The UConn women’s basketball team began the new year on a high note, dominating Seton Hall 84-48 at PeoplesBank Arena on Sunday to continue its undefeated start in 2025-26.
The No. 1 Huskies are one of seven unbeaten teams left in Division I, and Sunday’s win marked their 53rd consecutively against Big East opponents. The team’s current 15-0 record is its best start to a season since 2017-18.
Superstar forward Sarah Strong led the way with 18 points, shooting 7-for-11 and 3-for-4 from 3-point range. It was the sophomore’s fourth time in five games hitting at least three shots from beyond the arc. She did a bit of everything for UConn, adding eight rebounds, four assists and four steals to her final stat line.
Redshirt senior Azzi Fudd had another standout offensive performance, adding 16 points on four made 3-pointers plus two assists and a steal. Sophomore guard Allie Ziebell joined the star duo in double digits with 12 points hitting 4-for-6 from the perimeter and logging a pair of steals.
Starting point guard KK Arnold returned to the court in a plastic mask after missing last game with a nasal fracture, and the junior didn’t miss a beat with five assists and a team-high five steals in the victory. She helped anchor another dominant defensive effort from the Huskies, who combined for 20 steals and forced 32 total turnovers that they converted into 36 points. It was the fifth time this season UConn generated at least 30 opponent turnovers.
The Huskies got out to an early 11-5 lead behind a pair of 3-pointers from Fudd, but a sluggish shooting start allowed Seton Hall to stay in the game longer than many Big East opponent have in the first quarter. UConn missed six consecutive field goal attempts during a four-minute scoring drought, and the Pirates took advantage with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 11.
UConn quickly found a response after the brief scare when Ziebell knocked down an open 3-point look from the corner. Fudd added her third make of the game off a Ziebell steal a few moments later and Strong ended the quarter draining a long jump shot to send the team into the second on an 8-0 run.
The Huskies kept the momentum rolling, holding Seton Hall scoreless for more than three minutes and extending their run to 15-0 early in the second quarter. Coach Geno Auriemma went to one of his biggest lineups with Strong, center Serah Williams and forward Blanca Quinonez all on the floor together, and the trio smothered the Pirates’ offense holding top Seton Hall forward Mariana Valenzuela to just two field goal attempts and a single made 3-pointer in the quarter.
UConn’s scoring began to heat up late in the second with Strong leading the charge on a solo 8-0 run. Fudd and Williams followed Strong up with a layup apiece off a pair of Seton Hall turnovers, and the Huskies entered halftime with 21 points off 20 forced turnovers. They held the Pirates scoreless until the final seconds when Valenzuela sank her 3-pointer to end the drought, and Fudd and Strong combined for 25 of the team’s 38 first-half points.
Fudd set the tone for the second half draining her fourth 3-pointer, and Strong took control of the offense once again. She kicked off an 11-0 UConn run with a no-look pass to Jana El Alfy through the paint for a layup, then added six straight points of her own including her third make from beyond the arc.
The Huskies shut the door midway through the third quarter, putting up 18 unanswered points and holding Seton Hall to just four through the first eight minutes of the half until UConn sat Fudd and Strong. They outscored the Pirates 29-8 in the third, going into the fourth quarter with a 41-point lead.
Fudd and Strong have yet to play a single minute in the fourth quarter this season, and UConn’s bench put together a solid final frame. El Alfy recorded double-digit points for the second straight game, finishing with 10 on 4-for-5 shooting plus six rebounds, and the reserves combined for 33 points in the win. Redshirt senior Caroline Ducharme scored in her first appearance since a shoulder injury sidelined her for the previous three games, and the Huskies got points from 10 of the 11 players who saw the court.