Feature

Banner Year: 2024

We created the retro trading card layouts on the special wrap cover and pages 2–3 in print to celebrate an extraordinary basketball season — even by Husky standards! The cards themselves do not exist — the magazine itself is the keepsake.

Vintage-style trading card with the words “The Homecoming” on the bottom and an image of a crowd of people filling the streets of downtown Hartford behind a group of UConn men’s basketball players holding up their arms and a trophy while standing on top of a double-decker bus during their 2024 victory parade.
Vintage-style trading card showing a posed team picture of the 2023-2024 UConn Men’s Basketball Team in a gymnasium.
Vintage-style trading card showing a posed team picture of the 2023-2024 UConn women’s Basketball Team in a gymnasium.
Vintage-style trading card with 5 trophies silhouetted against a blue background: the 2024 Division I men’s basketball national championship trophy in the center and the 2023-2024 men’s and women’s basketball regular season trophies and the 2024 men’s and women’s basketball Big East Tournament champion trophies next to it. The card says “Big East Reglar Season Champions” and “Big East Tournament Champions” on top with UConn’s Husky dog logo in the center and “Where Champions Are Made” at the bottom.
The mens basketball team celebrates their win with their coach

“We know it’s not normal to go back to back. But there’s not a single normal person in this locker room.”

Alex Karaban '26 (ENG)

Click any card below the locker room photo to zoom in and flip through the gallery.

