Paige Bueckers, No. 2 UConn Wow Fans with 69-Point Win to Open 2025 NCAA Tournament

Led by Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, the second-seeded UConn Huskies crushed the No. 15-seeded Arkansas State Red Wolves 103-34 in the first round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament on Saturday.

Bueckers, who is among the leading National Women's Player of the Year candidates, finished with 11 points, four assists, two steals and two blocks, but Fudd and Strong were the Huskies' biggest stars Saturday at the Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut.

Fudd recorded a game-high 27 points to go along with seven assists and six steals, while Strong had 20 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Per ESPN's Alexa Philippou, Fudd's first-half line was the first such line in a single half of a women's tourney game in six years, while no player in the past 25 years had a line matching Strong's production:

UConn entered halftime with a 66-16 lead, marking the largest advantage at the half in an NCAA tournament game in the past seven years:

With four players scoring in double figures, including three with 20 points or more, the Huskies were in full control of the game from start to finish.

Overall, UConn shot 58.8 percent from the field as a team and held Arkansas State to 17.1 percent shooting, yielding a ton of praise from fans on social media:

Saturday's performance continued the good vibes for UConn basketball after the men's team defeated Oklahoma in the first round of the NCAA tournament 67-59 on Friday.

The men's team won its 13th consecutive NCAA tournament game by beating Oklahoma, but it was widely viewed as a 50-50 game going in since they were a No. 8 seed.

There were no such expectations of a close game for the women's team against a small-conference school in Arkansas State.

While the UConn women's team has not won a national title since 2016, it has reached at least the second round of the tournament every year it has been held since 1994.

The Huskies have also made it to the Final Four in 15 of the past 16 tournaments, and they are well on their way to doing it again this year.

Since both Bueckers and Fudd are seniors, they will undoubtedly have a sense of urgency to go even deeper in the tourney and win their 12th championship in program history.

By virtue of Saturday's win, UConn will move on to face the winner of No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 South Dakota State in the second round.