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UConn Sports Weekly: New rosters uploading
In this issue: Tremendous portal activity, WNBA preseason, and the latest from hockey and baseball!
Aman Kidwai
April 24, 2026
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Welcome to the UConn Sports Weekly, and thank you for being a subscriber! The 2027 men’s Final Four is in Detroit, and the women’s is in Columbus, in case you were wondering.
You can find our work across Storrs Central, The UConn Blog on SB Nation, and the UConn WBB Weekly, UConn Hockey Hub, Hook C Baseball, and Husky Football Forum newsletters!
Solo Ball will miss the entire 2026-2027 season. (Photo: Ian Bethune)
Headlines
Reshaping the Roster
The UConn men’s basketball staff has been busy.
The Huskies found someone to slot in for Alex Karaban in Duke transfer Nikolas Khamenia, and are boosted by the return of star freshman Braylon Mullins. The latest episode of the UConn Fast Break podcast tackles all the changes afoot…before Friday’s latest commitment.
UConn was looking for a second big man and secured one on Friday in Oskar Giltay, who took an official visit on Wednesday. A native of Belgium who spent his freshman season at Stanford, Giltay averaged 3.3 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 14.6 MPG.
In a Hartford Courant article detailing Mullins’ choice to come back to Storrs, Mullins’ father, Josh, revealed that Braylon had been considering staying during the season. He seemed to have made up his mind as early as the Final Four.
Mullins is looking to raise his draft stock from a late lottery pick to a top-10 selection with another year at UConn. Future NIL compensation, along with a minor procedure he underwent to address a knee infection, also played a role in the decision.
Josh said Braylon was playing at “80-85%” health after missing the first six weeks, but hopes to be cleared in time for summer workouts and enter year two at full strength.
The fate of Solo Ball came as a huge surprise. The lefty sharpshooter is staying with the program but will take a medical redshirt and miss the entire season to recover from wrist surgery. He’ll be back in action for 2027-28.
While Jayden Ross and Silas Demary Jr. are returning, one tenured Husky announced he’ll be on the move: Jaylin Stewart is in the portal. The Husky staff wanted him on board, but he was looking for more playing time in his final year.
Jaylin Stewart in the 2024 Big East championship game, where he hit three threes in 11 minutes. (Photo: Ian Bethune)
Outlook ahead
The Huskies still have six roster spots open. The deadline to enter the portal was April 21, though players who have already entered can still look elsewhere.
Backup ball handler is a need with Malachi Smith out of eligibility (he signed with a pro team in Puerto Rico). Wing depth should be another point of emphasis.
Huskies in the NFL Draft
The NFL Draft started on Thursday night with the completion of the first round. UConn’s Skyler Bell is the only Husky from last year’s team likely to get drafted, expected to go in the third or fourth round.
Another former Husky, TE Justin Joly, is projected to be picked around the same time.
A few mock drafts sent Bell to the Baltimore Ravens, where he’d join forces with former MVP Lamar Jackson. NFL.com’s projection is the most bullish – a 73rd overall selection to the New Orleans Saints.
Joly joins Bell in the third- to fifth-round range, while Fagnano is on the fringe. His projections have held steadfast as a possible late-round selection or UDFA.
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Joey Muldowney and Jake Richard returning
UConn’s hockey forwards Joey Muldowney and Jake Richard announced their return for their senior seasons. They’ll attempt to lead the Huskies to a third consecutive NCAA tournament.
Both Muldowney, a San Jose Sharks prospect, and Richard, a Buffalo Sabres prospect, opted not to sign pro contracts.
“I would assume that they feel like they have some unfinished business here, and they want to graduate,” head coach Mike Cavanaugh said. “They're both going to graduate and compete for more trophies and develop so that when they are ready to go pro next year, they'll certainly be in a better place than they are today.”
Cavanaugh has made one move out of the transfer portal thus far, bringing in Omaha’s Jeremy Loranger. An NHL draft selection of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Loranger tallied 19 points in his freshman season.
Baseball still up and down
With Jim Penders’ squad facing a chance to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the Big East field, the Huskies could not capitalize, dropping two out of three to St. John’s at home this weekend and falling to fourth place in the Big East.
Looking to bounce back from a midweek loss to Boston College, the Huskies were shut out Friday as Red Storm ace Liam O’Leary dealt a complete game, allowing just four hits. A ninth-inning meltdown in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader gave St. John’s the series, though UConn salvaged one win in the nightcap, a 10-0 run-rule win.
It marked the first time in six years that UConn lost a weekend series at home.
With four weekends remaining in the regular season, the Huskies need a full-roster commitment if they wish to hold their top-four spot in the conference and clinch a berth in the Big East Tournament. Our latest edition of the UConn Baseball Weekly looks at who is trending up and down with a month to play.
At Dunkin’ Park in Hartford, UConn bounced back on Tuesday behind a four-hit, three-RBI night for Jackson Marshall, whose big bat continues to come up clutch again and again.
The Huskies will head to Georgetown this weekend for three with the Hoyas in Virginia. First pitch Friday is slated for 6 p.m.
WNBA training camp begins
Across the WNBA, spring workouts are in full swing. There are 18 former Huskies competing for roster spots across nine different teams ahead of the 2026 season, which tips off on May 8th.
Golden State Valkyries (5) – Gabby Williams, Caroline Ducharme, Kaitlyn Chen, Tiffany Hayes, Kiah Stokes
Minnesota Lynx (3) – Napheesa Collier, Aubrey Griffin, Dorka Juhász
Dallas Wings (2) – Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd
Portland Fire (2) – Serah Williams, Nika Muhl
Seattle Storm (2) – Katie Lou Samuelson, Stefanie Dolson
Chicago Sky (1) – Azura Stevens
Connecticut Sun (1) – Aaliyah Edwards
New York Liberty (1) – Breanna Stewart
Toronto Tempo (1) – Kia Nurse
Weekly Rewind
Men’s Basketball
Big East commissioner Val Ackerman to retire – Ackerman oversaw the conference for 13 seasons, with mixed reviews.
Women’s Basketball
UConn women’s basketball announces home-and-home with Michigan – The Wolverines will host next year, with the Huskies returning the favor in 2027-28.
Dorka Juhász named youngest-ever EuroLeague MVP – After sitting out the 2025 WNBA season, the 26-year-old stole the show overseas.
Football
Recruit Reactions: UConn Spring Showcase Leaves Strong Impression ($) – Recruits in attendance were impressed with what they saw, Graham Chamberlain writes.
Baseball
Softball
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