When UConn players sat down to watch the Selection Show on Sunday, they knew they were sitting right on the bubble.

The Huskies tallied a 12-6 record this season, with a program-record seven Big East wins, but a loss in their conference title game knocked away their chance at an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The players, gathered at the house of some of the team’s seniors to watch live on ESPNU, felt a sense of uncertainty about how the night would go. But by the time the bracket announcement came around and UConn was revealed as an at-large selection, that feeling turned to joy.

“We were, honestly, absolutely stunned and shocked,” senior midfielder and captain Sydney Watson said. “Not to mention, extremely excited to get another chance to play together as a team and prove that we deserve this at-large bid.”

This weekend will mark the Huskies’ second-ever trip to the NCAA tournament — the last came as an at-large in 2013, when the team lost to UMass in the first round in Katie Woods’ third season as head coach. UConn is set this time for a first-round matchup against Virginia, which sits 8-8. In its last game, UVA fell to Boston College in the ACC tournament quarterfinals.

The Huskies had a chance to clinch their first-ever Big East title against Denver last Saturday, the two teams’ third matchup this season. UConn’s previous two games against Denver had ended in losses — the first by one goal in triple overtime — and ultimately the Pioneers’ top-10 defense was too much for the Huskies again. Denver earned the Big East’s automatic bid with a 13-7 win.

But what the Huskies had done the rest of the season was enough for the selection committee. They had a ranked win over another tournament team, UMass, on March 7, and had swept their non-Denver conference schedule.

They left the field in D.C. after the Big East title game knowing they still had more to prove, and now they’re grateful for the opportunity to do just that.

“The players first and foremost wish they had a better game. That’s that spotlight moment, and we got there, and deserved to be there,” Woods said. “And now we’ve been given another opportunity to do it again. It’s a different situation, but the spotlight is still the same. The team’s really excited to get back in that environment and have a different showing.”

Watson was held mostly quiet on Saturday, scoring only once with a season-low two shots on goal, but she showed loud and clear the rest of the season why she’s well-deserving of recognition as a Tewaaraton nominee. She led the Big East with 53 goals and 133 draw controls and earned unanimous Big East Midfielder of the Year honors.

This season has brought Watson’s first shot at postseason play in the blue and white. UConn hadn’t advanced to the Big East Tournament since 2016 before this year’s campaign, and the trip to the championship game was the second in program history. While she’s already confirmed that she’ll return for a fifth year in 2022, Watson and this particular Huskies group still have unfinished business.

“Our growth [this season] has been all over the field,” Watson said. “We’re connecting from defense to attack at all times, and if we have mishaps, we’ve really learned to communicate through each play and have each play be its own. We’re really been able to capitalize.”

Friday’s meeting will be the first-ever between UConn and the Cavaliers. After Sunday’s celebrations, the Huskies have already turned their eyes toward that task, readying for the speed and shot-making abilities that Virginia brings to the table.

Even more so, though, they’re focusing on playing their own game — and proving why they belong in this year’s tournament field.

“Our overall team play, and our fight and our resiliency has been really impressive to see,” Woods said. “We look at some of our games, and when we go down early, we find a way to just come back. We’re just going to keep fighting.”