🐺 UCONN’S CHASE FOR PERFECTION

THE REIGNING CHAMPS STILL HAVE A LOT TO PROVE

When you’re the champion, all eyes are on you. And for the University of Connecticut, it’s something they’re pretty used to.

The Huskies are off to a 13-0 start and remain atop the polling. Eight of their wins have been by at least 30 points. Led by the dynamic duo of Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, UCONN is a favorite to make it back to the Final Four and possibly go back-to-back. To win big, you need depth, and Connecticut might be a deeper team than the championship-winning club in 2024-2025. From Daniel Connolly of UCONN Weekly:

“Not only do the Huskies have depth they can lean on if someone has an off-night, they can throw a variety of different looks at the opposition. They might start with their standard five but can morph in any number of ways after that. Need offense? Run a small-lineup with five shooters. Looking for size? Play Strong, Williams, and Quiñonez together. Want to press? Let Arnold and Heckel run wild.”

Outside of the dynamic duo, the team has relied a lot on junior point guard, KK Arnold. Arnold has learned a lot since she came to UConn in 2023 and is fully in tune with the rhythm of the game.

“I feel like the biggest thing that's changed in my game is just my pace,” Arnold said following UConn’s win over Iowa at the Women’s Champions Classic. I just remember freshman year [and] even some of last year, just going 100 miles per hour and not really understanding when to slow down and what's needed for our team.

So this year, I'm understanding more where to find Azzi in her spots in response and which offense to call. Just understanding those bits that will help my team out, especially in games when we’re moving at a fast pace and just trying to understand what our team needs at the moment…”

2026 will make it exactly 10 years since a team won back-to-back championships. Who was the last to do it? The Breanna Stewart-led UConn Huskies!

The road to Phoenix and the Final Four won’t be easy, but Connecticut’s depth and experience should power them through the grind of a long, challenging season.