No. 2 UConn vs. No. 14 North Carolina
Venue: First Horizon Coliseum — Greensboro, N.C.
Time: 6 p.m. ET, Friday
TV: ESPN2
Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
Geno Auriemma, Paige Bueckers and the Connecticut Huskies are massive 23.5-point favorites heading into North Carolina on Friday night’s neutral-court game. Yes, the spread is colossal, but this is still UConn’s first real test after routing Boston and South Florida.
UConn’s first two opponents combined to go 32 percent from the floor. The Tar Heels come in ranked 14th in the country and will hope to fare better against the Huskies’ defense.
Bueckers is expected to be the top pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, which has its lottery on Sunday. The dynamic guard has never shot below 52 percent in her four collegiate seasons. Freshman Sarah Strong is, well, starting strong for UConn. The North Carolina native is averaging 15 points, 3.5 assists and four steals so far.
UNC is looking for its first win against UConn since 2006. Senior Lexi Donarski, the team’s leading scorer at 15 points per game, is making three 3-pointers per game so far at a 36 percent clip. Backcourt partner Alyssa Ustby is a fifth-year starter with three consecutive All-ACC designations.
Connecticut has been in a relative title drought. Since winning four…
