Fudd’s five threes guide UConn Women’s Hoops’ exhibition win over Boston College
Head coach Geno Auriemma told NBC Sports Boston at halftime that his team got “good shots,” but was not making any of them. The UConn women’s basketball team, who had 43 points at the intermission, shot 2-17 from downtown and 42.6% overall from the floor.
While they scored fewer points in the second half, the Huskies’ offense looked much more effective. Connecticut shot 16-27 from the floor and 8-11 from downtown behind Azzi Fudd’s 15 points on five triples.
That second-half explosion, combined with a relatively tight defense, helped hold off the Boston College Eagles 84-67 at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Fudd, the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, took on the lead role for the Huskies in the matinee, specifically in the third quarter. 12 of Fudd’s team-high 20 points came in the first four minutes of that period alone. The former No. 1 recruit complemented her offense with four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Fudd posted all of those numbers while celebrating college basketball’s unofficial return.
“I had a lot of fun today,” the All-Big East First Team guard said postgame. “Getting to get a real feel, it got me more excited for what is to come.”
With First Night cancelled this year, Monday’s exhibition provided the official first look at the 2025-26 Huskies. Not only did the 6,000 fans in attendance witness Fudd’s second-half dominance, but they also received a sneak peek of a lethal defense.
Connecticut recorded 14 steals, forced as many turnovers as they allowed field goals (21) and blocked six shots. At times, the Huskies looked tighter defensively than they did throughout their national title run.
Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams and Sarah Strong spearheaded that charge with five boards and five rejections apiece. Their consistent presence under the glass disrupted the Eagles’ plans for attacking the interior.
Each forward supported their intimidating defense with an efficient shot selection. Strong displayed her offensive skills with 17 points and five assists. Williams, meanwhile, took over Paige Bueckers’ spot on UConn’s big three. The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year went 5-7 from the floor and scored 15 points in just 17 minutes.
“Ever since we started practice two weeks ago, she has gotten better and better every day,” Auriemma commented about Williams. “I think she is going to be a huge help to us.”
Boston College competed with the reigning national champions and impressed with its new-look squad in Uncasville. The Eagles buried 10 buckets from deep, more than they averaged last season, and had 14 assists on their 21 field goals. Even with their size disadvantage, Boston College only lost the rebound battle by nine.
Graduate transfer Teionni McDaniel guided the Eagles, the third Division I school she will play for, off the bench. Like Fudd, McDaniel went off in the second half, scoring 15 points on 5-7 shooting and finishing with a game-high 23. Incorporate her six free throws, and the Las Vegas native could become a major rotation piece for Joanna Bernabei-McNamee’s squad.
First-year guard Amirah Anderson, meanwhile, shone in a starting role. The No. 76 recruit in ESPN’s SportsCenter NEXT’s 100 made up for her 2-11 clip with an all-around game. Anderson grabbed six rebounds and tacked on two assists while scoring 10 second-half points.
Charlotte native Jocelyne Grier and senior Ava McGee each had eight points. Athena Tomlinson, Boston College’s only player who appeared in games for them last season, dropped five with five assists.
William and Mary transfer Kayla Rolph picked up six points, all of which came on her two early three-pointers. The Huskies’ starters rotation countered that early attack with an 11-0 run primarily in the paint. All but the first two of those points came from six Eagle turnovers. Connecticut’s defense did not just force Boston College into making mistakes; they held them without a two-pointer over the exhibition’s first 7.5 minutes.
But those initial struggles did not stop the Eagles from clawing back. Tomlinson nearly knotted the contest at 18 following a fast-break layup and a transition steal. The Huskies’ frontcourt instead capitalized on her wide-open miss, ending the opening frame with a double-digit lead.
Strong and Williams scored UConn’s last six points in that opening period and the first eight in the second. Ayanna Patterson and Caroline Ducharme, the latter of whom received enormous fanfare, both checked in as the offensive pace slowed. The Huskies made two of their last 11 shots but maintained their aggressive defensive style for a 43-30 halftime advantage.
The 15-minute intermission provided the perfect spark for Fudd, who had five points and three assists in the first half. Whether from the corner or down Main Street, the Virginia native played and looked unstoppable from behind the arc.
Four of those five treys came within three minutes early in the third quarter. That alone provided enough separation for Connecticut against its former Big East Conference foe. Even then, the three-point bonanza carried over into the final frame. Allie Ziebell and McDaniel buried triples 40 seconds apart, and Ashlynn Shade followed suit nearly a minute later. UConn made just four field goals the rest of the afternoon as Auriemma continued experimenting with the roster.
Although Boston College scored the game’s last nine points, all 14 available Huskies played at least four minutes in the preseason victory. While both he and Fudd highlighted areas of improvement, college basketball’s winningest coach focused his attention on managing the team’s depth.
“If you find a first and second unit, and you can mix and match between those two, it will give you lineups that allow you to play differently with what the game calls for,” Auriemma explained.
The 12-time national champion gets one more chance to make rotational adjustments in a live setting before the contests officially count. Connecticut’s exhibition slate concludes on Sunday, October 26, when the Southern Connecticut State Owls come to Hartford. Tip-off from the recently-renamed PeoplesBank Arena is at 1 p.m. EDT on WFSB Channel 3 and UConn+.
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