UConn women’s basketball leaves statement versus Southern Connecticut

The No.1 UConn women’s basketball team defeated the Southern Connecticut State Owls 105-39 in their final preseason matchup before kicking off the 2025-2026 stretch.

The Huskies’ dominating first-quarter defense helped propel the program to depart from the Owls early and maintain a large margin.

To start the clash, the squad dropped 30 points and conceded just five points. Overall, Connecticut converted 36 points off of 32 botched plays by the Owls, with 14 of them coming in the opening quarter.

When it comes to stealing the ball, KK Arnold topped the team with six takeaways, with half of them occurring in the first quarter. Azzi Fudd, who trailed behind Arnold, snagged five balls. Off the bench, Blanca Quiñonez invited Southern Connecticut to her block party and swatted away three potential buckets.

In the paint, UConn secured a total of 47 rebounds, with 11 on offense and 36 on defense, which landed them 15 points. Sarah Strong paved the way for second-chance points as she grabbed 10 boards.

In Connecticut’s previous exhibition against the Boston College Eagles, the team lacked defensive communication. Since then, this issue has improved, but it still has not yet reached Head Coach Geno Auriemma’s standards.

“It was better,” Auriemma said. “I think every team that I’ve ever coached starts the season with those problems and it gets better as the season goes on.”

With star guard Paige Bueckers gone and the rotation involving several newcomers, it can become harder to enhance these skills.

“It’s not easy when you’re trying to incorporate a lot of new players,” said Auriemma. “Every year, when you replace the players that were very talkative, like Kaitlyn Chen, Paige Bueckers, it masks what the other guys are not doing.”

Additionally, the 12-time NCAA National Champion credited Southern Connecticut for their execution and showing flaws that the Huskies need to refine.

“They looked like they had a plan and they knew what they wanted to do,” said Auriemma. “They got a bunch of threes out, which says a lot about them. Says a lot about us too.”

Offensively, Fudd led the way, posting 21 points, a rebound and dishing out four assists. Within nearly 25 minutes, the senior cashed in three of five (60%) field goals and drained five of eight (62.5%) shots from deep.

As for Serah Williams, the Wisconsin transfer once again looked as if she had played with UConn for years. The forward thrived from within the arc, knocking down six of eight (75%) tries and converting two free throws.

With the paint controlled by Williams, more options will continue to grow beyond the arc. Within 16 and a half minutes, the 21-year-old ended the day contributing 14 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Strong, who experienced an off day, still earned a double-double. The reigning Big East Freshman of the Year accumulated 11 points, 10 boards and six assists. The second-year player banked three of seven (42.9%) attempts from the paint and just one of four (25%) three-pointers.

With that being said, this solidifies the Huskies’ big three of Fudd, Williams and Strong. As the 2025-2026 run progresses, the trio’s chemistry will only get better.

Coming off the bench, Allie Ziebell subbed in throughout the entire match and did not disappoint. The sophomore scored 13 points, making three of four (75%) two-pointers and two of six (33%) shots from downtown.

“Last year, I think she [Ziebell] struggled with some confidence issues,” said Auriemma. “All of a sudden, she was sick, missed about four or five days of practice and never really recovered.”

As the 2025-2026 campaign gets underway, Ziebell could break out and become a very reliable sixth-woman.

“I think she came better prepared this year,” said Auriemma. “That’s probably the only thing that holds her back, is truly believing that she’s good enough.”

Alongside Ziebell, Quiñonez made her presence known. The freshman saw 20 minutes of play and notched 12 points. The forward faced challenges from just about all ranges but capitalized on the free-throw line.

The Ecuadorian native splashed just one of two (50%) shots from within the perimeter and one of five (20%) tries from long range. However, Quiñonez cashed in seven of eight (87.5%) free throws.

The Huskies kick off the 2025-2026 stretch facing the No. 20-ranked Louisville Cardinals at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Fans can stream the clash on ESPN, with tipoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m.