UConn women's basketball trip to face rival Notre Dame is homecoming for freshman Ayanna Patterson

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — UConn women's basketball freshman and Fort Wayne, Ind. native Ayanna Patterson grew up going to Notre Dame games. Starting when she was in fifth grade, she watched the Fighting Irish play at Purcell Pavilion and dreamed of one day playing on the collegiate women’s basketball stage. She idolized Arike Ogunbowale and wanted to become a star on the court just like her. On Sunday, Patterson returns to South Bend. But instead of watching from the stands, she’ll be dressed in UConn’s blue and white. And instead of cheering for Notre Dame, she’ll be playing with the No. 3 Huskies as they attempt to win their fourth game over a top-10-ranked opponent this season. "I’m super excited," Patterson said Thursday. "I mean going back home and getting to play in that atmosphere, because Indiana basketball is really important, and growing up watching Notre Dame play and getting the chance to actually play against them is going to be really cool, and then getting to see my family and my friends out there in the crowd. There’s going to be a sprinkle of blue out there. It’s going to be awesome." UConn (6-0) travels to South Bend Saturday to face its longtime foe the No. 7 Fighting Irish (6-2) at 3 p.m. (ABC). The Huskies are coming off an easy win over Providence in Storrs Friday night 98-53 to open Big East play. Sunday’s game against the Fighting Irish marks the Huskies’ fourth game against a top-10-ranked opponent within the last three weeks. UConn defeated then-No. 3 Texas 83-76 on Nov. 14 before its 91-69 victory over then-No. 10 NC State on Nov. 20. Last Sunday, the Huskies defeated then-No. 9 Iowa 86-79 to win the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament in Portland, Oregon. UConn coach Geno Auriemma, however; knows Sunday’s game will be the team’s biggest test so far. It will be the Huskies’ first true road test of the season (against a team they have a long-rivaled history with no less). The environment will be hostile. And the Fighting Irish will be looking to battle especially after losing their first game of the year on Thursday to a buzzer-beat against No. 20 Maryland. "It’s not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination especially them coming off a loss and with the environment that we’re gonna be walking into and it’s a great test," Auriemma said. "It will probably be our toughest test of the season so far. So, I’m really anxious. I’m really looking forward to seeing how we respond to all that." Patterson was the No. 4-ranked recruit in the Class of 2022. She was a McDonald’s, Jordan Brand and SLAM All-American and named 2022 Indiana Miss Basketball. She could have easily become a hometown hero in South Bend — that is if she chose Notre Dame. But Patterson wanted out of Indiana. She wanted to challenge herself and go somewhere new. On March 20, 2021, Patterson committed to UConn over Indiana, Louisville, UCLA and … Notre Dame. "I just grew up there and I knew everything about it, and I wanted to look for something different," Patterson said. "And UConn was different. It’s out of my comfort zone. It still had a great family atmosphere. It had everything I was looking for that Notre Dame might have had for me, but I still wanted to get better. I just wanted to get outside of my comfort zone, outside of Indiana a little bit, and just grow as a person and as a basketball player." Outside of UConn’s starters, Patterson is the only other Husky so far this season to play in all six games. She’s often the first player off the bench in the first quarter, coming to give starting forwards Aaliyah Edwards and Aubrey Griffin rest. In the first month-plus of her collegiate career, the 6-foot-2 forward is averaging 3.0 points, 3.8 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game. She’s tied for fourth on the team with 7 assists and second with four blocks. "She just takes so much pride in how she plays and she’s consciousness about what she wants to do," Auriemma said. "So I’m excited for her. I think they’re (Patterson’s family and friends) gonna see someone who’s made tremendous progress and is getting better every day so it’ll be a lot of fun for her. I know that." Patterson beamed while talking to media about returning home for the weekend during Thursday’s media availability. She said her family and friends already have tickets for Sunday’s game. It will be her dad’s first time seeing her play in a UConn uniform and her mom’s second after she came to the NC State game on Nov. 20. With graduate forward Dorka Juhász "probably not" playing against the Irish as she continues to rehab a broken thumb, Patterson will get ample time to soak in the experience of playing on the court where once she dreamed of her future. She’s living out those dreams now – even if they’re with Notre Dame’s most famous rival. Maggie.Vanoni@hearstmediact.com @maggie_vanoni

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