"Can't overthink it": Ashlynn Shade gets real on her impressive start as Geno Auriemma's UConn cruise to HoF showcase win vs Iowa State

Ashlynn Shade had an incredible outing in the No. 4 UConn Huskies' 101-68 win over the Iowa State Cyclones in the Hall of Fame Women's Showcase on Tuesday. The sophomore guard finished with 27 points, two rebounds and four assists.

Shade started the game on a high as she scored 20 points in the first quarter, going a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor, including 6-of-6 from the 3-point range. Speaking to the media postgame, UCTV Sports tweeted the guard's thoughts on her opening performance.

"Ashlynn Shade on her impressive start: 'I went out there today with the same approach as other games. [I] can't overthink it,'" the account wrote.

"I just have to stay within myself and be true to who I am and that's when I'm most successful," she added.

Ashlynn Shade played a crucial role last season as the UConn Huskies lost most of their upperclassmen to injuries. The guard, along with KK Arnold, helped Paige Bueckers in the Final Four run. She started in 33 of the 38 games, averaging 31.4 minutes per game with 11.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals.

This season, Shade is averaging 8.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals. After her performance against Iowa State, Shade credited her team for her impressive scoring.

"I just kind of came with the approach that I come with every game that I just need to be shot-ready, be aggressive, stick to what I know," she said. "I couldn't have gotten those open shots without my teammates.

"The way we were running our offense, the way we were passing, the way we were moving it made it so much easier to get open threes and that just got me settled into the game."

Ashlynn Shade shares comments on UConn's record-breaking night

Ashlynn Shade was not the only player who shined against the Cyclones, as freshman Sarah Strong scored a career-best 29 points with nine rebounds and four assists. Paige Bueckers added 27 points while Kaitlyn Chen dished out a team-high eight assists and Jana El Alfy took nine rebounds.

The UConn Huskies also set a new program record with the most 3s made in a game (20). Commenting on this, Shade said in the presser:

"I mean it means everything to be a part of something that's so big. It being part of UConn history, like, it's just super surreal and I'm glad that I could contribute and accomplish that with my team."

The Huskies have a heavy-weight clash against the No. 7 USC Trojans on Saturday.