The University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball team, ranked No. 2 in the nation, has opened the season with a perfect 4-0 record, showing no signs of slowing down.
The Huskies have won every game by double digits, including a victory over No. 16-ranked North Carolina. Legendary head coach Geno Auriemma, in his 40th season, reached a milestone of 1,217 wins, the most in college basketball history, with an 85-41 victory over Farleigh Dickinson University on Dec. 13.
One of the highlights of Wednesday’s game was the return of senior Azzi Fudd, who scored four points in 12 minutes of action after missing most of last season due to a knee injury. Fudd averaged 15.1 points per game in her sophomore season.
UConn has also benefited from strong performances by Sarah Strong, the No. 1 recruit in the 2024 class. The freshman has started in every game this season, averaging 16 points, eight rebounds, nearly five assists, 2.5 steals, and two blocks per game.
Former national player of the year Paige Bueckers is also excelling in her redshirt senior season, averaging 20 points per game. Bueckers is expected to declare for the WNBA draft after the season, where she is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick.
Other standout players this season include redshirt freshman Jana El Alfy, who scored 17 points in her debut against Boston University, returning sophomore Ashlynn Shade (8.5 points per game), and redshirt sophomore Ice Brady, who has taken on a larger role with the absence of Aliyah Edwards, now declared for the WNBA draft. Brady has started every game this season and scored 10 points in the win over Farleigh Dickinson.
Sophomore KK Arnold, while seeing a dip in her playing time, still averages just over 20 minutes per game off the bench, contributing 4.5 points per game.
Graduate student Kaitlyn Chen, a transfer from Princeton University, has also been a key presence, averaging eight points and 4.5 assists per game.
UConn’s fast start will be tested in December when the Huskies face a challenging stretch of five games against four ranked opponents, including No. 25 Louisville, No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 8 Iowa State, and No. 3 USC. Two of those teams—USC and Notre Dame—met UConn last season, with the Huskies securing an 80-73 win in the Elite Eight against USC, but falling 82-67 to Notre Dame in the regular season.
Overall, the Huskies are looking strong as they aim for their 12th national championship under Auriemma’s leadership.
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