The 2015–16 UConn Huskies women's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2015–16 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Huskies, led by thirty first year head coach Geno Auriemma, won the NCAA tournament and went undefeated. With their eleventh championship win in 2016, the UConn Huskies became the first NCAA Division I women's basketball team to win four straight national championships.
Media
Every single Connecticut game was expected to be televised. Excluding exhibitions, every Connecticut home game and most conference games aired on SNY with a simulcast on Husky Vision. Select games aired on ESPN3, another ESPN Network, or CBS Sports Network. Every game was once again broadcast on the UConn IMG Sports Network with an extra audio broadcast being available online to listen to through Husky Vision.
Off-season
FIBA Americas U16 Championship
Andra Espinoza-Hunter, who has committed to play for Connecticut in 2017, played for the USA team at the 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship held in Puebla, Mexico. Espinoza-Hunter plays for Blair Academy, but had previously played for Ossining High School where she was a teammate of Saniya Chong. The USA team won their preliminary games, but lost in the semifinals to Brazil. They defeated the host team, Mexico, to earn the bronze medal. In the bronze medal game, Espinoza-Hunter scored ten points, one of four players in double figures.
FIBA Under-19 World Championship for Women
UConn commits Napheesa Collier and Crystal Dangerfield both played at the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship for Women, held in Chekhov, Russia from 8 to 26 July 2015. The USA team won all seven games to win the gold medal. In the semi-final against Spain, Collier had 24 points on 10 of 13 shooting from the field. Collier was named to the five player all-tournament squad.
Pan Am games
Three UConn players participated in basketball at the 2015 Pan American Games held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada July 10 to 26, 2015. Breanna Stewart and Moriah Jefferson played for the USA team, while Kia Nurse played for the Canadian team.
Canada opened the preliminary rounds with an easy 101–38 win over Venezuela. The following day they beat Argentina 73–58. The final preliminary game was against Cuba; both teams were 2–0, so the winner would win the group. The game went down to the wire with Canada eking out a 71–68 win. Canada would face Brazil in the semifinal.
Everything seemed to go right in the semifinal game. Canada opened the game with an 11–2 run on seven consecutive points by Miranda Ayim. Miah-Marie Langlois contributed five assists. In the third quarter Canada strongly out rebounded Brazil and hit 69% of their field goals to score 33 points in the quarter. Lizanne Murphy and Nirra Fields hit three-pointers to help extend the lead to 68–39 at the end of three quarters. Canada continued to dominate in the fourth quarter with three-pointers by Nurse and Kim Gaucher. Canada went on to win the game 91–63 to earn a spot in the gold-medal game against the USA.
The gold-medal game matched up the host team Canada against USA, in a sold-out arena dominated by fans in red and white and waving the Canadian flag. The Canadian team, arm in arm, sang Oh Canada as the respective national anthems were played.
After trading baskets early the US edged out to a double-digit lead in the second quarter. However the Canadians, spurred on by the home crowd cheering, fought back and tied up the game at halftime. In the third quarter, it was Canada's time to shine as they outscore the US 26–15. The lead would reach as high as 18 points. The USA would fight back, but not all the way and Canada won the game and the gold-medal 81–73. It was Canada's first gold-medal in basketball in the Pan Am games. Kia Nurse was the star for Canada with 33 points, hitting 11 of her 12 free-throw attempts in 10 of her 17 field-goal attempts including two of three three-pointers.
Stewart was the leading scorer for the US in the gold-medal game with 17 points. She recorded a double double with 11 rebounds to go along with her points. Jefferson was the third leading scorer for the USA team with 14 points.