courant
STORRS In an era in which commitments dont stick like they used to , UConns Allie Ziebell doubled down on hers.
My priority is basketball right now, this is what Im going to pour into and what Im committed to, Ziebell said.
Having the commitment level to this team and this program is a statement, a testament to what everyone does here.
Ziebell, going into her junior year with the Huskies, devoted her summer to walking that talk.
She has stayed on campus to get stronger, in better shape and sharpen her game.
She arrived from Neenah, Wis., with the reputation as an elite shooter, but wants to become much more than that before her time in the program ends.
Its just knowing what we need, what the team needs, Ziebell said.
I need to step up now,, and I think I know how to do that and what to do.
I just need to get my body ready to do that.
Ziebells career, like all careers in UConn womens basketball, has been a process.
Sure, she was a five-star recruit, but there was Paige Bueckers, and Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, and she tended to defer to them, among others.
A long talk with coach Geno Auriemma in the middle of last season, in which he reminded her the day she shouldnt feel she had to defer, helped to build her confidence and her willingness to seek to assert her skills.
Olivia Vukosa ready to make her name as next UConn womens basketball star The breakthrough came against Xavier on Jan.
28, when Ziebell launched 14 shots from behind the 3-point line and hit 10 as Gampel Pavilion erupted more dramatically with each basket.
She finished with 34 points, then followed up with 10 points in 16 minutes against much-tougher Tennessee a few days later, and Ziebell became a bigger part of the equation thereafter.
When the season ended, Ziebell was looking at two (maybe three) years of eligibility and the chance to leave her mark in Storrs, and to do it she made the commitment to stay on campus all summer.
She returned home for six days, and may take another short trip back to Wisconsin later, but she has been on campus working, sometimes alone with the coaches or practice players.
I knew toward the end of the year I was going to stay here a certain amount of time, she said.
I just didnt know how much.
This is probably the best decision for me.
Just being around here longer helps body-wise, mentally,, physically, everything.
I just feel a lot more confident.
Ive already talked to coach about what I need to do, its very clear.
A lot of confidence comes from that, when youre in the weight room and conditioning tests.
So knowing you have that and dont have to worry about it, just growing on that.
Most of the players wrapped up the summer session last week and went home, but Ziebell resumed her daily shifts at the Werth Center, arriving at 9 a.m.
for weight training and conditioning with sports performance director Andrea Hudy, followed by skill work, maybe a late-afternoon run on campus.
Its like 9-to-5 here, then go home, watch TV, get ready for bed, Ziebell said.
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My parents are very supportive of it.
They were even going to suggest it to me, that I stay here.
Theyll come out and visit me once or twice.
I miss my teammates when Im here, it gets kind of lonely.
I cant just go next door and knock on someones door.
In June, when teammates returned and practices and pickup games resumed, Ziebell could see her work was paying off.
Now that the summer session has started, she said, Ive seen it come into play and watched it right in front of me.
I can see a difference, feel a difference body-wise and playing-wise.
My stamina is a lot better; I needed to get in shape and ready for that.
Physicality-wise, if someone hits me or knocks me off, or defensively getting over ball screens, lifting weights and all the agility and hurdle things we do gets you ready for that.
And you can notice the difference in your cutting and your running.
With Fudd in the WNBA, the Huskies have a large void to fill in perimeter shooting.
The summer stay-cation can make Ziebell a well-rounded player, more than just a sharp-shooter, who can stay on the floor under more conditions, especially at times, like in March, when the Huskies schedule gets tougher.
UConn guard KK Arnold, center, and UConn forward Sarah Strong, left, greet UConn guard Allie Ziebell as she comes out of the game in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Xavier, Wednesday, Jan.
28, 2026, in Storrs, Conn.
(AP Photo/Jessica Hill) I know I can shoot already, said Ziebell, who has shot 39 percent on 3-point attempts across 72 games in college.
Thats just a known thing Ive been labeled as.
But there is so much more I can tap into.
Being more aggressive, mid-range has to be something for me Im usually more get-to-the-rim or shoot-the-three, so i need a mid-range game I can excel in, coming off ball screens and things like that.
So the process continues.
As she enters her junior year and works to make herself a better player, Ziebell can no longer defer to others.
She is pushing herself to flip that script.
We need someone to kind of come in and step up for Azzis spot, she said.
Also leadership-wise, we have an older team, but not the most experienced team.
Helping the new players, the internationals now, come along, I think I can help with that.
Its really fulfilling, being able to help, and someone can ask YOU questions, its really cool being an upper classman now.
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Teammates are what makes this what it is.
Obviously, we have a standard here and thats so much fun when youre a high-level athlete and youre trying to reach that standard.
When you have people to do it with who are very like minded, very fun we know how to work hard and we know how to have fun you wouldnt want to do it with any other team.