With No. 2 UConn taking on No. 8 Notre Dame, you have a must-see prime-time TV matchup happening in South Bend, Indiana. The game will be aired on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET, with both teams entering the contest highly-ranked.
The Huskies, sitting at 8-0, are looking for a win on the road, while Notre Dame is aiming to protect its home court and earn their third win of the season over a top-five ranked team. Here’s what each team needs to do to win this matchup:
What Notre Dame must do to win
This game will be an uphill battle for the Fighting Irish. Not only is UConn undefeated, but the duo of redshirt senior guard Paige Bueckers and freshman forward Sarah Strong will be hard to slow down.
To minimize the Huskies’ damage and maximize their chances of victory, the Fighting Irish will need a big game from grad forward Liatu King. She is averaging a double-double and will need to be dominant on the boards, ending UConn possessions and winning some offensive rebounds to give Notre Dame as many shots at the basket as possible.
Scoring-wise, expect the backcourt of senior guard Olivia Miles and sophomore guard Hannah Hildago to keep lighting it up. They’ve been scoring a combined 41.8 points per game, and they’ll need all of that—and then some—to walk away victorious on Thursday.
What UConn must do to win
The Huskies are ranked higher, but this is undeniably their biggest test of the season so far. Bueckers must have a big game on the road for UConn to win. Not that she will find that to be a challenge; she’s averaging 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.
The biggest obstacle for UConn in this contest will be playing without grad guard Azzi Fudd. The senior is out with a knee injury and will, at minimum, miss this game and an upcoming matchup against Georgetown.
Paige Bueckers says she’s “very” relieved that Azzi Fudd’s injury is minor:
“I know she’s gonna stay hungry, stay in the weight room, continue to do everything that she can to get back on the court as soon as possible.” pic.twitter.com/XQ1zf3Cxkv
— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) December 10, 2024
Strong has been a freshman sensation for UConn and will need to have a big game for the Huskies to remain undefeated. She’s averaging 16.3 points and a team-high 7.6 rebounds. They can pull off the road win if she can dominate inside and cancel out King’s game.
Game information
No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-2) vs. No. 2 UConn Huskies (8-0)
When: Thursday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, IN
How to watch: ESPN
