The No. 1-ranked UConn Huskies are well on their way to finishing the 2025-26 NCAA regular season undefeated. With just a few more games left on their schedule, they continue to dominate the league. And that’s what they are doing in their latest game against the DePaul Blue Demons. However, in this game, what caught everyone’s attention wasn’t the score or the Huskies’ playmaking. It was guard Allie Ziebell.

As the Huskies took the floor for pregame warmups, Ziebell was spotted wearing a protective face mask, raising immediate questions. So with no official explanation offered by the program, here’s everything we know about why she’s wearing it.

According to reports, Ziebell wearing a face mask dates back to preseason practices in September 2025.  That small detail is enough to suggest that the mask is not directly related to the DePaul game or a recent in-game incident, but rather something she has been managing over a longer stretch of the season.

However, there hasn’t been any official update regarding Ziebell dealing with a new or serious injury. Even back in September, head coach Geno Auriemma and the Huskies’ coaching staff avoided any public disclosure of specific medical details related to Allie Ziebell.

But in basketball, players most commonly wear protective masks to guard against facial injuries, such as nasal fractures, or to prevent any further contact-related damage. They are often used as a precaution, especially for guards who play with physicality and are frequently involved in contact situations. And Ziebell’s aggressive style of play naturally puts her in those scenarios.

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So until the program provides further clarification, as of now, the mask appears to be a precautionary measure.

How Allie Ziebell Has Performed for UConn This Season

In their game against the Blue Demons, the Huskies built a 24-point lead by halftime. So it’s safe to say that UConn will improve to 24-0 by the time this ends. But coming back to the impact Ziebell has had on her team this season, the sophomore guard has transformed from a reserve role player into one of the Huskies’ most dangerous perimeter weapons.

Her breakout moment came on January 28 in a matchup against Xavier, where she delivered one of the greatest shooting performances in program history. In the 97–39 blowout, she poured in a career-high 34 points, tying the UConn single-game record with 10 three-pointers, while also setting a new program record for the most points scored by a reserve player in a game.

With UConn dealing with an injury-ridden roster for much of the season, Ziebell’s availability has been invaluable.

At 6-foot, she creates matchup problems with her ability to shoot over smaller guards while still navigating screens effectively. And a talent like that doesn’t go unnoticed. As of February 2nd, for the first time in her career, Allie Ziebell was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week.

As she averages 7.6 points per game, which is a significant boost from her freshman season, while shooting an elite 47.7% from beyond the arc and 53.1% from the field, the takeaway is simple: mask or not, Allie Ziebell has become a key piece in Geno Auriemma’s thin rotation and her emergence has quietly fueled the Huskies’ push toward an undefeated regular season.