STORRS, Conn. – The second-ranked UConn women's basketball team (8-0) plays its first true road game and first top-10 opponent of the season when the Huskies take on No. 8 Notre Dame (7-2) Thursday at 7 p.m. in Purcell Pavilion. The game will air on ESPN and the UConn Sports Network from Learfield (FOX Sports 97-9).

The Huskies picked up their third ranked win of the season with an 85-52 victory over then-No. 22 Louisville in Brooklyn at the Women's Champions Classic last Saturday. Freshman Sarah Strong led UConn with 21 points and added eight rebounds. Graduate student Azzi Fudd scored 18 points. The Huskies held the Cardinals to 25.8% shooting.

Strong became just the sixth player in the history of the league to sweep BIG EAST Player and Freshman of the Week on Dec. 9 after averaging 21.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in two wins last week. Strong has scored in double digits in every game this season and has three 20-point performances.

UConn is 39-15 all-time vs. Notre Dame. The Huskies have two Indiana natives on its roster: redshirt sophomore Ayanna Patterson (Fort Wayne) and sophomore Ashlynn Shade (Noblesville). This is the 25th time UConn and Notre Dame will face off in a top-10 matchup.

Notre Dame is coming off a 93-62 win over Syracuse last Sunday. Hannah Hidalgo leads the Irish with 24.6 points per game and ranks second nationally with 4.11 steals per game. Head coach Niele Ivey is in her fifth season at her alma mater.

The Irish are the second of four ranked teams the Huskies will face in December.

UConn returns to the XL Center this Sunday to begin BIG EAST play against Georgetown at 1:30 p.m. Fewer than 1,000 tickets remain for the matchup and can be purchased HERE.