With a new year, often comes new resolutions.
For some, though, these resolutions can include continuing to stay congruent with things that went well in the year prior.
This seemed to be the case for the top-ranked UConn women’s basketball team on Saturday afternoon. For their first game of 2026, and their first home game since their holiday break, the Huskies defeated conference foe, Seton Hall 84-48.
They accomplished their fifteenth win of the season by doing what they’ve been doing all season long. This involved utilizing their bench depth to their advantage and their fast full-court pressure.
In the first quarter, despite the Huskies draining the first few baskets, the Pirates managed to make their way up Connecticut, going on a 9-0 run.
With the score tied 11-11 and less than a minute and-a-half to go in the frame, the Huskies had their work cut out for them.
However, with clutch three-pointers from Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd off a turnover from the Pirates, they extended their lead to eight points to close out the first ten minutes.
Throughout the first half of their season, it seemed that time and time again. When the Huskies found themselves struggling to get points on the board, they could reverse the course of the game to significantly increase their lead.
One of the main focal points for the squad on the defensive side of has been junior guard KK Arnold, who returned to the court today, after missing the program’s game against Providence earlier this week due to a nasal fracture.
Any time Arnold steps out on the court, it seems as if she immediately impacts the game with her quick style of play and ability to disrupt the opposing team.
“There’s nobody else on the team that will be able to replicate what she does.” Head Coach Geno Auriemma said post-game. “So, when you do have her in the game, when you do have that, she does become incredibly valuable as a tone setter,”
On the other side of the court, Arnold’s teammate, Strong, who refers to Arnold as “that girl” has been the main focal point for the squad on the offensive end. The North Carolina native finished the game with 18 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, in spite of a slow start to the game.
At the end of the first half, the score was 38-18, Huskies. The Huskies utilized the Pirates’ 20 turnovers to put up 21 points on the board, helping them to maintain a hefty lead.
Going into the second half, players like Jana El Alfy had the opportunity to put their skills on display.
El Alfy made an immediate impact when she stepped out on the court, maintaining steady ball movement with her teammates and finishing those passes at the rim.
The 6-foot-5 forward finished the game, grabbing 10 points and 6 rebounds.
“She’s very physical in there and I’m happy for her because we talked about this a lot and come all the way out of here to not be a factor, you know.” Auriemma said, “And the coaches keep reminding me too, like we’re going to need her; she proved last year she’s going to be really valuable.”
In the final frame of the game, the Pirates slowly cut their deficit, in an attempt to catch up to the Huskies, but remained unsuccessful in doing so.
Arnold emphasized to the media that heading into this new year and the second half of the regular season, the main thing the Huskies are focusing on is just staying consistent with what the 5-foot-9 guard and her squad have been doing.
“Make sure that we do what we’re supposed to do, practice and just focus on each game and be present.” Arnold said, “Just focusing on scouts and taking it one game at a time and just focusing on consistency.”
Next up, the Huskies will continue their conference homestand against St. John’s Wednesday evening. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from PeoplesBank Arena. Husky fans can tune in to the bout on TruTV.