Vintage-style trading card that reads, "Basketball Capital of the World"
intage-style trading card showing the ceiling of Madison Square Garden with text that reads “Storrs South”
Vintage-style trading card with the following information: Academic All-American First Team. Cam Spencer, 3.5 GPA, Certificate in Nonprofit Management, (4th Academic All-American in Men's Program History). Paige Bueckers, 3.5 GPA, BA in Human Development and Family Sciences, Big East Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Vintage-style trading card featuring UConn’s Jonathan the Husky costumed mascot posing with his arms crossed.
Vintage-style trading card featuring UConn men’s basketball player Donovan Clingan dunking a basketball into the hoop with the word “Hometown Kid” in funky type.
Vintage-style trading card with an image of the Gampel Pavilion domed roof and text that says “Home.”
Vintage-style trading card showing silhouetted images of UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma and men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley yelling during a game, with “UConn” at the top and “The Architect and The Carpenter” at the bottom
Vintage-style trading card with ovals encasing images of four UConn women’s basketball players on the court: Ice Brady #25, Qadence Samuels #4, Ashlynn Shade #12, KK Arnold #2. Text on the card says “Fab Freshmen.”
Vintage-style trading card with the quote, "At 70 years young, Geno Auriemma has done one of the very best coaching jobs of his entire 39-year run at UConn. He Lost FIVE players to season-ending injuries, and yet this UConn team is going to the Final Four for the 15th time in 16 years. An incredibly resilient season," John Fanta, Fox Sports Broadcaster
Vintage-style trading card that says “Secretary of Defense” with an image of UConn women’s basketball player Nika Muhl guarding the ball during a game.
Vintage-style trading card showing UConn men’s basketball guard #11 Alex Karaban silhouetted with his hand up, as if he just let go of the basketball during a shot, against a red background; the words “Arc Angel” are at the top and a small icon of a bullseye is on the top right.
Vintage-style trading card with the words “Assistant Coach Luke Murray and his (our) dad Bill Murray” and “Groundhog Day,” featuring an image of the Murrays and an NCAA championship trophy.
Vintage-style trading card with the following information: In the Past 25 Years UConn women's basketball has won 40%* and UConn men's basketball has won 24% of NCAA d1 championships. *The women also have 40% of all NCAA women's basketball championships. All is emphasised.
Vintage-style trading card with the quote, "We wanted to give everything so we could win absolutely everything.", by Coach Dan Hurley. The word Win is emphasized.
Vintage-style trading card with a black and white husky dog — UConn’s canine mascot — in front of a bronze husky statue on a red background, with the words “Rookie of the Year: Jonathan 15th” at the bottom.
Vintage-style trading card featuring UConn men’s basketball player Samson Johnson dunking a basketball into the hoop with the word “Slamson” in funky type.
Vintage-style trading card with the quote, "People better get us now...Because it's coming." by Coach Dan Hurley after a 2020 loss to Villanova.
Vintage-style trading card with an image of UConn men’s basketball guard Tristen Newton #2, with his hand up to his face like a phone, silhouetted against a red, white, and blue striped background with a black shield shape around the image. Text at the top of the card reads “The MVP” and “2024.”
Vintage-style trading card showing silhouetted images of UConn women’s basketball Associate Head Coach Chris Dailey and men’s Associate Head Coach Kimani Young, with “UConn” at the top and “The Strategists” at the bottom
Vintage-style trading card shows an image of UConn women’s basketball #5 Paige Bueckers dribbling the ball during a game; text along the right side reads “The Star” and a white star icon in a light blue circle is stamped on the top right of the card.
Vintage-style trading card with an image of UConn men’s basketball player #12 Cam Spencer making an excited gesture with his hands during a game; the card reads “The Fire” and has a small graphic illustration of a fire.
Vintage-style trading card with an image of UConn men’s basketball player Hassan Diarra #10, with his arms in the air about to make a shot, silhouetted against a red, white, and blue striped background with a black shield shape around the image. Text at the top of the card reads “The Spark.”
Vintage-style trading card with the following information: UConn Men's 2024 March Madness Run includes +140 point differential - the largest in tournament history, 23.3 point average winning margin, 30 unanswered points vs. Illinois in Elite Eight, and First back-to-back titles since Florida in 2007
Vintage-style trading card with an image of UConn men’s basketball player #5 Stephon Castle about to dribble the ball during a game; the card reads “The General” and has a small graphic illustration of a five stars forming a circle.
Vintage-style trading card featuring the Blue and White Guy posing in full paint, with the word “Superfans” in funky type.
Vintage-style trading card with an image of UConn men’s basketball player #20 Andrew Hurley holding the basketball at the end of a game; the card reads “The Closer” and has a small graphic illustration of a clock.
Vintage-style trading card with the words “The Soundtrack” on the bottom and an image of four members of the UConn Pep Band clapping and cheering, the two men in the front are holding saxophones and most have painted faces.
Vintage-style trading card with the quote, "We've done something no school has ever done, and we've done it twice. So we have a reason to brag about it, becuase it's true. We're not being arrogant. We're just telling the truth.", by coach Geno Auriemma on UConn claiming the 'Basketball capital of the World' title, CT insider. The words twice, true, and truth are bolded.
Vintage-style trading card with an image of a crowd of UConn fans in the stands at Gampel Pavilion during a UConn men’s basketball game, with most of the people wearing white with the exception of a few in banana costumes, people in a few rows holding large white tubes in the air, and large cardboard cutout signs of UConn basketball players and coaches hoisted by several. The text on the card reads “Sixth Man.”
Vintage-style trading card with an image of red, white and blue confetti on a stadium floor.

Card Design and Illustrations By Andrew Janavey ’15 (SFA), Christa Yung
Locker Room Photo by Jamie Schwaberow

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Further Reading:

Read about the UConn trading cards at the J. Robert Donnelly Husky Heritage Sports Museum.

UConn Magazine

Discuss

  1. I hope you fixed one of these “trading card” images before it went to print. It was Florida who won back-to-back titles in 2006-07, not Duke.

    Reply

    • Unfortunately you caught it before we did (thanks!), but it has been corrected above. We must have had our Duke rivalry on the brain! Go Huskies!

      Reply

  2. You may want to change one thing in this article. It was Florida that was the last to win back to back in 2006 and 2007. Duke won back to back in 1991 and 1992.

    Reply

    • Edited above, thank you John! We must have had our Duke rivalry on the brain. 🙂

      Reply

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