. ESPN2
- home games are at Gampel Pavilion unless noted otherwise. Some times and TV information yet to be confirmed or announced