Nov. 14—LOCATION — First Horizon Coliseum, Greensboro, N.C.
Tip: 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Probable starters: North Carolina, 6-1 G/F Alyssa Ustby (10.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 3.3 apg), 6-5 G Grace Townsend (4.0 ppg, 5.3 apg), 6-3 F/C Maria Gakdeng (6.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg), 5-7 G Reniya Kelly (9.3 ppg, 3.0 spg), 6-0 G Lexi Donarski (15.0 ppg, 2.0 spg).
UConn, 6-0 G Paige Bueckers (17.5 ppg, 4.0 apg, 3.5 spg), 5-10 G Ashlynn Shade (12.5 ppg, 2.0 apg, 4.0 spg), 5-9 G Kaitlyn Chen (6.0 ppg, 6.0 apg), 6-2 F Sarah Strong (15.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 4.0 spg), 6-3 F Ice Brady (6.0 ppg, 2.0 apg).
Noteworthy: A win for UConn (2-0) would be a milestone for UConn coach Geno Auriemma, celebrating his 40th season with the Huskies — along with associate coach Chris Dailey — who would tie retired Stanford women’s coach Tara Van Derveer for the most wins all-time by a Division I men’s or women’s basketball coach. Van Derveer left with 1,216 victories, while Auriemma sits with 1,215. He eclipsed the 1,200 mark on Feb. 7 against Seton Hall, becoming the third Division I coach in history to hit that mark. If the Huskies continue winning, Auriemma would break the record on Nov. 20 against Fairleigh Dickinson at Gampel Pavilion. … UConn is led by Paige Bueckers, a national player of the year candidate, who is currently shooting 73.7%, averaging 17.5 points per game. … This will be the first matchup this season for UConn against a ranked team. North Carolina (3-0) is coming off a 66-47 victory over North Carolina A&T on Tuesday. The Tar Heels’ last win over a top-five opponent came in 2023 against then-No. 4 Notre Dame. … UConn is 8-5 all-time against North Carolina, including a 76-64 victory over the Tar Heels last season at Mohegan Sun Arena. Bueckers led UConn in that game — the Huskies’ sixth straight win in the series — with 26 points, four blocks and three steals. … UConn freshman Sarah Strong hails from Durham, N.C., which is about 55 miles from Greensboro. Strong, the national high school player of the year last season, is the reigning Big East Player of the Week.
— Vickie Fulkerson
