UConn women picked to win Big East again

By DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Geno Auriemma and his UConn Huskies were in a familiar spot — atop the Big East. The Huskies were the preseason pick to win the conference again by the league’s coaches. They enter the season as the two-time reigning champions, winning the Big East both years since rejoining the conference. In total, UConn has won 21 Big East regular-season titles and 20 conference tournaments. The Huskies will be missing star Paige Bueckers for the season after she tore her ACL in the summer. They still are loaded with three All-Big East preseason players and the conference’s Freshman of the Year Ayanna Patterson. Creighton was the second choice by the coaches. Villanova was picked third and is led by reigning Big East Player of the Year Maddy Siegrist, who was the unanimous choice to repeat.