UNCASVILLE — The UConn women’s basketball team entered the second half of Monday’s exhibition game against Boston College with a 42-30 lead — comfortable, but not insurmountable.
Four minutes later, it was a 20-point game.
Star guard Azzi Fudd set the Huskies’ momentum in motion, hitting her first 3-pointer of the game from the right corner at the start of the third after beginning 0-for-2. Immediately, the rest of the team knew that her hand was hot. Fudd nailed two more corner threes in the next minute, this time from the left side, on back-to-back possessions. She finished the third quarter with 15 of her 20 points shooting 5-for-5 from beyond the arc.
It was an early and promising look at just how good the reigning national champions can be in 2025-26, led by Fudd and fellow superstar Sarah Strong. The Huskies went on to rout Boston College 84-67 in front of several thousand fans at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Huskies’ post players dominate
Coach Geno Auriemma spent the preseason raving about Strong’s improvement in her sophomore season, and the young phenom looked exactly as advertised against the Eagles. Strong had a visible confidence about her that wasn’t present during her freshman year, and she was unstoppable for the Huskies in the first half. She logged 15 points in her first 14 minutes on the court and finished with 17 shooting 8-for-11 from the field. Strong led UConn on the boards with five and in assists with four, and she was also a force on defense ending with two steals and two blocks.
Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams added 10 points in the first half, combining with Strong for more than half of UConn’s 43 points. The senior center looked far more comfortable than she did during the Huskies’ open practice in late September, and she had the highest plus/minus on the team at halftime. Wiliams finished with 15 points and five rebounds plus a pair of blocks.
The Huskies’ starting guards took just nine shots combined in the first half, though Fudd recorded three assists and juniors Ashlynn Shade and KK Arnold had two apiece. It’s clear UConn intends to run its offense through the frontcourt, and Williams will only get more comfortable with time in the Huskies’ system.
Defense powers offense
UConn’s entire lineup played a part in forcing 21 turnovers against Boston College, including nine in the first quarter alone. Nine different players recorded at least one steal, and four of the team’s five starters grabbed at least two contributing to a combined 14 for the team. The Huskies capitalized consistently on the Eagles’ mistakes, finishing with 29 points off turnovers, though they also gave up 18 points to Boston College off their own turnovers.
The biggest issue for UConn defensively was around the 3-point line, where the Eagles shot 10-for-28 and had far more open looks than they made. The Huskies also sent Boston College to the free throw line 20 times for 15 points.
Searching for bench production
UConn went deep on its bench in the exhibition with all 14 available players seeing the court, but there was a noticeable drop-off from the forwards off the bench when Strong and Williams were both off the floor. Redshirt senior Ice Brady, redshirt sophomore Jana El Alfy and freshman Blanca Quinonez combined for four points shooting 2-for-7 in the first half, and they finished the game with eight points between them.
UConn’s young guards also showed some nerves playing in front of a real crowd for the first time. USC transfer Kayleigh Heckel started 1-for-5 from the field, and freshman point guard Kelis Fisher picked up two fouls in her first 30 seconds on the floor. The Huskies bench combined for 14 of the team’s 19 turnovers.
Quinonez seemed more comfortable than most of the underclassmen, dishing four impressive assists and grabbing a pair of steals. But she showed some expected freshman sloppiness with three fouls and five turnovers, and she shot 2-for-8 from the field. Quinonez and sophomore Allie Ziebell were the only bench players to make multiple field goals.
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