Fresh off its first win of the season against No. 20 Louisville, the No. 1-ranked UConn women’s basketball team is set to return to Gampel Pavilion to take on the Florida State Seminoles on Sunday, Nov. 9.
On Monday night, during their season opener against Louisville, the Huskies were a force to be reckoned with.
“For the first game out, I thought it was a tremendous success,” head coach Geno Auriemma said to the media after the game, per Dan Connolly of the UConn blog.
Sophomore forward Sarah Strong had a successful outing, racking up 21 points and nine rebounds. Throughout the preseason and now in the regular season, Strong has taken on a new leadership role on the team by using her voice and setting up scoring opportunities for her teammates, come game time.
Alongside Strong in the season opener, the point guard trio of KK Arnold, Ashlynn Shade and Kayleigh Heckel, as well as shooting guard Azzi Fudd, made waves by being disruptive on the offensive side and attacking the rim.
Despite the Huskies not converting from the perimeter, their full court pressure was what gave the program the upper hand in this bout versus the Cardinals.
For Sunday’s game, the Huskies should look for junior Pania Davis on the Seminoles. In her NCAA debut, the 6-foot-6 forward grabbed 14 points and eight rebounds. In addition, the Australia native went 100% on her eight free throw attempts for the entire game.
Husky fans will see a bit of a shuffled Seminole roster this year, with a notable exit of Ta’Niya Latson, the nation’s leading scorer who transferred to South Carolina for her senior campaign.
The last time these two squads faced one another was in December 2022, where the Huskies won the game 85-77. Dating back to when they first faced one another in 2002, Connecticut is 10-0.
The key to the Huskies winning this matchup against the Seminoles is to just keep doing what they’ve been doing. That being, setting a fast tempo early, maintaining full court pressure and converting at the perimeter.
Connecticut has not played a game in Storrs since March, before they won their 12th National Championship and UConn renovated Gampel Pavilion.
In the Huskies’ return to the basketball capital of the world this weekend, fans will witness the unveiling of the Huskies’ 12th Championship Banner in Gampel Pavilion, as well as new lower bowl seats and enhanced fan experiences inside the UConn venue.
Tip-off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. If Husky fans cannot make it to Storrs, they can tune into the game on FS1 or listen in on 97.9 FM from Learfield.