Stephen A. Smith Admits ‘Scary’ Truth About UConn’s NCAA Tournament Chances
The first round of the NCAA Women's Tournament begins on March 20. And while there are plenty of elite teams this season, there's no question that the UConn Huskies are the favorite to win their second straight national championship.
UConn is 34-0 this season and has dominated just about every single opponent they've faced. Their star-studded roster has remained injury-free, and Geno Auriemma's squad is firing on all cylinders at the perfect time.
Stephen A. Smith Sends Blunt Warning to NCAA Tournament Field About UConn
During a March 20 episode of ESPN's "First Take", Stephen A. Smith was asked whether he could take UConn or the field when predicting this season's national champion.
"I would love to have the field, because coach [Yolett McPhee-McCuin] at Ole Miss, coach Cori Close at UCLA, I've been to both of their games. You know, you see what Texas is doing. I love me some Dawn Staley, the queen. No question about it, South Carolina. But what I'm seeing from UConn, I mean, this is some scary stuff. This is pure dominance. And I'm trying to figure out what the h*** you're gonna do against them!" Smith said, per an X post from "First Take".
"I mean, what is there, a 50, 51-game winning streak? Sarah Strong, Fudd, I mean what you gonna do against them? They got size, they got shooters, they play defense. Geno Auriemma has been to, what is it, like 31 straight Sweet Sixteens? 24 Final Fours? 12 national championships? I mean, my god! And this team, they look better. They just continue to reload and re-tool," Smith continued.
"And by the way, in national championship games, the man is 12-1. Only Dawn Staley has knocked him off. Now, I'm of the mindset that it's going to be UCLA versus UConn. I think it's gonna come down to that. And I love me some Lauren Betts... I love their team, I love what they bring to the table. I think their experience from last year will help them. But looks like a juggernaut, and it's one of those situations where you've just gotta see it to believe it, when it comes to the prospect of somebody knocking them off.
"Because I just don't know. I watch them, and it's like, they just turn it up when they want to. And there's nothing you can do! You're just like, 'Oh, god, this is gonna be bad.' And that's the feeling that they give you when we watch them," he concluded.
UConn or the field? 🤔@stephenasmith cannot go against UConn and their "scary stuff." pic.twitter.com/vjeex7pozY
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 20, 2026
While anything can happen in MIt's tough to see who can stop UConn at this point.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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