Strong, the sensational sophomore, dominated the first half with 20 points and five steals as UConn led 42-31. UConn was up 22-12 after one quarter before Iowa was able to get within six in the second. Strong wouldn't let the Hawkeyes get closer as she scored seven points, including the first five, in a 10-2 run that gave the Huskies a 35-20 advantage midway through the quarter.
When USC and Connecticut met in the Elite Eight, in the immediate wake of JuJu Watkins ' devastating knee injury last March, it didn't take long to see how much USC missed its superstar. As hard as the Trojans fought, the Huskies were simply too much to handle without Watkins. That thought, nine months later, hadn't been given much serious credence at USC through a solid 7-2 start.
The Huskies (8-3) scored a touchdown on their first possession of each half. They took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter on a 10-yard run by Joe Fagnano but a pass for the two-point conversion was incomplete. UConn added a 47-yard field goal by Chris Freeman in the final minute of the second quarter for a 9-7 lead at halftime.
Can the Huskies win a 13th? UConn is ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll despite losing standout Paige Bueckers, the top draft pick and Rookie of the Year this past WNBA season. Many other top contending teams from last season return strong, too, though USC superstar JuJu Watkins is sitting out 2025-2026 after tearing her right ACL in the NCAA tournament in March.
