Imagine winning a game by 54 points, sitting atop ESPN’s Power Rankings, and yet your head coach is still “not thrilled.” Well, that’s exactly how Geno Auriemma felt as the UConn Huskies recorded another dominant win of the 2025-26 NCAA season.

After the Huskies won their game against Loyola (85-31), Coach Auriemma addressed the media in the post-game interview, where he expressed his dissatisfaction with the team’s offense. He said, “I’m not exactly thrilled with where we are offensively right now. So much of our offense is coming from our defense. And I don’t know that’s something you’re gonna be able to count on every night. Getting 25 steals against people.”

“It’s the reason why we are doing what we are doing in these first three games, I think we can keep having that kinda effect on teams,” he said, acknowledging the early dominance of the Huskies in the game. However, “But I’d like to see us be a little more cohesive on the offense,” he added.

Well, Auriemma’s frustration wasn’t misplaced.

Loyola Chicago came out of halftime showing some fight, running with a 3-pointer just 14 seconds into the third quarter. But that flicker of hope didn’t last long. From that point on, the Ramblers didn’t find the basket again until nearly two minutes into the fourth quarter. In between, the Huskies completely locked down, showing their opponents how it’s done, with a 26–0 run that turned the game into a blowout. Still, if they had needed their offense to carry the day, though? Things might have gone very differently.

Despite leading by as much as 57 points, UConn’s attack was far from sharp. Their rhythm broke down repeatedly, with passes going off target and possessions ending in careless turnovers. Miscommunication, rushed decisions, and poor timing plagued their sets. Azzi Fudd, who still managed nine points, three assists, and five steals, was one of several players caught up in the sloppiness. She committed three of the team’s seven turnovers in the opening quarter alone.

To get a gist of their struggles, just look at their first play of the third quarter. Fudd tried to thread a pass into the paint to Serah Williams. But Williams had her back turned toward Sarah Strong, and the ball slipped behind her, forcing Strong to sprint after it before a Loyola defender could scoop it up. It was the kind of awkward, misaligned sequence that defined much of UConn’s offensive night.

So, Auriemma didn’t sugarcoat what he saw.

“Sometimes that comes from, you know, trying to do five things at once,” said Auriemma. “You know, ‘We’re trying to get up 35 at the first TV time out.’ So, everybody’s in a hurry to score, everybody’s in a hurry to make a crazy pass. Everybody’s rushing around. And nothing looks good.“

It wasn’t effort that was missing. If anything, UConn’s defensive energy was too high to translate cleanly to offense. Auriemma explained that finding a balance between those two ends of the court is going to take some work.

“It’s hard to play with that kind of intensity on defense, with that kind of energy, and trying to force as many turnovers as we can, and then all of a sudden when you cross half court to go, ‘Alright, now dial it down a little bit, and let’s be more intentional with what we want,’ That’s going to take a little bit of time.“

So, despite the Huskies’ commanding win (where Sarah Strong led with 11 points on 50% shooting from the field, 4 assists, while adding 4 steals and 3 blocks), much of their offense came from turnovers. The Huskies shot 48.1% from the field and 38.9% from three, but Loyola’s 36 turnovers did most of the heavy lifting. Even with 41 rebounds and just 12 turnovers of their own, the offense at times looked out of rhythm, while they held the Ramblers to 22% shooting from the field.

While for some, ‘Defense wins championships,’ for coach Geno Auriemma, both offense and defense play a critical role in major games, especially when the opponents have a great offense. The Huskies are 3-0 without any losses so far. But as the season moves forward, the Huskies will lock horns with teams like the Michigan Wolverines, Iowa, and many more, and just defense won’t work against them if the Huskies are not planning to get dethroned.

However, amid the Huskies’ offensive struggles, Strong keeps shining on an individual level.

Sarah Strong named AP National Player of the Week

Leading her team with back-to-back wins, Strong is just unstoppable. Adding to her long list of accolades, the 6-foot-2-inch star has earned the Associated Press National Player of the Week honors following her dominant performances in the Huskies’ first two games, where she averaged 21.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, two blocks, and two steals over then-No. 20 Louisville and Florida State.

Her standout performances just make her impossible to ignore, as just a few days ago, the BIG EAST recognized Strong as the Player of the Week, marking the fourth time in her career she has earned that honor.

However, as Sarah Strong and the Huskies aim for the championship title, they’ll need to rise to meet the bar that Geno Auriemma has set when it comes to expectations from them in offense as well as defense.

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