Sarah Strong, Azzi Fudd lead UConn past Louisville in opener - ESPN

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The defending champion UConn Huskies picked up where they left off to start the 2025-26 season: winning in (mostly) dominant fashion.

UConn, ranked No. 1 in the AP preseason poll, took down No. 20 Louisville 79-66 on Tuesday in the Armed Forces Classic, a game the Huskies led by as many as 28 points before securing their 30th consecutive season-opening win, the second-longest active streak in Division I.

The event — the first women's matchup in the Armed Forces Classic — was initially supposed to be played at Ramstein Air Base in Germany but was moved to the Naval Academy less than two weeks ago because of the government shutdown.

It was the first game for the new-look Huskies since three-time All-American and 2025 No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers departed for the WNBA. But with their former superstar watching from the stands, the Huskies lived up to their No. 1 billing.

Sarah Strong, a preseason first-team All-American, and Azzi Fudd, the 2025 Final Four Most Outstanding Player, led the way with a combined 41 points, while junior KK Arnold (13) and USC transfer Kayleigh Heckel (14) rounded out the attack. Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams earned her first career start as a Husky, finishing with 4 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

«This team is super different than last year, even though it was only a few different pieces. But I think what those pieces bring are so valuable,» Fudd said. «Tonight was a lot of fun.… I think as the season goes on and we continue to build our chemistry and learn how to keep playing well together and what our strengths are, it's going to be even more fun and really special.»

UConn came out of the gates rolling, jumping ahead 25-9 by the end of the first quarter and going into