NEW YORK — The UConn women’s basketball team took center stage at Big East Media Day on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden as the runaway favorite to win the conference with loftier expectations of bringing home a second consecutive NCAA title in 2025-26.

Longtime head coach Geno Auriemma has been to the mountaintop more than anyone in the history of college basketball, so he knows exactly how challenging it is to maintain the energy from a championship season the following year. The Huskies bring back the majority of last year’s winning roster with the notable exception of superstar guard Paige Bueckers, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

But Auriemma knows how important patience is in attempting a repeat run, and his priority right now is taking things one day at a

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