The upcoming game will be the UConn Huskies’ 28th of the season, and the defending champions have yet to be defeated. The side built a substantial lead in the Big East with dominant early conference wins. But it’s not only the 2025-26 NCAAW season that the team remains the team to beat; they have also been in the championship conversations for more than two decades now and have made the predictions correct on 12 occasions.
Geno Auriemma became the most decorated coach, and the program built a dynasty, with many young stars who went on to win in the WNBA. A few analysts criticized this dominance, but ESPN’s Holly Rowe sees the positive side of it.
UConn’s Dominance Is Blessing for Other Programs
Seeing UConn pick up top high school talent and control games with ease irked many basketball analysts, who said the Huskies’ dominance is killing the game’s competitive nature. But talking to Yahoo Sports, Holly Rowe saw a different side of this dominance.
Rowe said, “They were on a 111-game winning streak, and people thought that was the negative thing. I always have thought the opposite. UConn’s dominance for so long forced other programs to raise their level of excellence.”
“UConn’s dominance for so long forced other programs to raise their level of excellence.” 😤@sportsiren speaks on UConn’s impact on women’s basketball.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 17, 2026
(via Yahoo Sports Daily) pic.twitter.com/8qYrhimuCh
She added her experience when Coach Dawn Staley gathered her players and showed them UConn’s championship banners hanging from the rafters. She mentioned that’s what we wanna be, which highlights how UConn’s success would inspire opponents if taken in the right spirit.
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In the 2025-26 season, though Staley’s team, the Gamecocks, is one of the competitors for the championship.
UConn Faces Tough Challenge From UCLA And South Carolina
Though Howe credited the Huskies for raising the bar, according to the on-court reporter, many teams are nearly on par with the Huskies’ level. Auriemma’s team will face tough challenges from these teams, with the Bruins and Gamecocks being the top challengers this season.
In the 2024-25 season, though UConn ended up winning the championship, UCLA held top spot for most of the season. In the ongoing season, too, Cory Close’s team has the highest number of WNBA prospects, providing her with the quality depth to challenge the defending champions for the title.
On the other hand, Dawn Staley has consistently tested her team against the best and won three championships during the Huskies’ dominance era. This season, too, with many versatile players on her roster, the Gamecocks will be a tough challenge for Geno Auriemma.