For the first time since late 2021, the Creighton Bluejays (16-3, 8-0) will play in the CHI Health Center Omaha for their annual Pink Out Game, also putting their perfect conference record on the line against the UConn Huskies (18-2, 9-0). In his 40th season, Geno Auriemma’s squad has been dominant, dropping only two games to teams ranked in the top ten at the time and winning all nine conference games by, on average, around 35 points per contest. Jim Flanery’s squad at Creighton will have its hands full with the plethora of talent that UConn can employ, but the Jays also have a chance at history with a win.

UConn Personnel

Redshirt senior guard Paige Bueckers leads UConn in most significant offensive categories for a guard. First in points per game with 19.4, first in assists per game with 4.2, first in three-point percentage at 43.4%, and while she doesn’t lead the team in field goal percentage, she’s a close second at 56.9% from the field. Bueckers has most personal accolades a player could want including player of the year in 2020-21 and, understandably, will be a lot for Creighton to handle.

Freshman forward Sarah Strong leads the team in rebounding with 7.7 boards per game and is second on the team with 17.2 points per game. She not only leads UConn but also the conference in shooting percentage at 59.2%, which is doubly impressive when you factor that she’s taken almost 100 three-pointers this year. Having played every game this season, Strong leads the team in total shot attempts as well with 240 field goal attempts.

Graduate guard Kaitlyn Chen is the only other Husky to have started every game she’s played, joining Strong and Bueckers. Chen is averaging just 6.1 points per game and 1.9 rebounds per game, but has managed to nearly match Bueckers in total assists with 75, one shy of Bueckers, and good for 3.8 assists per game. 

UConn, in addition to Bueckers and Strong, includes graduate guard Azzi Fudd as a double-figure scorer in the backcourt. She is averaging 11.3 points per game and shoots 48.1% from the field, but has only started in 10 of her 14 contests this season, including last game against Villanova. 

Also starting for UConn in that Villanova game was redshirt freshman center Jana El Alfy, who has started in eight of 20 games. Her rebounding effort is second on the team with 5.3 boards per game and she is averaging 5.9 points per game with only three three-point attempts on the year. Her 14 blocks also placed second behind Strong for team-best.

Sophomore guard Ashlynn Shade has started in 12 of her 20 games for UConn, averaging 8.4 points per game, also shooting 48.9% from the field and 43.2% from three, the latter shooting split good for second on the team behind Bueckers. Redshirt sophomore forward Ice Brady also has a few starts for UConn, starting 12 of 19 games and averaging 4.2 points per game with 3.4 rebounds per game.

UConn has four major players without a start in the rotation: sophomore guard KK Arnold is averaging 5.7 points over 21.7 minutes per game, freshman guard Allie Ziebell averages 4.4 points over 10.5 minutes per game, freshman guard Morgan Cheli is shooting 40.0% from three while averaging 3.0 points over 13.9 minutes and sophomore guard Qadence Samuels is averaging 7.3 minutes and 1.5 points over 17 contests.

UConn Last Game

UConn’s last game was a home victory over Villanova, 100-57, in Gampel Pavilion. Strong led the way for the Huskies with 22 points, followed closely behind by Bueckers with 21 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Chen also scored in double-figures with 17 on near-perfect shooting, and Arnold off the bench had 11.

UConn had a field day from the field, shooting 65.6% from the floor and 52.9% from three. They also had 26 assists to just nine turnovers, outrebounded the Wildcats 37 to 23, and managed 10 steals.

Creighton Last Game

Creighton, meanwhile, won a road game in Hinkle Fieldhouse against Butler, 63-52. Morgan Maly and Lauren Jensen managed 46 points between each other, making a combined 18 shots and seven threes. Molly Mogensen also added to the total with 11 points of her own. Outside of these three, only three other Jays scored, combining for six points.

Creighton Notes

• Maly currently leads the Big East in three-point percentage at 47.6% on the year with 5.4 attempts from deep per game. Maly is adding onto a historic career from three with an extreme increase in her three-point percentage, currently shooting over 10% higher than in any prior year. According to Creighton’s game notes, Maly sits just three three-pointers away from Kathy Halligan’s record for total career threes, with Maly at 306 and Halligan at 309.
• Creighton also looks to potentially break their attendance record for a women’s basketball game with a solid crowd at the CHI Health Center Omaha. Again, according to the game notes, the record attendance was set in 2003 against Auburn in the WNIT semifinals at 4,439, but “the Creighton Ticket Office is projecting Creighton’s attendance record will be broken.” This has the making of a big night in Omaha if Creighton can pull out a win.

Things to Watch

1. UConn’s stars will get their buckets. Bueckers is likely not going to put up a goose egg in Omaha. Neither will Strong. Similarly, UConn will go on a run. The objective of Creighton should be to weather the storm that the Huskies will put up and try to answer back with their own. Watch for Creighton’s response on these runs, as these responses will likely define the game.
2. Additionally, Maly and Jensen are good enough to get their own baskets against UConn, but Creighton will need a third and fourth major contributor to win this game. Mogensen, Kiani Lockett, Kennedy Townsend and Mallory Brake are all potential targets for a breakout game if the Jays are going to win this game.