The scenes at the Gampel Arena were not new. Geno Auriemma was dictating the proceedings from the sidelines while his UConn team executed the game plan to perfection on the court. As a result, it was another Huskies victory as they beat the Syracuse Orange by 53 points.
Azzi Fudd remained the top star on the court as she revealed her game-changer this season after a bad pregame shootaround. She even outscored the opposition in the first half alone, showcasing the home team’s dominance.
Fans and UConn players were excited by the win, but on the other hand, the defeat felt like an injustice, as coach Felisha Legette-Jack said in the press conference.
Felisha Legette-Jack Criticizes NCAA Bracket Following Loss Against UConn
The Huskies’ dominance in the NCAAW competition can’t be measured solely by stats. The team strikes fear in its opponents and yet demands more ‘hard work and perfection’ from them in order to stand a chance against them. As for the Syracuse Orange, they tried to overcome the challenge three times in the March Madness tournament and failed each time.
Coach Felisha Legette-Jack let out her frustration with that fact during her post-game press conference. “For us and what we’ve done, our body of work, to have to come to play the best team in the country. Geno has this thing going, and I love what he’s done. But we, I thought, deserved more respect after being in this business for 37 years. To have to come and be in this particular bracket every freaking year is unacceptable. It’s wrong,” she said.
"For us to continue to come to Connecticut, year after year after year, to me, is a personal attack."
— Ashley Wenskoski (@AshleyWenskTV) March 24, 2026
"After being in this business for 37 years and to have to come and be in this bracket every year is unacceptable. It's wrong."
Syracuse women's basketball coach Felisha… pic.twitter.com/tLR9DKaBCC
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A 12-member committee creates the NCAA basketball brackets by selecting 68 teams, ranking them 1-68. Then they organize them into four 16-team regional brackets. The process involves picking 37 at-large bids and 31 conference champions, using metrics like the NET rankings to seed them 1-16. The top four teams are assigned to separate regions to ensure balance.
In the 2026 season, the Orange received the ninth seed and overcame the eighth-seeded Iowa State despite Audi Crooks’ 37-point explosive performance.
Geno Auriemma Receives Perfect Gift From UConn Huskies
The Huskies had been dominant on the floor, but it had a different meaning to it, too. Apart from senior guard Azzi Fudd playing her final game, it was coach Geno Auriemma’s 72nd birthday.
Gov. Ned Lamont shared the post for coach and wrote, “Happy Birthday to Geno Auriemma. Thanks for the wins, the banners, and the legacy. Now Let’s go get one more”
Happy Birthday to Geno Auriemma 🐐
— Ned Lamont (@NedLamont) March 23, 2026
Thanks for the wins, the banners, and the legacy. Now Let’s go get one more! 😉🏆#uconnhuskies #marchmadness pic.twitter.com/Vgs3DV03nN
The UConn women’s basketball Huskies continued their perfect season with a blowout victory and will face North Carolina in the Sweet 16 round next. Interestingly, this will be their second meeting as the Tar Heels won 81-69 on the way to the national title in 1994.