Three Takeaways From UConn's Win Over Louisville
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The defending champion UConn Huskies took on the Louisville Cardinals at the Armed Forces Classic and picked up right where they left off after their National Championship win. They defeated the Cardinals 79-66 and made it seem easy from start to finish.
It was anything but easy as the Huskies started hot and got ahead 18-4 and finished the game being outscored 62-61, but they still picked up the victory. This was the Huskies first game without phenom Paige Bueckers on the roster as she is now in the WNBA, but the Huskies still got it done. There are some positives and negatives to take away from the game.
1. Sarah Strong is still as dominant as ever
Second-year player Sarah Strong is still super dominant, and it showed against the Cardinals. She finished the game 9-17 with the field with 21 points and 3-4 from the free-throw line.
She is just super athletic, is tall, can work her way into the paint, and can usually get any kind of shot that she wants. She is that good and was very good her freshman year last season, and just kept the ball rolling against the Cardinals.
If the Huskies want to be repeat champions, she is going to have to be on her A game all-season long. And so far, that does not seem like a tall ask.
2. Azzi Fudd is a great 1-2 punch with Strong
Fudd, like Strong, is still a really good player and looks like she has her footing already. She finished the game with 20 points on 9-20 from the field and 2-8 from three-point land.
Fudd's 3-point shooting game was not the best but putting up 20 shots and even getting 20 points is a really nice opening night performance. She makes a really nice 1B with Sarah Strong and these two should make opponents fear them all-season long.
Fudd and Strong could very well help lead the Huskies to a second title in back-to-back years. They are that good.
3. The Huskies need to practice their 3-point shooting
Nobody expects to be able to shoot lights out from 3 on opening night. But no team also expects to shoot as poorly from three as the Huskies did. The Huskies finished the game shooting 4-26 from three-point land which is really bad.
The funny thing is they got a lot of really good open looks from three but could not drain one to save their lives. They just could not connect from downtown. But the Huskies will definitely work on it as the season goes on.
It was only game one and this is a major thing the Huskies need to work on. Head coach Geno Auriemma will have them practicing this as soon as the next day, so they get better and learn.
Tyler is a 25 year old Journalism graduate from Georgia Southern University. Tyler is a big fan of hockey, baseball, basketball, and football, and also is a staff writer for Fansided.