PORTLAND, Ore. — In a matchup that felt NCAA tournament-worthy, the No. 3 UConn Huskies ladies’s basketball staff beat the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes 86-79 to win the Phil Knight Legacy match championship Sunday.

The Huskies are undefeated 5 video games into the season with three victories over fellow top-10 groups. This with out All-American guard Paige Bueckers, who’s out all season with a knee damage.

“You do not know you probably have it till you are put in that scenario,” coach Geno Auriemma stated of the Huskies’ resolve. “You do not know how robust you might be. You’ll be able to speak about all of it you need. In some unspecified time in the future, you are going to discover out.

“We simply beat [some] actually good groups within the span of 12-13 days. Now we have one other one this Sunday [Notre Dame] with a convention sport in between. You have got to have the ability to bounce again, quarter-to-quarter, possession-to-possession, game-to-game. That is what prepares you for what occurs in March.”

Sunday’s sport pitted two of the nation’s high gamers, each guards: Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, who was extra dominant within the first half, and UConn’s Azzi Fudd, who was extra dominant within the second half. Clark completed with 25 factors, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, the junior’s thirty fifth profession sport with at the very least 20 factors, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. She had 17 of her factors within the first half, however did not rating within the third quarter, which is when Fudd took over.

Fudd had simply two factors on 1-of-8 taking pictures within the first half, after which had 16 factors within the third quarter alone, going 7-of-7 from the sphere. The sophomore completed with 24 factors. Ahead Aaliyah Edwards had considered one of her greatest video games for the Huskies, with 20 factors, 13 rebounds and 6 assists. She additionally held Iowa standout publish participant Monika Czinano to eight factors, 10 underneath her common.

With Bueckers out, much more accountability rests on junior guard Nika Muhl, who had 13 assists Sunday. In accordance with ESPN Stats & Data analysis, she is the one UConn participant since 1999 to have three consecutive video games of 10 assists or extra — an period that features all-time nice Sue Hen’s Huskies profession.

The Huskies and Hawkeyes final met within the 2021 NCAA Candy 16, which UConn gained by 20 factors. Sunday’s sport was a lot nearer, and each groups take away positives from it.

“I believe our transition offense was great,” Clark stated. “They adjusted properly within the second half and actually had folks again, however in addition they made much more photographs.”

The Hawkeyes, 5-2, put together for an additional ranked foe on Thursday as NC State visits in one of many ACC/Large Ten Problem matchups (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

UConn now has defeated top-10 groups Texas, NC State and Iowa. UConn is the fourth ladies’s staff for the reason that 1999-2000 season to face three top-10 groups within the first 5 video games of the season, in accordance with ESPN Stats & Data analysis. The opposite three groups went 1-8 in these video games.

The Huskies face Large East foe Windfall on Friday, then journey for his or her annual rivalry sport with Notre Dame at 3 p.m. ET subsequent Sunday on ABC.

“This staff responds,” Auriemma stated. “I knew we have been drained and it was a battle, and [against] a staff that simply retains punching you. And Azzi, she punched again. Being drained and dealing with all the eye she faces, she’s actually been exceptional since Paige bought harm.”