As usual, a tough schedule for UConn

The UConn women’s basketball team will play 13 teams who took part in the 2017 NCAA Division I tournament, including reigning national champion South Carolina.

The return of UConn legend Nykesha Sales to Gampel Pavilion as an assistant coach at UCF, and homecoming games for seniors Kia Nurse and Gabby Williams are other highlights.

The Huskies open conference play by hosting Memphis on Dec. 31, while the regular season ends with a home game against South Florida on Feb. 26. UConn also plays host to Fort Hays on Nov. 1 at the XL Center in one exhibition game and will meet defending Division II national champion Ashland on Nov. 5 at Gampel Pavilion in the other.

BREAKING DOWN THE SCHEDULE Nov. 12 vs. Stanford (Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio), 1:30 p.m.

ESPN: Stanford has ended two of UConn’s four longest winning streaks and a Stanford win would mark first time UConn has lost consecutive games since March, 1993. Nov. 17 California (Gampel), 7 p.m. SNY: Cal’s Kristine Anigwe joins Columbia’s Camille Zimmerman as the only returning Division I women’s players to average at least 21 points and 9 rebounds a season ago. Nov. 19 vs. Maryland (XL Center), 1:30 p.m. ESPN: Six players, including all three doublefigure scorers are gone from last season’s Maryland team due to graduation and transfer. Nov. 21 at UCLA, 10:30 p.m. ESPNU: First true road game for Huskies figures to be a matchup of top five teams, featuring four possible first-round draft picks in 2018 WNBA Draft. Nov. 25 vs. Michigan State (at Eugene, Oregon) 3 p.m., SNY: Game part of a doubleheader in the PK80 Invitational and first meeting between the teams since Spartans’ 16-point win in Hartford in 2004. Nov. 28 at Nevada, 9 p.m., CBS Sports Network: The Lawlor Events Center will be site as Nevada native Gabby Williams leads UConn into its first game in the state since 1997 Dec. 3 Notre Dame (XL Center), 4 p.m. ESPN: Perennial Final Four contenders Notre Dame will be without standout post player Brianna Turner, who will miss season due to knee injury. Dec. 8 at DePaul, FS1: Huskies will play in first women’s basketball game in the new, state

of the art Wintrust Arena. Dec. 19 vs. Oklahoma (Mohegan Sun Arena), 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network: If Huskies go into the Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase undefeated, Geno Auriemma will go for win No. 1,000. Dec. 22 vs. Duquesne (Mattamy Athletic Centre), 7

p.m., SNY: Huskies venture to Toronto so senior guard Kia Nurse gets to play game in her native Ontario. Dec. 31 Memphis (XL Center), 1:30 p.m. SNY: UConn is 10-0 playing on New Year’s Eve winning the last seven by an average of 46 points per game. Jan. 3 at East Carolina, 7 p.m. SNY: Gabby Williams recorded the fifth triple double in UConn history when Huskies played in Greenville last season. Jan, 6 at South Florida, 7 p.m. SNY: Five freshmen and Northern Arizona transfer Alyssa Rader give perennial AAC contending Bulls a new look. Jan. 9 UCF (Gampel), 7 p.m. SNY: Knights assistant coach Nykesha Sales will take part in her first game in Storrs since her senior season at UConn nearly 20 years ago. Jan. 13 at Houston, 3 p.m. SNY: The fourth straight season the Cougars and Huskies will only play once in the regular season. Jan. 15 at Texas, 7 p.m. ESPN2: Another rugged road test for the Huskies as standout Texas post player Jordan Holmes should be back after not being with Longhorns n fall semester. Jan. 18 Tulsa (Gampel), 7 p.m. SNY: Napheesa Collier is shooting 76 percent from the field in four career games against Tulsa. Jan. 21 at Temple, 1 p.m. ESPN2: Owls outscored Huskies in second half the last time the teams met in Philadelphia. Jan. 24 at Memphis, SNY: Katie Lou Samuelson dropped 29 points on Tigers in lone 2016-17 regular-season meeting. Jan. 27 Tulane (Gampel), noon SNY: Tulane senior game Kolby Morgan ranks sixth among active Division I women’s players with 1,634 career points. Feb. 1 at South Carolina, 7 p.m. ESPN: This will be the eighth time UConn faces the reigning national champions in the regular season, posting a 3-4 mark. Feb. 4 Cincinnati (XL Center), 1 p.m. SNY: Another Super Bowl matinee game for the Huskies. Feb. 7 at UCF SNY: Knights went from 7 to 21 wins in Katie Abrahamson-Henderson’s first season as head coach. Feb. 10 Wichita State (XL Center), 1 p.m. SNY: Rangie Bessard returns after leading newest AAC member in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots a season ago. Feb. 12 Louisville (Gampel), 7 p.m. ESPN: UConn plays two non-conference games in month of February for first time since 1982-83 season. Feb. 18 Temple (XL Center), 2 p.m. CBS Sports Network: Alliya Butts, New Haven’s Tanaya Atkinson can become first set of Temple classmates to record 1,500 career points. Feb. 21 at Tulane, 8 p.m. SNY: Green Wave had the ball trailing by three points in final 10 seconds in Huskies most recent trip to New Orleans. Feb. 24 at SMU SNY: Huskies return to Dallas for first time since stunning loss to Mississippi State in Final Four. Feb. 26 South Florida (Gampel), 7 p.m. ESPN2: Katie Lou Samuelson averaged 25 points in the three games against the Bulls as a sophomore.