Huskies of Honor

Huskies of Honor is a recognition program sponsored by the University of Connecticut (UConn). Similar to a hall of fame, it honors the most significant figures in the history of the UConn Huskies—the university's athletic teams—especially the men's and women's basketball teams. The inaugural honorees, inducted in two separate ceremonies during the 2006–07 season, included thirteen men's basketball players, ten women's basketball players, and four head coaches, of whom two coaches—Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma—and three players—Ray Allen, Swin Cash and Rebecca Lobo—are also enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, with another player, Sue Bird, having been announced as a 2025 Hall of Fame inductee.^{[1][3][4][5][6]} Since that time, an additional thirteen women's basketball players, ten men's basketball players, nine national championship teams, one women's basketball assistant coach, and one athletic director have been honored. One of these later honorees, player Maya Moore, will be inducted to the Hall of Fame alongside Bird in 2025.^[6]

Rebecca Lobo, an inaugural inductee into the Huskies of Honor, was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.^[1]

Kemba Walker was inducted into the Huskies of Honor in a surprise ceremony following the Connecticut Huskies men's basketball 2011 National Championship victory.^[2]

Men's basketball has been played at the University of Connecticut since 1901, when the school was known as Connecticut Agricultural College.^[7] The Huskies first achieved success under Coach Hugh Greer, who over a sixteen-year period led the team to twelve Yankee Conference championships, seven National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament berths, and one National Invitation Tournament appearance before dying suddenly during the 1962–63 college basketball season.^[4] It was not until Calhoun took over the university's basketball program in 1985, however, that UConn grew from a regional basketball power to a nationally prominent one.^[8] Under Calhoun, UConn won three national championships (1999, 2004, 2011), seven Big East tournaments, and ten Big East^{[Note 1]} regular season titles, while placing twenty-six former players into the National Basketball Association (NBA).^{[10][11][12][13]} Following Calhoun's retirement, new head coach Kevin Ollie would lead UConn to a fourth national championship win in 2014.^[14] Ollie's successor, current head coach Dan Hurley, led UConn to two more national titles in 2023 and 2024.^[15]

Women's basketball was not a major sport at UConn until the arrival of Auriemma in 1985. Under his guidance UConn has enjoyed unprecedented success, winning 12 national titles, including six at the end of undefeated seasons and four consecutive championships from 2013–16.^[16] The Huskies also have the two longest winning streaks in NCAA Division I basketball history, at 111 games from 2014–17^[17] and 90 games from 2008–10.^[18] Connecticut's rivalry with women's basketball power Tennessee has been one of the most celebrated in the sport.^[19] Twenty-six former UConn women's basketball players have gone on to play in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA),^[20] and six—Sue Bird in 2002, Diana Taurasi in 2004, Tina Charles in 2010, Maya Moore in 2011, Breanna Stewart in 2016, and Paige Bueckers in 2025—have been selected first overall in the WNBA draft.^[21][22][23] Stewart, Moriah Jefferson, and Morgan Tuck were the first three picks in the 2016 draft; this marked the first time three players from the same college were selected 1-2-3 in the draft of any major sport.^[22]

Placards honoring the members of the Huskies of Honor are hung at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, the on-campus home court of UConn basketball. Additional information about each of the honorees is displayed on the concourse between the upper and lower stands.^[24]

Honorees

Hall of Fame men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun was an inaugural member of the Huskies of Honor.^[4]

Husky of Honor Emeka Okafor was drafted second overall in the 2004 NBA draft.^[25]

Geno Auriemma was one of the eleven inaugural inductees in 2006 from the women's basketball program into the Huskies of Honor, and the only one who is a man.^[3]

Renee Montgomery was the first player to be named a Husky of Honor while still active.^[26]

