“Get the Natty Ready”: UConn Fans Ecstatic as Jovana Popovic Leads Geno Auriemma’s Squad to 100-35 Win vs. Cornell

November 3, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

Connecticut Huskies women's head coach Geno Auriemma/ © Imagn

Geno Auriemma’s UConn Huskies opened the 2026-27 women’s college basketball season with an emphatic 100-35 win against Cornell on Monday. Freshman Jovana Popovic and reigning national player of the year Sarah Strong led the way with 19 points apiece.

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In 24 minutes played, Popovic shot 8-of-12 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from the 3-point line, along with three rebounds, one assist, and three steals. Meanwhile, Strong had four rebounds, five assists, and a career-high eight steals.

Several fans praised Popovic’s impressive performance, while others were optimistic about UConn’s championship aspirations this season.

“Jovana is so good, man!! She doesn’t get sped up,” one fan commented.

“Huskies!!!” another fan wrote.

“Let’s go UConn!” a third fan reacted.

“Really liking what I saw from Jovana. Definitely going to be on my client list. She’s 🔥🔥,” one fan commented.

“Jovanna Popovic! I hope everyone learned her name,” another fan wrote.

“Jovana Popovic is here,” another fan commented.

“Get the natty ready,” one fan wrote.

Fan reactions

The Huskies forced 29 turnovers and scored 43 points off them. They finished with a 33-point fourth quarter, closing the game on a 30-2 run. KK Arnold and Marine Dursus contributed 11 points apiece. Jana El Alfy added nine points and five rebounds. On the other hand, Rachel Kaus led Cornell with eight points.

Geno Auriemma Shows Sharp Memory to Recall Last Season-Opening Loss

The 65-point win on Monday extended Geno Auriemma’s season-opening win streak to 31 consecutive seasons. The Huskies’ latest win also marked their 38th season-opening victory in 42 seasons under Auriemma. The head coach’s record in openers improved to 38-4.

In his post-game comments, Auriemma was able to perfectly recall when UConn last lost the season opener under him.

“Was the last loss when Nykesha was on the team?” Auriemma told reporters via On3. “I thought so. I remember that day. Was it Louisiana Tech? It was November. Yeah, Nykesha was on the team, and she made two free throws to send the game into overtime. And I think we lost in overtime. They celebrated like they won a national championship. That’s when we knew that it was never going to be the same.”

Auriemma had the history right. UConn’s last season-opening loss came on Nov. 19, 1995, against Louisiana Tech, when the Huskies fell 83-81 in overtime.

The No. 2 Huskies will next face No. 5 Michigan on Thursday.