UConn’s Hot Start Reaches Levels Not Seen Since 2018
In this story:
Seven years after one of the most memorable runs in women’s college basketball history, the echoes inside Harry A. Gampel Pavilion feel familiar again.
The No. 1 UConn Huskies women's basketball have opened the 2025–26 season undefeated, producing their longest opening win streak since the 2017–18 group that once raced to a 36–0 start.
This version looks different on the surface, but the results feel just as serious. Under Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma, now in his forty-first season, UConn is winning through relentless defense, depth, and structure.
From Offensive Firepower to Defensive Control
The comparison to 2017–18 is unavoidable, though the paths could not be more distinct. That earlier team overwhelmed opponents with scoring, averaging 91.7 points per game while allowing 63.8.
The roster was loaded with perimeter stars, including Katie Lou Samuelson, Napheesa Collier, Kia Nurse, and Azura Stevens, and the Huskies routinely buried teams early. Massive wins over Wichita State and Temple illustrated how overpowering that offense had become.
Yet when the season reached its final stage, the formula proved vulnerable. In the national semifinals, Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball disrupted UConn’s rhythm with pressure and pace.
The 2025–26 Huskies reflect that lesson. Entering late December, UConn sits at 13–0 this season and has won 29 straight games including tournament play.
More importantly, no opponent has reached 70 points or shot 50 percent from the field through 12 games. The Huskies boast a defensive rating of 72.2 and are holding teams to 0.63 points per possession, the program’s best figures since the 2015–16 season.
Depth, Discipline and the New Blueprint
The roster construction also highlights the shift. Instead of leaning on a small group of superstars, this team thrives on balance and accountability.
Sarah Strong anchors the defense, averaging 3.5 steals and 1.9 blocks per game with a Hakeem Percentage of 15.9, placing her in the top one percent nationally. Her ability to disrupt plays and immediately ignite transition offense has become central to UConn’s rhythm.
In the backcourt, KK Arnold handles primary ball duties while Kayleigh Heckel has taken on elite perimeter matchups.
Azzi Fudd, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2025 NCAA championship game, often guards top wings while providing timely scoring.
Depth allows Auriemma to enforce standards. Serah Williams adds length and versatility, Jana El-Alfy has grown into a reliable interior presence and Ashlynn Shade supplies consistent two-way play.
Offensively, the Huskies remain efficient. Strong is averaging 18.3 points while shooting 58.9 percent from the field, 37 percent from three and 86.2 percent at the line.
Fudd continues to deliver high-impact scoring despite reduced usage. In the win over Iowa, UConn recorded 26 assists on 35 field goals, a reflection of spacing and trust rather than isolation.
At 71, Auriemma has surpassed 1,250 career wins and owns a .883 winning percentage, more national titles than the UCLA men’s program. The significance of this start is not statistical alone. It shows a program still capable of adapting, prioritizing cohesion and disruption over sheer firepower.
Aman Sharma is a sports writer who covers college, professional football, and basketball with an eye for detail and storytelling. With over two years of experience writing for outlets like The Sporting News, Pro Football & Sports Network, Sportskeeda, and College Football Network, he’s covered from the NFL and NBA to the NCAA and breakout athletes with a fan’s instinct and depth. Off the field, Aman is a gym and badminton enthusiast.