Huskies of Honor additions December 29, 2013

Key

†	Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Men's basketball

No.	Name	Position	Seasons[Note 2]	Hometown	Inducted
34	Ray Allen†[a]	G	1993–96[27]	Merced, California[28]	February 5, 2007[4]
44	Wes Bialosuknia	G	1963–67[27]	Poughkeepsie, New York[29]	February 5, 2007[4]
24	Scott Burrell	G	1989–93	New Haven, Connecticut	November 2, 2018[30]
3	Caron Butler	F	2000–02[31]	Racine, Wisconsin[32]	February 13, 2016[32]
22	Bill Corley	F / C	1965–68[33]	Williston Park, New York[33]	February 15, 2012[34]
3	Walt Dropo	C	1942–47[27]	Moosup, Connecticut[35]	February 5, 2007[4]
42	Khalid El-Amin	G	1997–2000[36]	Minneapolis, Minnesota[36]	February 23, 2014[37]
—	Harrison Fitch	–	1932–34[38]	New Haven, Connecticut[38]	February 19, 2022[38]
22	Rudy Gay	F	2004–06[39]	Baltimore, Maryland[39]	February 25, 2012[40]
4	Ben Gordon	G	2001–04	Mount Vernon, New York	February 7, 2025[41]
32	Richard Hamilton	G / F	1996–99[27]	Coatesville, Pennsylvania[42]	February 5, 2007[4]
42	Tony Hanson	G	1973–77[27]	Waterbury, Connecticut[43]	February 5, 2007[4]
42	Toby Kimball	F / C	1961–65[27]	Framingham, Massachusetts[44]	February 5, 2007[4]
42	Donyell Marshall	F	1991–94[27]	Reading, Pennsylvania[45]	February 5, 2007[4]
13	Shabazz Napier	G	2010–14[46]	Roxbury, Massachusetts[46]	April 8, 2014[47]
2	Tristen Newton	G	2022–24	El Paso, Texas	April 9, 2024[48]
50	Emeka Okafor	C	2001–04[27]	Houston, Texas[25]	February 5, 2007[4]
13	Worthy Patterson	F	1951–54[49]	Greenwich, Connecticut[49]	February 15, 2012[34]
25	Art Quimby	C	1951–55[27]	New London, Connecticut[50]	February 5, 2007[4]
00	Clifford Robinson	F / C	1985–89[27]	Buffalo, New York[51]	February 5, 2007[4]
13	Chris Smith	G	1988–92[27]	Bridgeport, Connecticut[52]	February 5, 2007[4]
52	Corny Thompson	F	1978–82[27]	Middletown, Connecticut[53]	February 5, 2007[4]
15	Kemba Walker	G	2008–11[2]	Bronx, New York[54]	April 5, 2011[2]
22	Vin Yokabaskas	F	1948–52[27]	Bloomfield, Connecticut[55]	February 5, 2007[4]
999—	Jim Calhoun†[b]	Head coach	1986–2012[10]	Braintree, Massachusetts[10]	February 5, 2007[4]
999—	Dee Rowe	Head coach	1969–77[27]	Worcester, Massachusetts[56]	February 5, 2007[4]
999—	Hugh Greer	Head coach	1946–63[27]	Suffield, Connecticut[57]	February 5, 2007[4]
999—	1998–99 team	Team	1998–99	—	February 23, 2014[37]
999—	2003–04 team	Team	2003–04	—	January 28, 2024[58]

