On Wednesday, the University of Connecticut women's basketball program announced the jersey numbers of three new incoming recruits for the 2026-27 season.

Marine Dursus, who is joining the program from France, will wear No. 5. Jovana Popovic of Serbia will wear No. 13 and Olivia Vukosa of New York will wear No. 25.

If it's somewhat jarring to see Dursus being given No. 5, you likely aren't alone. After all, that's the number that Paige Bueckers starred in at UConn from 2020-25. Bueckers is one of the many legends of Huskies history, averaging 19.8 ppg for her career and helping UConn win the national championship in her final season.

In addition to the national title, Bueckers was also the National Player of the Year as a freshman. She was a three-time First-Team All-America selection, the three-time Big East Player of the Year and a four-time NCAA All-Tourney selection.

She was inducted into the Huskies of Honor in 2024-25, even before her career officially ended.

So why can Dursus wear No. 5?

Well, because being in the Huskies of Honor is not the same as having your uniform number retired. In order to have your number retired at UConn, you have to be a member of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. So far, only three UConn women's players have their numbers retired: Rebecca Lobo (50), Swin Cash (32) and Sue Bird (10).

Maya Moore is in the Hall of Fame and will probably see her number retired, and Tina Charles and Diana Taurasi will get there as well, meaning all three players could have the honor. Breanna Stewart is likely to enter the Hall of Fame. Bueckers could get there, but she has a lengthy career in front of her, meaning No. 5 will be available for UConn players to wear for years to come.

--Jamelle Elliott, a longtime assistant to head coach Auriemma, announced her resignation last week, saying she was looking for her next opportunity. Given her level of experience, it’s going to take someone with an impressive career to replace her. The Huskies have a job posting for a new assistant coach up now.

--Blanca Quinonez, who had offseason labrum surgery, is out of a sling. Here's the latest on her return to the court. She was named as the Big East Freshman of the Year and the Sixth Woman of the Year after a stellar 2025-26 campaign.

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