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For the eleventh time in program historical past, the UConn Huskies girls’s basketball program accomplished an undefeated common season with an 85-49 win at St. John’s on Sunday. This 2025-26 group compares favorably in opposition to any of the earlier 10 unbeaten groups, because the Huskies 37.8 level common margin of victory this season ranks third in each UConn and NCAA girls’s basketball historical past–trailing solely the 2014-15 and 2015-16 groups led by Breanna Stewart.
To completely illustrate UConn’s dominance this season, permit me to run by means of some numbers. The Huskies earned two 65+ level wins in Large East play, beating DePaul by 67 and Xavier by 65 inside a span of eight days on Nov. 30 and Dec. 7. They gained a complete of six video games by a minimum of 50 factors and beat ranked opponents by a median of 20 factors per sport. Except for a 3-point win over Michigan in November, all of UConn’s different wins got here by a minimum of 13 factors.
31-0
the eleventh undefeated common season in program historical past – however we’re not accomplished but pic.twitter.com/uwndKjlHbm
— UConn Ladies’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) March 2, 2026
Led by the nation’s greatest 1-2 punch in senior guard Azzi Fudd and sophomore ahead and sure Nationwide Participant of the Yr Sarah Sturdy, UConn enters the postseason as a decisive favourite to win a second straight nationwide title and prolong their document mark to 13 complete. Nevertheless, one legitimate criticism of the Huskies’ 31-0 mark this season is that they’ve managed to keep away from the opposite significant nationwide title contenders in common season play, which might definitely depart the potential for shock within the Remaining 4 or Nationwide Championship sport.
UConn ended the common season because the unanimous No. 1 crew within the AP Ballot, so the Huskies have definitely gotten the respect it deserves. Nonetheless, lingering at the back of any of their fan’s minds needs to be a little bit of apprehension about probably having to face a crew like UCLA–and even Texas, who beat UCLA. South Carolina all the time poses a big menace in any March state of affairs, however UConn’s systematic dismantling of the Gamecocks within the 2025 Remaining 4 certainly offers them an abundance of confidence headed into that hypothetical (however very attainable) matchup.
Whereas the NCAA Ladies’s Basketball Match is trending towards turning into one other version of the UConn Invitational, there is a handful of contenders who’ve the potential to knock off the Huskies if issues break the suitable manner. In any case, UConn has fallen sufferer to an unlikely upset in March greater than as soon as inside the final decade. Will Geno Auriemma and firm get to fortunate No. 13, or will we see a shock spoiler?
UCLA
If there’s one crew within the nation that has the suitable to really feel assured in opposition to UConn in a one sport state of affairs, it is UCLA. The Girl Bruins completed the common season 28-1, beating opponents by a median of 29.2 factors per sport. UCLA tore by means of Large 10 play with an undefeated 18-0 document and gained these video games by a median of 25.2 factors per sport. The lone slip up for Cori Shut’s unit got here in opposition to fellow nationwide title contender Texas in a 76-65 non-conference loss on the Gamers Period in November. Nevertheless, whereas UConn performed simply 5 video games in opposition to ranked opponents, UCLA performed 11 and went 10-1 in these video games with a 19.7 level common margin of victory.
South Carolina
You already know you’re a top-flight program whenever you go 29-2 and win the common season SEC Championship in a rebuilding yr. That’s simply par for the course for Daybreak Staley’s Gamecocks, who’ve solely misplaced eight common season video games on this facet of the 2020s. Sophomore Joyce Edwards has impressively led the cost this season, averaging 19.8 factors and 6.3 rebounds per sport in her first season as a full-time starter in this system. Middle Madina Okot has additionally established herself all through the season, main the crew with 10.9 rebounds to associate with 14 factors per sport. South Carolina’s two slip ups this season have each come in opposition to ranked SEC opponents, one in opposition to Texas–which the Gamecocks avenged two months later, and one in opposition to Oklahoma–which they may probably avenge within the SEC Match this week.
Texas
Vic Schaefer’s Longhorns have made a formidable ascension into the highest ranks of ladies’s school basketball over the course of the previous few seasons, however the 2025-26 group is fairly clearly one of the best crew he’s put collectively in Austin. The Longhorns break up the season collection with South Carolina for the second straight season and likewise break up with LSU, however they did have fairly the stumble in an 86-70 loss to Mikayla Blakes and Vanderbilt final month. Whereas that blowout loss places a blemish on the resume different contenders don’t have, Texas’ win over UCLA in November remains to be one of the best win by any crew within the nation this season.
Vanderbilt
The reality is fairly easy on the subject of Vanderbilt. They’ve Mikayla Blakes, so it has an opportunity in any state of affairs. Blakes leads the nation with 27.1 factors per sport and was the engine behind Vanderbilt’s exceptional 27-3 common season, main the Commodores to wins over Texas, Michigan, Kentucky, and Oklahoma. Nevertheless, a latest 74-72 loss to unranked Georgia could also be trigger for pause when contemplating Vanderbilt’s path to the Remaining 4 in March. As harmful as Vandy may be in opposition to any opponent in a one-game state of affairs, it’s also probably the most susceptible crew amongst these listed to probably falter within the Spherical of 32 or Candy 16.
LSU
LSU hasn’t been excellent this season, however you’d nonetheless be silly to depend out a Kim Mulkey led crew in opposition to any opponent when the calendar turns to March. Add Flau’jae Johnson’s nationwide championship expertise and guru-like management of the Bayou Bengals’ offense to the combination, and it’s not exhausting to image this crew controlling the tempo and making any opponent, even UConn, must capitulate to their model. The SEC remains to be the top and shoulders the hardest convention in girls’s school hoops by the way in which, so 4 losses (all in opposition to opponents ranked eleventh or higher within the AP Ballot) certainly shouldn’t be sufficient to make you low cost the Tigers.
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