UConn's Geno Auriemma Details Iowa Challenge
In this story:
The UConn Huskies have spent the opening stretch of the season overwhelming opponents early. The Huskies are 11–0, unbeaten in Big East play, and coming off an 89–53 demolition of Marquette that barely required a fourth quarter. They led by 44 after three, rested every starter, and still finished with 23 assists and another lopsided margin.
On the surface, everything looks settled. That calm, though, is precisely why Geno Auriemma knows the following game matters. After all, Iowa is not the kind of team to let opponents coast. Soon after the win against Marquette, Auriemma went on to talk about facing the Hawkeyes.
“They’re really good. They’re really good because they’re really well-balanced. Their post players are really good, they’re smart, they’re tough, and they finish around the basket. They make eight or nine threes a game, so it’s a team that can do both of those things really well,” started Auriemma.
The Hawkeyes enter the matchup at 10–1, ranked 11th in the AP Poll, with a frontcourt that produces consistently. Additionally, the Hawkeyes will be looking to make an 11-1 record for the first time in the Jan Jensen era. And if there is anyone who could hinder that plan, it is Auriemma.
However, Auriemma remains focused.
“They can score with their bigs in the lane, and their transition offense is really, really good. A lot of times when you have a great transition offense, you’re not throwing the ball in the lane a lot, but they do both," he added. "I think they’re going to be a real challenge and a real test for us to see how good our defense really is, especially our post defense. They’re really good.”
That last part wasn’t accidental. UConn has been suffocating teams with pressure and ball movement, but Iowa’s frontcourt demands discipline instead of speed. The Hawkeyes enter with a roster that has names like Taylor Stremlow, Ava Heiden, Hannah Stuelke and more.
Stuelke Smooth 😎
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) December 16, 2025
Hannah Stuelke was named to this week's B1G Player of the Week Honor Roll! pic.twitter.com/xc7x5MUVdu
Additionally, the Hawkeyes have consistently won at home for years, dominated Big Ten play since 2019, and have continued that stability under head coach Jan Jensen. History adds another layer of tension to this game.
UConn still owns the series edge, standing 6-3 all-time. However, the most recent meeting ended with a 71–69 loss in the 2023-24 season’s national semifinal. In that game, Caitlin Clark finally broke free after being bottled up for three quarters. She went on to make seven points in the opening 2:30 of the fourth quarter.
Iowa followed with a decisive 6–0 run to stretch the lead to 66–57, creating separation that UConn never entirely erased. Paige Bueckers kept the Huskies within striking distance, but the early fourth-quarter burst changed the game. The Huskies will look to rewrite that history this time.
After Iowa, UConn Has Two Big East Games Before the Year Ends
Once the Iowa test is passed, UConn steps back into conference play with two familiar opponents: Butler and Providence. Butler comes first, a program UConn has never lost to since the Bulldogs joined the Big East.
The Huskies are 8–0 all-time in the matchup. The most recent meeting ended in an 86–47 road win. Providence follows, and the numbers there are even more decisive. UConn has won 38 straight against the Friars and holds a 49–5 all-time edge.
But those games come after Iowa. And that’s the point. The Hawkeyes aren’t a tune-up. They’re a team that tests UConn’s interior defense, transition discipline, and ability to respond. The Huskies have looked untouchable so far. Iowa will tell them how real that feeling actually is.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.