The Daily Campus

Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Nick Hart Maya Moore throws down a dunk during UConn's First Night festivities last month. Moore along with Charles was named to the First Team All-Big East.

The women's basketball team plays its first exhibition since going undefeated and winning the national championship tonight against the College of Saint Rose. The Huskies come in ranked No. 1 in both the AP top 25 and the ESPN/USA Today Poll. While that's impressive, there is only one thing that any women's basketball team at UConn aims for.

"I think the goals have to be realistic and here at Connecticut the goals are always the same," said coach Geno Auriemma. "You are trying to win a national championship, whether we won one last year or we didn't we would be going into this season with the same set of goals."

The team will be headed by two star players, Maya Moore and Tina Charles, who were both named to the Associated Press Preseason All-America Team, which was released on Tuesday. Moore averaged 19.3 points per game while Charles amassed 16.5.

The Huskies are coming off a tremendous undefeated season where the closest final score was by 10 points. The team outscored opponents by 30 points on average and dominated every single statistical category.

The Huskies did lose All-American Renee Montgomery due to graduation who averaged 16.5 points per game along with 5.1 assists per game. The team will have to find points to fill her shoes. This could come from sophomore Caroline Doty who is healthy after mid-season surgery last year. Auriemma also believes that Kalana Greene has improved her game and should have an impact this season.

Auriemma said that Lorin Dixon will start at point guard for the Huskies tonight because she's earned it throughout the preseason and has improved a lot mentally and physically. Dixon's quickness and court savvy should be interesting to watch as the season unfolds.

Saint Rose comes into to Gampel Pavilion coming off a 20-win season in Division II. But the test isn't about beating a good Division II, team it is about getting the Huskies on the floor and to see how they play together. Auriemma hinted that he knew some combinations that wouldn't work together on the floor though he had some ideas of people he wanted to see together.

"You are only going to be so good and be able to do so many things well, so for me those things are the things we have practiced on for three weeks because there are certain things for three weeks we have done every single day," Auriemma said. "So I want to know we are good at those things."

Auriemma was quick to note that this isn't the same team as last year, that they have a different personality. They have to learn to grow together as a team and get their own identity.

Auriemma said that all the women really want to play and although they understand that practice is necessary, they want to get out on the court. He stated that this is what they came to UConn for and that this will be best day of the school year for them so far.

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