UConn’s Early-Season Run Is Starting to Turn Heads Again
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NCAA, College League, USA Womens Basketball: Connecticut at Xavier Nov 30, 2025 Cincinnati, Ohio, USA UConn Huskies guard KK Arnold 2 and teammates react from the bench against the Xavier Musketeers at the Cintas Center. Cincinnati Cintas Center Ohio USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xAaronxDosterx 20251130_add_db4_058
The Huskies are up to a dominant 2025-26 start with a clear message: UConn is back.
Recording their longest win streak since the 2017-18 season with a 13-0 record and standing first in the Big East (4-0), Geno Auriemma’s team is on top of the December 22’s updated AP Poll ranking.
The Huskies are on a roll, grabbing their 29th straight win over Butler after the holiday break. As ESPN noted further, this becomes their 51st consecutive win in the Big East.
UConn has now recorded their longest win streak to start the season since 2017-18 😤
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) December 29, 2025
The Huskies started that year with a 36-0 record but lost to Notre Dame in the Final Four 😲 pic.twitter.com/sMIUHWgcvC
Connecticut edged the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs lost 94-47 at home as one of UConn’s leading scorers, Sarah Strong, dropped 15 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals.
As the conference is yet to begin, UConn is setting the pace early. But dominance in November/December doesn't automatically confirm glory in March.
Geno Auriemma’s Best Team
In 2017-18, UConn went 36-0 before losing to Notre Dame in the Final Four. However, there are similarities between that season and the current season. UConn’s 2025-26 stats speak for themselves.
The Huskies are averaging 89.8 points per game, ranking ninth nationally, while allowing just 52.9 points. Their SRS of 54.20 leads all 363 Division I teams, paired with a strength of schedule ranked third. Offensively, an ORtg of 121.9 highlights their balance, while a DRtg of 71.9 shows a defense that smothers opponents long before the buzzer.
These stats have not been easy to get. With wins over ranked opponents like Louisville, Michigan, and Ohio setting the tone, the Women's Champion Classic win of 90-64 over Iowa felt symbolic.
UConn’s depth of players like Azzi Fudd, KK Arnold, and Sarah Strong proved just how overwhelming this roster can be, with a 102-35 demolition of DePaul.
“I think this team has the potential to go down as one of Geno's best teams. Every single one of them, even the ones that come off the bench — [they] are deep off the bench — are really, really good... With a team like UConn that is so fast, and they're almost flawless in every aspect of the game. There's no time to get too high, and certainly low,” Hawkeyes coach Jan Jensen said.
With conference games not too far away, will UConn be able to defend its title post the Paige Bueckers era?
Written by
Fatema Kapasi
Edited by
Joyita Das