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UConn Huskies forward Sarah Strong (21) was named Big East Player Of The Year as they celebrated their Big East Championship win over the Villanova Wildcats at Mohegan Sun Arena. David Butler II-Imagn Images

Why Andraya Carter expects No. 1 UConn women to dominate in NCAA Tournament

By Colby Colwell | Last updated Mar 16, 2026 10:22 PM ET

The top-ranked UConn women completed their 11th undefeated regular season in program history, and followed that up with a Big East Tournament title to enter the NCAA Tournament unblemished.

That success earned the Huskies the No. 1 overall seed in Sunday's official reveal of the 68-team field. With six more wins, UConn (34-0, 20-0 Big East) would win its 13th national title in program history.

During an appearance on Monday's edition of ESPN's "Get Up," former player and current analyst Andraya Carter was asked if we are looking at another dominant UConn run. She left no doubt with her response.

Andraya Carter expects UConn to win another title

"We are looking at UConn winning another national championship. Geno Auriemma has led UConn to 24 Final Fours, 12 national titles and six undefeated seasons. Go ahead and add one to all of those numbers," Carter said. "Now, the field is very talented. There's a lot of talent that UConn will have to face, but to me, this is the best team that has the best players.

"Sarah Strong's versatility and the way Geno Auriemma can put her in so many different positions on the floor for this team to be effective, with Azzi Fudd and the sharpshooter that she is. But it's not just those two. ... To me, UConn has the superstars, but it's the consistency of the pieces around them and everyone being a star in their role. Again, consistently, offensively and defensively, the way they play together as a team, to me, I don't see anyone touching UConn in this tournament."

"We are looking at UConn winning another National Championship."

—@Andraya_Carter believes UConn will take home another championship pic.twitter.com/troFN5Zie4
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 16, 2026

Aside from a 72-69 win over then-No. 6 Michigan on Nov. 21, UConn has won each of its games by double-figures and completely dominated its competition. Not only do the Huskies have the second-best scoring offense (88.8 PPG), but they also possess the country's top-ranked scoring defense (50.4 PPG).

Between Strong (18.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 4.1 APG, 3.4 SPG, 1.6 BPG) and Fudd (17.7 PPG), UConn has more than enough talent to repeat as national champions. While Strong shoots 60.1 percent from the floor and Fudd converts a ridiculous 95.1% of her free-throw attempts, it is not just those two that opposing teams have to prepare for.

Freshman forward Blanca Quinonez and junior guard KK Arnold were the only other players to score in double figures in the Big East title game. Earlier this season, with six players out of action against Xavier, sophomore guard Allie Ziebell went for a career-high 34 points and tied the program record for made threes in a game (10).

That speaks to the depth of talent on this UConn roster and how anyone can step up when the shots may not be falling for its stars. If there are any flaws on this Huskies team, it could be that they do not have a player of the same caliber as Paige Bueckers, who led them to last season's national title before being drafted No. 1 overall by the WNBA's Dallas Wings.

UConn did not get the most favorable draw in Regional 1 Fort Worth and has plenty of competition standing in its way, but nothing has stopped it up to this point. A loss is certainly possible, but the Huskies have all the pieces in place to make another title run.

Colby Colwell

Colby Colwell is a freelance contributor with a bachelor’s in Computer & Information Technology and a minor in Psychology from Western Kentucky University. With a deep passion for sports, especially NASCAR, he offers his substantial knowledge along with his adept writing skills. When he’s not writing, Colby enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family

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