Even with an onslaught of injuries that continuously plagued the Huskies, UConn still finished the season as the Big East regular season champions and won the Big East Tournament Title for their 10th consecutive tournament championship.
Besides UConn star Paige Bueckers out for the season due to an ACL tear, the Huskies have their healthiest roster to date and welcomed back Azzi Fudd to the lineup during the Big East Tournament.
Now, UConn will face No. 15 Vermont in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and the Huskies have an 11-0 record against the Catamounts, here’s what you need to know.
Vermont
Record: 25-6
When: Saturday, 3 p.m.
Where: Gampel Pavilion
How they got here: Vermont beat Bryant, UMBC and narrowly escaped against Albany for a 38-36 victory to capture the American East Tournament championship, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Catamounts led Bryant for the majority of the game and out-rebounded the Bulldogs 47-27. After beating Bryant 56-49, Vermont took on UMBC in the semifinal, earning a 75-63 victory. The title game was a defensive battle as it was 4-4 heading into the second quarter and 17-10 Vermont at halftime. Vermont nearly lost it in the fourth, when it was outscored by Albany 19-8.
About the season: Vermont began the season on the wrong foot, losing three of their first four, although one of those losses was to nationally-ranked Indiana. Then the Catamounts went on a six-game win streak and it looked like Vermont had found itself before losing three of its next four. But Jan. 1 loss to UMBC proved to be Vermon’s last loss as the Catamounts went on a 17-game win streak the rest of the way.
Player to watch: Emma Utterback leads the team at 14 points per game. The 5-foot-8 senior guard was very active in the American East Tournament with 21 points and six assists against UMBC and 18 points with six rebounds in the Catamount’s tournament championship game. Utterback is Vermont’s first option on offense and the Catamounts will look to her for production.
Up next: UConn will compete against the winner of the No. 7 Baylor vs. No. 10 Alabama match-up. The Nicki Collen-led Bears are the favorite to win and will most likely face the Huskies in the second round. The Crimson Tide ended their season on a four-game losing streak. Collen, by the way, knows the state as a former Connecticut Sun assistant under Curt Miller.
Looking way ahead: Ohio State, the No. 3 seed, will probably advance to the Sweet 16 and will be a tough opponent. The Buckeyes had a 19-0 start until Iowa. led by Caitlin Clarke, handed the Buckeyes their first loss on January 23. The Buckeyes went on a slight skid, losing five of their next seven games. With six players averaging double figures in points, including Taylor Mikesell (17.3), the Buckeyes will be a force in the Sweet 16.
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