UConn unveiled the 2025 national title banner hanging in the rafters of Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn., on Sunday. 

Once the celebratory festivities were done, the Huskies got on with their business of trying to earn the 13th national championship for the women's basketball program.

They are off to a good start so far.

UConn defeated Florida State 99-65 Sunday afternoon at Gampel, turning a 6-point lead at the 6:19 mark of the second quarter into a 51-27 advantage at halftime after closing on a 22-4 run.

Azzi Fudd scored 13 of her team-high 23 points in the second quarter as her team shot 63.2% in the frame.

Fudd said she was thrilled to return to play at Gampel in front of a sold-out crowd, there to honor the champs and nation’s No. 1 team.

“It's Gampel. There's nothing like it,” Fudd said. “The first game. All the excitement, all the energy. Today was super fun. The crowd brought it. The student section brought it.”

The Huskies moved to 2-0 on the young season, following their 79-66 win on Tuesday over No. 20 Louisville in the Armed Forces Classic at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Against the Seminoles, UConn went on a 15-0 run in the third quarter, capped by a Serah Williams layup with 4:42 left to take a 72-31 lead and end the quarter up 83-48.

Florida State (2-1) countered with a streak of its own in the fourth, running off 12 unanswered points to start the quarter and whittle the UConn lead to 23. The Seminoles never got closer.

The big lead allowed Auriemma to use 12 players, all of whom scored. That included Ayanna Patterson, who hadn’t played for the Huskies in nearly three years because of injury. She posted two points and a rebound in eight minutes. 

Sarah Strong (21 points) and USC transfer Kayleigh Heckel (14) joined Fudd in double figures. Strong led the Huskies with nine rebounds and Fudd added five assists.

Sole Williams had 14 points to top Florida State scorers. Allie Kubek and Jasmine Shavers added 11 points each.

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said his team still is learning to play without Paige Bueckers, the star who was the team’s glue in the championship season.

With the offense now running through Fudd and Strong, those two leaders and the rest of the team must adapt.

"Obviously it's different. Quite different, not having a player like Paige out there,” Auriemma said of Bueckers, who was the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year. “They’ve got to do more together and they've got to do more on their own. And as we go along, other players on the team will get better at finding them. And they’ll get better at finding each other.”

The Huskies return to action Wednesday against Loyola-Chicago.

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