Serah Williams Is Starting to Look Like the Player UConn Hoped For - And That’s Big News for the Huskies
When Geno Auriemma speaks, players tend to listen. And earlier this month, the Hall of Fame head coach made it crystal clear: UConn needed more from Serah Williams.
A month into her first season in Storrs, the senior forward hadn’t yet lived up to the billing that made her one of the most coveted names in the transfer portal. Through nine games, Williams had only three double-digit scoring performances and had pulled down five or more rebounds just three times. For a player who averaged nearly 20 points and 10 boards per game last season at Wisconsin - and was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year - the numbers weren’t matching the expectations.
“Serah Williams should get a lot more production,” Auriemma said after UConn’s win over DePaul on Dec. 7, where Williams finished with just eight points and four rebounds. “She should be more productive and touch the ball more often, go rebound the ball more often. I think that’s a decision she needs to embrace - ‘I should be dominant.’”
That’s not just coach-speak. It was a direct challenge to a player with the tools to be a game-changer.
A New System, A New Role, A New Reality
Transferring into a powerhouse like UConn is never a plug-and-play situation, especially for a player coming from a program where she was the undisputed focal point. At Wisconsin, Williams was the engine.
If she didn’t make it happen, it often didn’t happen. Now, she’s surrounded by elite talent - players like Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong - and learning how to thrive in a system that doesn’t revolve around her.
That shift isn’t just tactical. It’s mental.
At Wisconsin, if she got stuck in the paint, she had to find a way out - power through, spin around, force a shot. At UConn, those same situations come with different options.
Kick it out. Reset the offense.
Trust the teammates around you. And for a player who’s used to carrying the load, that kind of rewiring takes time.
“Definitely, just wanting more for myself and wanting to contribute to the team more,” Williams said recently. “Coach said something about, ‘How good can you be when you don’t have the ball in your hands?’ So, I’m just trying to figure that out in the system.”
The Resume Is There - And So Is the Potential
Let’s not forget who Serah Williams is. A 6-foot-4 forward out of Brooklyn, she dominated the Big Ten over the past two seasons. In 2023-24, she averaged a double-double (17.4 points, 10.7 rebounds), led the conference in offensive rebounds and blocks, and earned First Team All-Big Ten and All-Defensive Team honors - not to mention the Defensive Player of the Year award.
She followed that up with another strong junior campaign, once again landing on the All-Big Ten First Team and All-Defensive Team lists. Her ability to protect the rim, control the glass, and score inside made her a nightmare matchup in the post.
So when she hit the portal with one year of eligibility left, UConn made sense. The Huskies hadn’t had a dominant post presence in a while, and they’ve had success with experienced transfers before - think Lou Lopez Sénéchal, Dorka Juhász, Kaitlyn Chen.
But like Juhász and Chen before her, Williams needed time to settle in. Juhász didn’t notch a double-digit scoring game until her eighth outing in a UConn uniform.
Chen didn’t have her breakout moment until mid-January. The learning curve is real.
Progress You Can See - Even If It’s Not Always in the Box Score
Since Auriemma’s public challenge, Williams has started to respond. The changes aren’t just statistical - though those are coming - they’re visible in how she plays. She’s reading the floor more patiently, making smarter passes out of the post, and crashing the glass with more consistency.
“She’s rebounding the ball more consistently,” Auriemma said. “She’s becoming more comfortable as a passer. A little bit at a time, the improvement is very, very noticeable.”
In the game immediately after the DePaul win, Williams pulled down a season-high nine rebounds against USC. With Sarah Strong limited by illness, Williams stepped up early, scoring six points, grabbing four boards, and blocking a shot in the game’s opening minutes.
Against Marquette four days later, she dropped 11 points - her fourth double-digit effort of the season. And in UConn’s Dec. 20 matchup against Iowa, she recorded a game-high three blocks.
Her three-game averages since the DePaul game: 8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2 blocks, and half a steal per game. But more important than the numbers is the way she’s starting to assert herself - not as the lone star, but as a key piece in a bigger picture.
“I think there’s been an improvement in her approach to what she wants to get accomplished,” Auriemma said after the Iowa win. “We talked a lot about impacting the game, whichever way that meant… I think that it takes time. And I think these last three weeks or so, she’s made a lot of progress.”
What Comes Next?
With Big East play heating up after the holidays, UConn will need Williams to keep trending upward. Her ability to anchor the paint on both ends - to be a scoring threat inside, a rebounding force, and a defensive presence - adds a dimension the Huskies haven’t consistently had in recent years.
And while she might not be the go-to scorer anymore, her impact could be just as vital.
If Williams continues to embrace her role, play with confidence, and trust the system around her, UConn’s ceiling gets a whole lot higher. The flashes are there. Now it’s about stringing them together.
Because when Serah Williams plays like the player she was at Wisconsin - and the one Geno Auriemma believes she can be - the Huskies aren’t just better. They’re dangerous.