Women’s basketball: The Big East reflects on what it means to play UConn 

Since rejoining the Big East prior to the start of the 2020-2021 season, the UConn women’s basketball team has lost just three times in conference play; once to Villanova during an early February game in 2021, as well as Marquette and St. John’s in 2022. The team’s combined win-loss conference record of 70-3 over the course of the last four seasons is the best in Big East play by 19 wins and its run of four consecutive conference championships is the most since UConn won five straight from 2008-2012 — dominance would be an understatement.  

UConn opens 2024 as the nation’s No. 2 team in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, marking the sixth time in school history that the Huskies have opened as the national runner-up. The Huskies also claimed the top spot – unanimously — in the preseason Big East poll, with the additional vote going to Creighton, who finished nine total points behind UConn at 91.  

All eleven teams gathered inside Madison Square Garden to answer questions from the media at the 45th annual Big East Media Day on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. While crowds four rows deep formed around Husky stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, Creighton standouts Morgan Maly and Molly Mogensen reflected on what it’s like getting a shot at the powerful Huskies every year. 

“I feel like we have respect, but not as much as we deserve or command,” said Maly. “Part of that is because we haven’t knocked off UConn yet, like you said, we beat a few good non-conference teams, we take care of most of the Big East opponents, but UConn is still that ‘to do.’” 

The Blue Jays have never beaten the Huskies in a series spanning nine games and lasting over a decade. Last January’s 94-50 victory in Omaha was the largest margin of victory for the Huskies in a game dominated by Paige Bueckers’ 24 points and 4/5 effort from three. Creighton has come close to upending the Huskies, most notably in 2023 when UConn escaped with a two-point victory. 

“Who isn’t looking forward to playing UConn?” said Butler transfer guard Kilyn McGuff, “That’s always fun.” The Belmont transfer was one of the most consistent players at the mid-major level last season and adds another level of weaponry to a Butler squad amped to compete in the upper half of the Big East. “They’re very talented, so there’s obviously a level of respect, but, you know, I think we can compete with them.”  

The Bulldogs and Huskies only met once in 2023, when then-freshman Ashlynn Shade scored 22 points while shooting 9/15 from the field in an 88-62 Connecticut victory. Likewise, Butler has also never beaten UConn, as the Huskies hold a six to zero series lead dating back to 2021.  

“We don’t care who you are,” said Georgetown junior guard Victoria Rivera, “If you’re standing in our way of the NCAA Tournament.” The Hoyas most recently met the Huskies in the 2024 Big East Championship Game, when Connecticut ran away early in a decisive 78-42 victory and held Georgetown to under 15 points in every quarter. Connecticut leads the all-time series history 50-2, dating back to 1988.  

Georgetown, along with Creighton and Butler, have conjured rosters capable of competing with the Huskies in 2024 (Albeit the three teams resorted to different methods of building their respective roster). The playing field has somewhat leveled in the Big East over the span of the last few years, allowing all eleven teams to compete with one another on a nightly basis.  

From the ranks of Creighton and its No. 21 rank nationally, to the bottom of the Big East preseason poll in last-ranked Xavier, every player had the same message: “I think those teams get a lot of exposure, and I think that’s great for us. I mean, we took a huge step from last year and we are a completely different team,” said Xavier forward Loren Christie. 

Starting to see a pattern? Connecticut has a huge, swelling flamboyant bullseye on its back heading into 2024 — a bullseye every other team in the Big East wants to hit dead-center. “I think a lot of people are going to be shocked [by] the way we’re going to be able to compete with a lot of teams in this conference,” said Christie. 

Connecticut’s 987-209 all-time record in the Big East is nearly 200-wins ahead of second place Villanova (750-500). Its 22 Big East Tournament titles are the most out of any school in the conference, and its record-setting eleven National Championships put the Huskies on a pedestal the rest of the Big East is eager to knock over.