ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The defending champion UConn Huskies picked up the place they left off to begin the 2025-26 season: successful in (largely) dominant trend.
UConn, ranked No. 1 within the AP preseason ballot, took down No. 20 Louisville 79-66 on Tuesday within the Armed Forces Traditional, a recreation the Huskies led by as many as 28 factors earlier than securing their thirtieth consecutive season-opening win, the second-longest energetic streak in Division I.
The occasion — the primary girls’s matchup within the Armed Forces Traditional — was initially imagined to be performed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, however was moved to the Naval Academy lower than two weeks in the past due to the federal government shutdown.
It was the primary recreation for the new-look Huskies since three-time All-American and 2025 No. 1 draft decide Paige Bueckers departed for the WNBA. However with their former celebrity watching from the stands, the Huskies lived as much as their No. 1 billing.
Sarah Sturdy, a preseason first-team All-American, and Azzi Fudd, the 2025 Remaining 4 Most Excellent Participant, led the best way with a mixed 41 factors, whereas junior KK Arnold (13) and USC switch Kayleigh Heckel (14) rounded out the assault. Wisconsin switch Serah Williams earned her first profession begin as a Husky, ending with 4 factors, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.
“This group is tremendous completely different than final yr, although it was just a few completely different items. However I feel what these items carry are so useful,” Fudd mentioned. “Tonight was plenty of enjoyable … I feel because the season goes on and we proceed to construct our chemistry and discover ways to preserve enjoying effectively collectively and what our strengths are, it will be much more enjoyable and actually particular.”
UConn got here out of the gates rolling, leaping forward 25-9 by the top of the primary quarter and going into the break forward by 21. The Huskies struggled from deep all night time (4-for-26 on 3-pointers) however nonetheless managed to overwhelm the Cardinals within the paint by a 50-18 margin.
“The way in which we acquired there [up by so much] was fairly cool,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma mentioned, “not making any 3s and nonetheless getting up 28, that is not a straightforward factor to do.”
Sturdy, who dazzled as a freshman throughout UConn’s title run, added 9 rebounds and 5 assists for her fifth profession 20-5-5 recreation. With the ball in her arms greater than ever, the Huskies thrived when the 6-foot-2 Sturdy rebounded the ball on protection and ran the break, additionally shining as a matchup nightmare and a passer together with her game-high 5 dimes.
“I feel we’ll see groups strive various things towards Sarah, so we tried various things,” Auriemma mentioned. “We tried to place her in areas that we thought she had a bonus over the people who had been guarding her. And I feel when you may have a participant like Sarah that may rebound the ball like she rebounds it, after which begin the break and convey the ball up the ground, I feel that is an entire new dynamic … I actually consider that provides a distinct dimension to our offense. And since she’s such a gifted passer, there’s plenty of alternatives when she has the ball in her arms. So we attempt to put the ball in her arms as usually as attainable.”
Issues stalled a bit for the Huskies within the second half as soon as the Cardinals went right into a zone and had been extra intentional about attending to the free throw line. Louisville reduce the deficit from 25 to 10 with 2:22 left within the fourth quarter earlier than Sturdy answered with consecutive baskets to place the sport out of attain.
“Every part’s a studying expertise,” Fudd mentioned. “So, one, not sort of letting up like we did in that fourth quarter, but in addition figuring issues out on the finish. It acquired sort of shut. Sarah had some clutch photographs on the finish, we made some nice selections on protection, simply good group basketball. In order that was good observe, good little moments for us to work on and preserve constructing on.”
Auriemma wasn’t overly preoccupied along with his group’s rockier second half.
“Let me put it this manner: I do not ever wish to stroll off the court docket this yr as a result of we’re UConn and we’re defending nationwide champions and we’re preseason No. 1 and make wins really feel like losses as a result of we did not win by sufficient, we did not win the proper manner, we had too many lulls, we had been too sloppy.
“As we speak we had been a typical basketball group — just a little bit higher than typical — however usually talking, that is what occurs in basketball video games. You could have peaks and valleys. You play very well. You do not play effectively. You shoot good. You do not shoot good. So for the primary recreation out, I believed it was an amazing success.”
The matchup marked UConn’s first opener towards a ranked opponent since 2017-18, when it confronted No. 10 Stanford in Columbus, Ohio; this system is now 7-1 all-time when beginning a season towards a prime 25 group.