Katie Lou Samuelson and Kia Nurse lead list of returnees for UConn

Four-time defending national champion UConn's quest for another national title will feature plenty of challenging non-conference games.

The Huskies will play six teams ranked in the top 10 in the final Associated Press poll with a game at Notre Dame on Dec. 7 and home game against South Carolina on Feb. 13 highlighting arguably the most challenging non-conference slate in program history.

The regular season kicks off with a game at Florida State on Nov. 14 marking the third season in a row that the Huskies will open on the road. There will also be road games against Louisiana State (Nov. 20), Kansas State (Dec. 11), Nebraska (Dec. 21) and Maryland on Dec. 29.

UConn will host Baylor on Nov. 17, Dayton on Nov. 22, Chattanooga on Nov. 29, DePaul on Dec. 1, Ohio State on Dec. 19 and will face Texas in the Jimmy V Classic at Mohegan Sun Arena on Dec. 4.
The dates for the conference games will likely be announced in August as well as the times of most of the regular-season games.

UConn will play East Carolina, South Florida, Southern Methodist, Temple, Tulane and Tulsa once at home and once on the road, will play Houston and Memphis only at home and have road games against Central Florida and Cincinnati as the American Athletic Conference moves from playing 18 games in the regular season to playing 16.

The Huskies, looking to become the first women's Division I team to reach 10 consecutive Final Fours, loses its top three scorers as All-Americans Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck were the top three picks in the WNBA Draft.

Katie Lou Samuelson is the only returning double-digit scorer as she averaged 11 points per game as a freshman. Kia Nurse, the only player to start at 38 games a season ago, Gabby Williams and Napheesa Collier return to give the Huskies a strong nucleus to build upon. Crystal Dangerfield, who will play for the U.S. in the FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women from July 13-17, will be joined by fellow freshmen Molly Bent and Kyla Irwin.

NOVEMBER
Mon 14: at No. 17 Florida State  
Thu 17:  vs. No. 4 BAYLOR
Sun 20: at LSU
Tue 22: vs. DAYTON
Tue 29: vs. CHATTANOOGA
DECEMBER
Thu 1: vs. No. 20 DEPAUL
Sun 4: vs. No. 7 Texas (at Mohegan Sun Arena)
Wed 7: at No. 2 Notre Dame
Sun 11: at Kansas State
Mon 19: vs. No. 9 OHIO STATE
Wed 21: at Nebraska
Thu 29: at No. 5 Maryland
FEBRUARY
Mon 13: vs. No. 3 SOUTH CAROLINA
Final Associated Press poll is ranking listed