In the initial weeks of this season’s AP Top 25 Poll, I ranked South Carolina and UCLA above UConn at different times. This wasn’t because I doubted UConn’s potential for another championship run, because honestly, just look at their roster! Sarah Strong and Azee Fudd are incredible players.
Instead, I chose to give credit to the Gamecocks and Bruins for taking on tough opponents early on and winning decisively. South Carolina managed to take down USC, while UCLA secured impressive victories over Oklahoma and North Carolina.
This week, though, I had to stick to my principles and elevate UConn to the top spot. They defeated Michigan State, a team that’s arguably tougher than anyone else South Carolina or UCLA has faced.
Michigan, ranked No. 6 in last week’s AP Top 25 poll, delivered a remarkable 39-point win against Notre Dame. After a close loss to Washington and a solid double-digit win over Syracuse, they should stay within the top 10 for now.
As for UConn, their win against Michigan brought to light a pressing question: who will fill Paige Bueckers’ role in clutch situations? It seems the answer lies with both Azee Fudd and Sarah Strong, who are stepping up as co-leaders for this UConn squad.
Fudd opened the fourth quarter with three consecutive 3-pointers and sank four crucial free throws down the stretch. Whenever a mistake happened, Strong was ready to recover the ball. She had an impressive game with 16 points, six assists, four blocks, three steals, and 20 rebounds. Their performances kept Michigan State’s Cyra Swords from taking over.
Strong and Fudd appear to be the most dynamic duo in the nation, making UConn look like a top contender—at least until someone finds a way to halt their momentum.
Here’s my AP Top 25 poll after week 3 of the season…
Must-see spots: Fairfield, North Carolina, Princeton, Indiana, South Dakota
