Sweet Sixteen: UConn women’s basketball battles past UNC, 63-42
The Huskies battled through a rough day on offense to advance to the Elite Eight.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MARCH 27: Blanca Quinonez #4 of the Connecticut Huskies blocks the shot of Elina Aarnisalo #17 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round game of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Dickies Arena on March 27, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Chris Swann/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | NCAA Photos via Getty Images UConn women’s basketball moved on its 30th Elite Eight appearance in program history with a hard-fought 63-42 win over the 4-seed North Carolina Tar Heels at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Friday. The Huskies finished with their lowest point total since the 2024 Sweet Sixteen against Duke, when they managed just 53.
They’ll advance to take on 6-seed Notre Dame in the regional final. UConn set two NCAA single-season records in the victory. It recorded its 864th assist of the year, surpassing its own 2016-17 team, then snagged its 581st steal, toppling Grambling State’s 1996-97 squad.
Sarah Strong dominated with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five steals — all of which were game-highs. Blanca Quiñonez stepped up with 16 points and four steals while Azzi Fudd recovered from a rough start to put up 10 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals. Nobody else had more than four points for the Huskies.
As a team, UConn shot just 14-26 on layups and 4-20 from three. It forced 24 turnovers and turned them into 17 points the other way. The Huskies’ offense struggled from the opening tip.