UConn’s dominance in the NCAA Tournament has been almost unmatched, with the program not losing a first-round game since 1993 while reaching the Sweet 16 in 31 straight appearances.

This year, the stakes are even higher as UConn looks to win its first undefeated national title in a decade while also chasing back-to-back championships for the first time since its 2013–2016 run.

With that in mind, here are five key things to know before the March 21 first-round matchup at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs.

Roadrunners Ride Upset Momentum

UConn Huskies women's basketball enters the tournament as a powerhouse, but UTSA Roadrunners women's basketball brings momentum after winning the American Athletic Conference title with four victories in four days.

Their run was capped by a 54–40 win over top-seeded Rice, which came into the game with a 28–5 record.

In that game, UTSA’s defense stood out, holding Rice to just 27% shooting (their lowest scoring output of the season), while also dominating the paint with a 32–14 advantage.

UTSA Ends Long NCAA Tournament Drought

UTSA earned an automatic bid by winning the American Athletic Conference tournament, marking its third NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2009, after previously qualifying by winning the Southland Conference in both 2008 and 2009.

Veteran Coach Karen Aston Nears Rare Milestone

Karen Aston has quickly turned UTSA into one of the fastest-rising programs in its conference, and with this NCAA Tournament appearance, she became just the 15th coach in women’s college basketball history to lead three different programs to the tournament.

Before this, she guided Charlotte to the tournament in 2009 and led Texas to six straight appearances from 2014 to 2019.

Across 17 seasons as a head coach, Aston has built a 349–208 record, averaging about 21 wins per season, while also leading Texas to four Sweet 16s and one Elite Eight.

Cheyenne Rowe Leading the Charge for UTSA

Senior forward Cheyenne Rowe has been UTSA’s most reliable player this season, averaging 14.0 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting nearly 45% from the field, making her a key focus for UConn.

She carried that form into the conference tournament, earning Most Outstanding Player honors after scoring double digits in three of four games.

UTSA Predicted the UConn Clash 

In case you missed it, UTSA head coach Karen Aston admitted the NCAA Tournament draw caught her off guard, especially when UConn was revealed as their first-round opponent.

“I think we didn’t expect it to be right out of the gates, the first name that was called,” the 61-year-old said, calling the moment shocking.

But while the coach was surprised, the players weren’t entirely, as Aston shared that they had already joked about facing UConn before the bracket was announced. “They’ve been saying we’ll probably play Connecticut,” she said, adding that what started as a joke ended up becoming reality.

That said, can UTSA realistically challenge UConn, or is this matchup already a foregone conclusion?

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Written by

Sauramita Debbarma

Edited by

Souvik Roy