The UConn women's basketball team suffered its worst home loss in Gampel Pavilion history on Monday at the hands of an Oregon team that looks like it could be the best in program history. The visiting Ducks shellacked the Huskies 74-56 in UConn's most lopsided defeat in the 30-year existence of the on-campus arena. It also marked the first loss for the Huskies inside the venue since 2013, while also serving as Oregon's first-ever road win against a top-five opponent.
Oregon, which entered ranked No. 3, improved to 20-2 on the year. No. 4 UConn, meanwhile, fell to 19-2 as its seven-game winning streak came to an end. The Ducks entered with an 0-3 all-time record against UConn, but had never played the powerhouse Huskies as a ranked team.
After two straight 33-5 seasons, Oregon is continuing to establish itself as a rising national power, led by reigning Wooden Award winner Sabrina Ionescu. The senior guard is the NCAA's all-time leader in triple doubles with 23, and she finished just one rebound and one assist shy of notching another one on Monday. All five Oregon starters scored in double figures Monday night, led by 22 points from senior forward Ruthy Heard.
The loss was UConn's first time hosting a higher-ranked team since 2016, when the Huskies were ranked No. 3 and defeated No. 2 Baylor 72-61. This time around, though, it was clear early that the Huskies had their work cut out for them as Oregon jumped to a 22-12 lead through one quarter.
Crystal Dangerfield led UConn with 19 points in defeat. The Huskies host Memphis on Friday before traveling to No. 1 South Carolina next Monday for another non-conference showdown. Oregon hosts No. 12 Arizona on Friday.
