The No. 1-ranked UConn Huskies played against the No. 11-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes in the most anticipated game of week 7 in the ongoing season. This was the game that Huskies head coach thought was “going to be a real challenge“. However, Sarah Strong didn’t just heed Auriemma’s warning; she rewrote her place in UConn history.

In UConn’s revenge win over the Hawkeyes, after falling to Iowa in the 2024 Final Four, the sophomore star put on a show, registering her 21st career 20-point game to break a tie with Napheesa Collier for the fifth-most such performances by a Husky in her first two seasons since 2000.

Collier had previously held the mark with 20 from 2015–17, but Strong’s latest outing pushed her past the WNBA star and deeper into UConn history.

With one challenge behind her, only three players now sit above Strong on that list: Breanna Stewart (31), Maya Moore (30), and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (21). By passing Collier and settling just behind that trio, Strong’s trajectory has already entered historic territory.

And it’s far from over. Just 11 games into her sophomore season, Strong needs only ten more 20-point performances to climb to the top of the list. If her play in the 2025–26 NCAA season has been any indication, no one is stopping her from breaking more records.

In the game against one of the strongest teams in the league, Sarah Strong took control early and set the tone for a commanding 90–64 win that would show why the Huskies remain the nation’s top-ranked team.

She was unstoppable from the opening tip, scoring 20 points in the first half alone and overwhelming Iowa with her physicality, touch, and defensive activity.

Whether it was finishing through contact, pulling up over defenders, or creating extra possessions, she dictated the pace on both ends and ensured UConn never trailed.

Even when the Hawkeyes’ star player, Hannah Stuelke, tried to go one-on-one against her several times, she was no match for her fadeaways or her pace when she rushed towards the rim.

When Sarah Strong eased off in the second half of the game, her teammate, Azzi Fudd, picked up seamlessly and finished with 27 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists.

Her shot-making stretched the Hawkeyes beyond recovery and turned a competitive margin into a runaway. Together, Strong and Fudd accounted for 50 of UConn’s 90 points, operating as a one-two punch Iowa couldn’t match.

“Everything she does just seems to flow from a place where the game is like in her soul, you know,” coach Auriemma said on Strong as per Greenwich Time. “So, if there’s a loose ball that comes and it’s on the floor and it’s bouncing around and she slaps it once, it comes back to her hand … and then she controls it, and then makes a play. She just has a knack.”

With Sarah Strong continuing to play like a national player of the year contender and Fudd finding her rhythm at the right time, the Huskies enter conference play looking every bit like a team built for March as they move on to play against the Big East team’s next.

What’s next for Sarah Strong and the Huskies?

This win has pushed UConn to 12–0 in the season, extending an undefeated run that has already withstood tests from high-ranked teams like the Louisville Cardinals, the Michigan Wolverines, and the USC Trojans.

Each challenge they have faced has ended the same way, with the Huskies in control, and this latest performance may have been the most reassuring yet.

After voicing some uncertainty about his team’s defense, Geno Auriemma watched his group demolish the opponent with turnover after turnover.

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However, the season is far from over. With their last non-conference win, the Huskies will play the Butler Bulldogs in their next game on December 28th, giving the team a well-deserved eight-day break. Following that, they will play against:

• The Providence Friars on December 31st.
• The Seton Hall Pirates on January 3rd.
• The St. John’s Red Storm on January 7th.

But if their record so far is any indication, these are going to be an easy win for this monstrous team, which is averaging 89.7 points per game while holding its opponents to just 52.9 points, a balance that has made it difficult to test, let alone beat.

And at the center of it all is Sarah Strong, who continues to lead by example, averaging 17.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.

With conference play ahead and the margins growing wider, UConn enters the next phase of the season looking like a team whose only goal is to dominate the league.