Perfection. It’s a term that has historically become synonymous with the No. 10 UConn women’s basketball team. They’ve gone through six entire seasons without a blemish on their record and make all sorts of accomplishments that would be monumental for other schools seem ordinary. On Sunday, the Huskies entered Providence, RI with a chance to complete their 17th perfect conference slate in school history and their first since 2021.
“We’ve got some pretty good upperclassmen that are pretty tough kids,” Coach Geno Auriemma told SNY postgame regarding what led to the undefeated campaign. “They’ve gotten better and better and they’re great leaders…We’ve had some great contributions from some of our freshmen.”
The Friars weren’t set to be the toughest challenge, entering with a 6-11 record in the Big East, but no away game is a piece of cake. After a bit of a rough and sloppy first quarter, Connecticut found their groove en route to a 65-42 blowout of Providence.
Even as Paige Bueckers scored the contest’s first five points, the hosts didn’t let it deter them. A Kendall Eddy jumper knotted the score at 10, but it was UConn’s turn to respond. Nika Mühl drained a three to cap off an 11-0 run that had the Huskies up by eight at the end of the quarter.
Connecticut was cruising until Alumni Hall went dead silent early in the second frame. The air was taken out of the building as Bueckers limped across the court and fell to the floor, clutching the same knee that held her out for all of the 2022-23 season. Fortunately, the redshirt junior re-entered the competition just a moment later.
Not only did she return, but she absolutely torched Providence. As the UConn defense was rock solid, Bueckers scored at will. Whether it was a floater, a triple or anything else, the Friars were completely overwhelmed. With the Huskies allowing just three points in the period, Bueckers finished the half with 17 points to Providence’s 16.
Things didn’t get any more competitive for the rest of the game, with Connecticut ultimately winning by 23 and leaving their starters on the bench for a nice chunk of the second half. The contributions from anyone not named Aaliyah Edwards or Bueckers were limited, but those two were excellent.
Bueckers had her aforementioned spurt in the second quarter, playing as aggressively in that stretch as she has all year. She finished with 17 points on 13 shots in just 22 minutes, not really needing to do much after that stretch. But the fire that she showed is what UConn needs if they want to make a deep run.
Bueckers prefers to get her teammates involved and play a holistic game, but with the excess of season-ending injuries the squad has sustained, that’s not feasible. There aren’t enough viable options to dish the ball to, hence why games where she bears the scoring burden are critical. There aren’t many–if any–players in the country with the talent to play basketball at the level that Bueckers can. She just needs to channel those abilities into putting the ball in the basket like never before.
Though she didn’t quite do it with the same flare, Edwards played well in her 23 minutes. She dropped in 13 points, seven rebounds and four steals, a modest contribution, but excellent when considering her limited playing time. The former All-American set the tone, neutralizing Olivia Olsen, one of Providence’s best players. Edwards has been a major key for Connecticut this year, giving them consistency. When so few things have been stable for this team, knowing what you’re getting with Edwards is huge.
It was also nice for Auriemma to allow his stars a breather. It seems like they’ve kept their foot firmly on the gas all year, so giving them a light day on the tail end was a welcome sight. That time on the bench also offered freshman KK Arnold a chance to shine–and she was solid.
Arnold led her team to an ugly eight-point fourth quarter, but her efforts throughout the evening were positive. She nabbed three steals to go along with 12 points and a career-best seven boards.
Any concerns about 3-point shooting weren’t totally alleviated as she hit on one of five attempts, but her aggression driving to the cup was a nice sight. Arnold will need to be the best version of herself if the Huskies wish to live up to their aspirations in March, having more nights with this level of intensity.
Mühl finished the night with seven assists, tying Renee Montgomery for fourth all-time in UConn history. Her intensity was as high as anyone else for the duration of her time in, even to a fault at times. She dove in for a loose ball with fewer than five minutes left in the blowout but managed to escape the scene completely unscathed. If she doesn’t use her extra year of eligibility, the Huskies’ postseason run could be her last chance to dole out 28 more assists, which would give her the program’s all-time record.
That run will kick off this Saturday at the Big East tournament in Uncasville, Conn., where Connecticut looks to continue their dominance against Big East competition.