Maya Moore will have one last weekend at home to thrill the Connecticut fans.
The Huskies will open up their pursuit of a third national championship at Gampel Pavilion.
''There's definitely a comfort level, sleeping in your own bed, eating the food you normally do,'' Moore said. ''The familiarity being on campus is nice and we're looking forward to playing in front of our home crowd for another time since the regular season's been over.''
The top-seeded Huskies, who haven't played since winning the Big East tournament title March 8, will open up against No. 16 Hartford on Sunday. The two instate opponents will face off after eighth-seeded Kansas State takes on No. 9 Purdue.
The Boilermakers are led by junior Drey Mingo, who was admitted to the hospital Nov. 23 with bacterial meningitis and given a 50 percent chance of survival. Just 16 days later, Mingo returned to the court, and now she's in the NCAA tournament.
UConn, which has played 30 NCAA games at Gampel Pavilion over the years, is looking to match its own run of three straight titles from 2002-04 and Tennessee's three consecutive championships from 1996-98.
While UConn has the comforts of playing at home - where it has won 81 straight games - Hartford had the short 40-minute ride to Storrs. Even with the quick trip, coach Jen Rizzotti is having her team get the full NCAA experience, staying at a hotel by the airport.
''We stayed in a hotel since Thursday night and have been together as a team and done fun things,'' sophomore Alex Hall said. ''It's been like a traveling experience.''
Rizzotti wasn't upset about staying close to home as Hartford's fans would have an easy trek.
''We can look at it how we want to,'' she said. ''We can go to the hotel and pretend we are anywhere we want to pretend we are, but in the end I think this is the best spot for us.
''It's like 'Hoosiers,' same length, same height rims, and you just play. I reminded them how much more exciting it's going to be playing in front of a packed house.''
The former UConn great didn't face mentor Geno Auriemma's team this season for the first time in seven years. The Hawks are winless in 11 tries against the Huskies.
The two teams have played at the XL Center in Hartford the last few years, and this is Hawks senior Jackie Smith's first trip to Gampel.
''I walked in here and had my video camera out,'' she said. ''I came and watched games when I was younger. It's a wicked cool experience.''
Hartford got off to a slow start this year, winning just one of its first 10 games, but came on strong to win the America East Conference tournament title as the No. 5 seed.
''This is a special group and they've come a long way this year,'' an emotional Rizzotti said. ''I think about my sophomores and they have no fear and they think there's an answer to stopping Maya Moore and I don't have the heart to tell them there's not.''
While there is a definite familiarity for UConn and Hartford, Kansas State is facing Purdue for the first time since 2003.
The Boilermakers missed the NCAAs last season, ending a 16-year run of playing in the tournament. They had their first losing season in 25 years, but rebounded to finish seventh in the Big Ten this season.
Mingo is playing like nothing happened. She averages 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the field.
''She was back to where she was before she got sick,'' Purdue coach Sharon Versyp said. ''I can only imagine what she would have been like if she didn't get sick these last three months.''
Kansas State made a late run in the Big 12, including a thrilling victory over Texas A&M, to get back to the NCAAs. Like Purdue, the Wildcats missed the tournament last season.
''When we walked off the bus and walked into the hotel with K-State banners, our young players saw how big this truly is,'' Wildcats coach Deb Patterson said. ''The attention that is garnered by being a part of the NCAA tournament is something these young people will remember.''
