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The WNBA kicked off its 30th season over the weekend with 17 UConn players spread across nine different teams. The Golden State Valkyries lead the way with four Huskies, though much of the attention will be on the Dallas Wings. They feature reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year and 2025 No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers as well as 2026 No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd.
Next year, eight more teams will compete in March Madness. Last week, the NCAA announced its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will expand from 68 teams to 76.
Geno Auriemma isn’t a fan.
“To me, this is strictly a money grab for the Power Four conferences to get teams that finished 6-10 in their conference to get into the tournament,” he said.
1,500 women’s basketball players entered the transfer portal this offseason — and none of them are coming to UConn. The reason is two-fold: The Huskies bring back the core of their roster and they didn’t see anyone who would be a difference-maker.
Almost 10 months after it was originally announced, Apple TV’s UConn women’s basketball docuseries finally has a release date. The three-part feature will hit the streaming service on Friday, Aug. 21. Produced by Skydance Sports, the series will weave the story of the Huskies’ run to their 12th national title in 2025 into the program’s legendary history.
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Caroline Ducharme walked at graduation this weekend:
Azzi Fudd had her own version of a graduation ceremony:
It’s that time:
KK Arnold visited Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd in Dallas:
Huskies in Connecticut:
Elsewhere in the world of UConn women’s basketball
A look at the top performers from the WNBA’s opening weekend:
Kaitlyn Chen had the best night of her professional career in the season-opener, dropping a career-high 14 points to go with zero turnovers in 16 minutes of action with the Golden State Valkyries.
Paige Bueckers put up 20 points, four assists and three rebounds in a 107-104 victory over Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Saturday. On Tuesday night, she broke Jordin Canada’s ankles on a pull-up jumper at the free throw line.
Canada was a good sport about it, too, writing on Threads: “Aye Paige got me BAD 😂 lmao but you know what everyone has their day 😂🤷🏾♀️ had to give her her props!”
Fellow No. 1 pick and Wings teammate Azzi Fudd had a quiet start. She came off the bench and played 18 minutes, finishing with just three points. Fudd then missed the team’s game on Tuesday with a right knee issue.
Breanna Stewart has been dominant through three games. After a 31-point, 10-rebound double-double in a blowout win over the Connecticut Sun, she followed it up with 23 points in an overtime victory against the Washington Mystics. Stewart then finished with 16 points and 10 boards in a loss at the buzzer to the Portland Fire.
Serah Williams made her WNBA debut with the Fire on Saturday, becoming the first Husky ever to play for the franchise. She logged eight minutes without a point in the contest and watched the team’s first win on Tuesday night from the bench.
Aubrey Griffin also debuted, only with the New York Liberty. She saw five minutes in the season opener and notched her first career points as well.
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