Under Geno Auriemma, the No. 2-ranked UConn Huskies went undefeated during the 2025-26 regular season. But with Azzi Fudd now in the WNBA and Sarah Strong expected to take the torch, it took the Huskies just two games to suffer their first loss of the 2026-27 NCAA season. This defeat exposed a concern that could follow UConn well beyond this early-season setback, one Auriemma was quick to address during his postgame press conference.
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The Huskies’ head coach of 41 years spoke candidly about the team’s inability to maintain its focus and respond when momentum shifted, admitting that too many players were looking toward Strong and Jovana Popovic to come to their rescue.
“We don’t have the ability right now to focus for a long period of time,” Auriemma said, as per an X post by Just Women’s Hoops. “And you know those two quarters why it was good? Because it was going good and it kept going good. And the two quarters where we struggled, it got bad, and it kept going bad because we don’t have the ability to respond right now. So everybody stands around, looks at Sarah and looks at Jovana and says, ‘Bail us out.’ So I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed more than anything.”
On Thursday, UConn faced the No. 5-ranked Michigan Wolverines, who were playing their season opener. The Huskies started well and took a 21-17 lead in the opening quarter, but one major problem emerged almost immediately. Strong picked up three fouls in the first eight minutes, forcing Geno Auriemma to take his star forward out of the game.
Without Strong, the Huskies struggled to find their offensive rhythm. She remained on the bench throughout the second quarter, during which UConn managed just eight points. Michigan, on the other hand, scored 18 in the period to turn the game around and carry a six-point lead into halftime.
Strong’s return after the break briefly changed the momentum. UConn looked more composed and outscored the Wolverines 24-20 in the third quarter, keeping itself within reach. However, the Huskies couldn’t sustain that push as Michigan pulled away in the final 10 minutes. Strong eventually fouled out, leaving UConn without its leading star once again as the Huskies fell 77-66.
Popovic was the biggest reason the Huskies remained competitive. The freshman led UConn with 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Strong finished with 13 points in a night when foul trouble severely limited her impact. Beyond those two, however, the Huskies received little offensive support. Not a single other UConn player reached double figures, and four players failed to score altogether.
That lack of production helps explain why Geno Auriemma was so frustrated. UConn cannot expect Strong and a freshman like Popovic to carry the entire offense, especially against teams capable of applying sustained pressure. The Huskies need more players to step up when their primary options are unavailable or struggling.
Still, the night was not entirely without a positive for Auriemma and his team.
After 634 days away, Morgan Cheli gives UConn a much-needed boost
Cheli underwent season-ending surgery on her ankle in February 2025 after persistent ankle pain worsened and resulted in a stress fracture. She was just a freshman at that time and was initially expected to return during the 2025-26 campaign. But her recovery took considerably longer than anticipated, and she eventually missed the entire season, watching from the sidelines as the Huskies reached the Final Four.
Even heading into the new campaign, there was uncertainty surrounding her availability. She missed two preseason exhibitions and UConn’s season opener against Cornell, with Geno Auriemma repeatedly describing her status as day-to-day.
However, Cheli finally got the opportunity to return against Michigan. After 634 days since her last competitive appearance for UConn, the redshirt sophomore checked into the game in the second quarter. She played five minutes and recorded one rebound.
Geno Auriemma will likely take a cautious approach rather than rush Cheli into a bigger role immediately. Having missed so much basketball, she will need time to regain her rhythm and build consistency. Still, her return gives the Huskies another valuable option in the rotation.
The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 2.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 13.3 minutes per game as a freshman. Her length, ball-handling, and passing abilities could give UConn some much-needed roster flexibility, particularly on the perimeter. With the Huskies struggling to find offensive contributions beyond Sarah Strong and Jovana Popovic, having another player available to help shoulder the load could prove important as the season progresses.