Women's basketball

No.	Name	Position	Seasons[Note 2]	Hometown	Inducted
25	Svetlana Abrosimova	F	1997–2001[3]	St. Petersburg, Russia[59]	20061221December 21, 2006[60]
24	Kerry Bascom	C / F	1987–91[3]	Epping, New Hampshire[61]	20061221December 21, 2006[60]
10	Sue Bird†[a]	G	1998–2002[3]	Syosset, New York[62]	20061221December 21, 2006[60]
5	Paige Bueckers	G	2020–25[63]	Hopkins, Minnesota[64]	20250302March 2, 2025[63]
32	Swin Cash†[a]	F	1998–2002[3]	McKeesport, Pennsylvania[65]	20061221December 21, 2006[60]
31	Tina Charles	C	2006–10[66]	Jamaica, New York[67]	20100212February 13, 2010[68]
24	Napheesa Collier	F	2015–19	Jefferson City, Missouri	March 2, 2019[69]
31	Stefanie Dolson	C	2010–14[70]	Port Jervis, New York[70]	20140301March 1, 2014[71]
14	Bria Hartley	G	2010–14[72]	North Babylon, New York[72]	20140301March 1, 2014[71]
4	Moriah Jefferson	G	2012–16[73]	Glenn Heights, Texas[73]	20160227February 27, 2016[74]
50	Rebecca Lobo†[c]	C / F	1991–95[3]	Southwick, Massachusetts[75]	20061221December 21, 2006[60]
20	Renee Montgomery	G	2005–09[76]	St. Albans, West Virginia[77]	20090215February 15, 2009[26]
23	Maya Moore†[a]	F	2007–11[78]	Lawrenceville, Georgia[79]	20110228February 28, 2011[78]
23	Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis	F	2011–15[80]	Anaheim Hills, Anaheim, California[80]	20150228February 28, 2015[81]
33	Shea Ralph	G	1996–2001[3]	Fayetteville, North Carolina[82]	20061221December 21, 2006[60]
21	Jennifer Rizzotti	G	1992–96[3]	New Fairfield, Connecticut[83]	20061221December 21, 2006[60]
42	Nykesha Sales	G	1994–98[3]	Bloomfield, Connecticut[84]	20061221December 21, 2006[60]
33	Katie Lou Samuelson	F	2015–19	Fullerton, California	March 2, 2019[69]
30	Breanna Stewart	F	2012–16[85]	North Syracuse, New York[85]	20160227February 27, 2016[74]
3	Diana Taurasi	G	2000–04[3]	Chino, California[86]	20061221December 21, 2006[60]
3	Morgan Tuck	F	2012–16[87]	Grand Rapids, Michigan / Bolingbrook, Illinois[87]	20160406April 6, 2016[88]
15	Gabby Williams	G	2014–18	Sparks, Nevada	20180226February 26, 2018[89]
52	Kara Wolters	C	1993–97[3]	Holliston, Massachusetts[90]	20061221December 21, 2006[60]
999—	Geno Auriemma†[b]	Head coach	1985–present[91]	Montella, Italy / Norristown, Pennsylvania[91]	20061221December 21, 2006[60]
999—	Chris Dailey	head coach, associateAssociate head coach	1985–present[92]	New Brunswick, New Jersey[93]	20160227February 27, 2016[94]
999—	1994–95 team	Team	1994–95	—	20081116November 16, 2008[24]
999—	1999–2000 team	Team	1999–2000	—	20091223December 23, 2009[95]
999—	2001–02 team	Team	2001–02	—	20111229December 29, 2011[96]
999—	2002–03 team	Team	2002–03	—	20131229December 29, 2013[97]
999—	2003–04 team	Team	2003–04	—	20131229December 29, 2013[97]
999—	2008-09 team	Team	2008-09	—	January 27, 2020[98]
999—	2009-10 team	Team	2009-10	—	January 27, 2020[98]
999—	2012–13 team	Team	2012–13	—	January 27, 2024[99]
999—	2013–14 team	Team	2013–14	—	January 27, 2024[99]

Administrators

No.	Name	Position	Seasons[Note 2]	Hometown	Inducted
999—	John Toner	Athletic director	1969–87[100]	Nantucket, Massachusetts[101]	20090228February 28, 2009[100]

1. Inducted to the Hall of Fame as a player.
2. Inducted to the Hall of Fame as a coach.
3. Inducted to the Hall of Fame as a contributor.

The display

The Huskies of Honor display at Gampel Pavilion, located on either side of the arena on each side of the scoreboards, as of October 17, 2015^[update].
Left are the placards for men's basketball and John Toner; right are the placards for women's basketball.

Notes

1. The American Athletic Conference operated as the Big East Conference from 1979 through 2013.^[9] See 2010–2013 Big East Conference realignment for more information. This article uses the name "Big East" to refer to the conference for the years 2013 and earlier.
2. The seasons listed are those that the individual was with the UConn Huskies in the specific listed position.