Geno Auriemma’s Latest Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong Decision Has March Written All Over It

Another game, another win! The No. 1-ranked UConn Huskies rolled past the Georgetown Hoyas 83–42, tightening their grip on Big East play once again. But what caught everyone’s eye wasn’t the lopsided score; it was an in-game decision by head coach Geno Auriemma that offered a clear preview of how UConn will look in March.

For the first time in the Huskies’ conference play, Auriemma kept Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong on the floor to begin the fourth quarter, despite UConn holding a comfortable lead. The Huskies immediately went on to respond with a 10–0 run, powered by four different scorers, erasing any thought of a late Georgetown push and turning the final period into another statement. But why the sudden change of heart?

In a post-game interview, the head coach explained that the move had far less to do with the Hoyas and everything to do with preparation.

“Part of it is I’m trying to get them around the 30-minute mark every game,” Geno Auriemma said. “I just think if I don’t, I don’t think I’m being fair to them, and also getting them ready for the postseason as well. So that was number one. Number two, let them play themselves out. Shots weren’t going in for them. And you could see that they were getting a little bit frustrated, and I thought if I can just give them a couple more minutes to find their way out of it for a little bit, that’s mainly it. I mean, it still came down to 30-minutes even though they played in the fourth quarter a little bit.”

And both of these players made sure to make the most of their presence on the court in the final quarter. Strong finished with a game-high 25 points as she continues her steady rise as a reliable scoring option. On the other hand, Fudd added another 19 points in what was her final collegiate appearance in front of a hometown crowd in Washington, D.C.

However, the night didn’t start smoothly for Fudd. She missed her first seven attempts from beyond the arc as the Huskies opened just 1-for-13 from deep. But neither she nor Strong pressed. Once the Huskies found their rhythm, the two combined to flip the game entirely, each knocking down key shots as UConn closed the first half on a decisive run and carried a 51–20 lead into the break.

What’s next for Geno Auriemma and the Huskies?

As the 2025–26 NCAA season moves forward, the Huskies are now at 20-0 overall and 10-0 in the Big East Conference. The only team that even came close to securing a win over them was the Michigan Wolverines, where they ended the game at 72-69. On the scoresheet, Sarah Strong leads the team on an individual level with the most points (19), most rebounds (8.3), most steals (3.7), and most blocks (1.6). However, when it comes to assists, KK Arnold holds that spot with 4.6 per game.

As a team, the Huskies offensively average 89.8 points per game, while holding their opponents to just 51 points.

For their next game, they will lock horns with the Seton Hall Pirates on January 24th. A game predicted to be in favor of the Huskies with 98.9% by ESPN. Following that, they will play against:

With the stretch ahead gradually getting tougher, the UConn Huskies now enter the part of the season where, more than margins, what will matter is the habits they are building. And if the game against the Hoyas was any indication, trusting his core, extending minutes, and letting his best players work through discomfort rather than shielding them with the scoreboard will be the very approach Geno Auriemma will lean on in March.

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