​For the UConn Huskies women’s basketball coaches,
this is the season before the season begins.Home-visit season.Geno Auriemma and his staff visited Haylen
Ayers and her family in Jackson, Tenn., on Wednesday as they zig-zag the
country to meet with top players on their home turf. Ayers, who plays at the
University School of Jackson, is a 6-foot shooting guard ranked tops at her
position and No. 3 overall in the nation by the 247Sports composite.Ayers posted a photo with Auriemma and staff to her
Instagram Story after the visit Wednesday, commenting, “glad to have @uconnwbb
in Jackson!!”Just days ago, they were in Southern California at
the home
of Kaleena Smith, the No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2027 from Ontario
Christian High School, near Los Angeles. She is a 5-foot-6 point guard.Last week, recruit Ivanna
Wilson Manyacka greeted the coaches at her home in Maryland. She plays at
The Bullis School, the same campus that produced Eric Riebe, who spent last
season with the UConn men before transferring to Southern California. She is a 6-1
small forward, also ranked No. 1 at her position and No. 2 overall in the
nation.And the Auriemma entourage also stopped in Michigan
last week for a visit with Sydney Savoury, a 6-foot shooting guard at
Belleville High School. She is No. 2 at her position, No. 5 overall, per the
247Sports composite.Howell High School’s Norah Hull (left) battles Belleville’s Sydney Savoury in an Michigan state regional semifinal game won by Belleville on March 9, 2026. Timothy Arrick/USA TODAY Network Auriemma clearly has
his sights set high, recruiting three of the top five players in the nation.What are the odds UConn signs any of these
players?We don’t deal with odds – just facts. And in looking
at Auriemma’s
recruiting history, UConn has a great shot.Consider these players No. 1 players brought
into the UConn family since 2010:2024: Sarah Strong
2021: Azzi Fudd
2020: Paige Bueckers
2018: Christyn Williams
2017: Megan Walker
2015: Katie Lou Samuelson
2012: Breanna Stewart
2011: Kaleena Mosqueda-LewisBefore that, Tina Charles (2006) and Maya Moore
(2007) were No. 1 players in their classes.This doesn’t include many blue-chip players who
weren’t No. 1 overall but were just a step below. Center Olivia Vukosa. UConn’s
top signee in the 2026 class, was ranked No. 1 at her position and No. 4
overall in the nation.When will the 2027 prospects visit
UConn?Let’s start with Ayers, who is scheduled for a home
visit with Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph and her staff next Wednesday. Ayers’
official visit to UConn is Nov. 6, following an Oct. 24 visit to Vandy, where
her mother played (1999-2003). She appears to have narrowed her focus to those
two schools.We’re not positive, but Haylen Ayers and her mom
could be the only mother-daughter tandem to accomplish this: win Gatorade Girls
Basketball Player of the Year. Haylen won the award for Tennessee in 2025,
repeating what her mother, also a guard, did in 1999