Latest news with #ConnecticutHuskies
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Team USA Announces Major Sue Bird News
Team USA has enjoyed an incredible run in women's basketball over the last thirty-plus years, having won gold medals during every Summer Olympics since 1992, when they won a bronze medal in Spain. With a rich history of talented and heavily invested current and former women's players, Team USA is positioned to be a major player on the international scene for years to come. Advertisement On Wednesday, news broke of Team USA's recent decision to hire a legend of the sport, a former Connecticut Huskies star who is known for her high scoring output and upbeat personality as one of the game's most celebrated athletes. Sue Bird (right) watches the 2024 Olympics with Megan Rapinoe. © Kyle Terada-Imagn Images "USA Basketball will announce Sue Bird as the managing director for the women's national team, a source confirmed to FOS," the X page Front Office Sports said Wednesday. "Previously, the women's team and coaching staff was named by committee —now, that will be Bird's job." Bird, coached by Geno Auriemma at Connecticut, holds WNBA records for most starts and assists. Advertisement Bird played 19 WNBA seasons, earning 13 trips to the All-Star Game. She is the WNBA's all-time winningest player, winning championships with the Seattle Storm in 2004, 2010, 2018 and 2020; the only WNBA player to win titles in three different decades. She's won five gold medals with Team USA, during the 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, and is considered one of the most successful women's players of all-time. "Long overdue," a fan said on X. "Committee should have been disbanded after the Candace Parker fiasco (Olympic team snub)...Sue is pragmatic. Solid choice," they said. Related: Kelsey Plum's Pregame Behavior Turns Heads Before Sparks Debut
New York Times
04-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Will Stephon Castle be the Spurs' second straight Rookie of the Year? ‘I think it's his'
SAN ANTONIO — Exactly one year ago this weekend, Stephon Castle was preparing for his star turn for the Connecticut Huskies in the 2024 men's NCAA Tournament Final Four in Glendale, Ariz. When this year's Final Four begins Saturday night at The Alamodome, in the Alamo City, Castle already will have boarded a flight to Portland with his San Antonio Spurs teammates, utterly indifferent to the goings-on in his new home base. Advertisement 'Once UConn lost, I stopped paying attention,' Castle said after a recent Spurs game at Frost Bank Center, a short drive east from the site of this year's Final Four venue in downtown San Antonio. Castle was sad to see the Huskies' 77-75 loss to Florida in the second round of the tournament, which ended their three-peat bid, but hardly heartbroken. 'I got my ring,' the 20-year-old said, loud enough for teammate and former Baylor Bear Jeremy Sochan to glance in his direction. 'I'm good, as long as Baylor doesn't win.' In all likelihood, there is more hardware in Castle's future. He is the clear leader in the race for the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy, presented annually to the NBA's top rookie. With a little more than a week remaining in the regular season, the combo guard leads all rookies in points scored (1,070), steals (69), 20-point games (22) and assists (287). Since returning from a busy All-Star Weekend, where he participated in three events, Castle has averaged 16 points per game, lifting his season average to 14.3. Over the 23 games since the break, he has nine games of at least 20 points and a 32-point output against the Oklahoma City Thunder, his season high. No rookie has come closer to a triple-double this season than Castle did on Wednesday, when he tallied 15 points,15 rebounds and nine assists in a 113-106 road win over the Denver Nuggets. Playing more at point guard since De'Aaron Fox underwent season-ending finger surgery on March 18, Castle also has improved as an offensive instigator. On March 21, he handed out 14 assists in a 128-120 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the most by any rookie this season and matching 39-year-old teammate Chris Paul's top assist game this season. 'Just fun to play, playing free,' Castle said to explain his assists outburst. 'I feel like that just came from really learning my teammates all season, just really putting it together.' Advertisement Hall of Fame Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, long before he suffered a mild stroke Nov. 2, assigned Castle a locker right next to that of Paul, the 'Point God' the Spurs signed to a one-year deal last summer. Such immediate proximity has helped Castle adapt to the NBA game, just as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander benefited from Paul's presence when they were teammates in Oklahoma City during the 2019-20 season. Paul has been in Castle's ear all season. That the rookie's assist game has improved as the season progressed is hardly a surprise. On Monday, Castle was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for the second time, joining a select group of Spurs rookies to have done so: David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Victor Wembanyama, all of whom became Rookie of the Year. Castle's competition for this season's honor seems to be Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, selected three spots ahead of Castle, also has come to life of late. He has five games of 20 or more points in Atlanta's last 20 games, including a 36-point gem March 30 against the Milwaukee Bucks. He nabbed his first Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honor on Monday. Naturally, the Spurs believe Castle deserves to be the team's second consecutive Rookie of the Year. 'Has it even been a question?' Sochan said of Castle's ascendancy in the race for the award. 'There's no one out there on the 'ladder,' or even in his class that should get it, so I think it's his for sure.' Acting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, who took over after Popovich's stroke, believes there are intangible reasons that speak volumes about why Castle's season has been the best of this season's rookies. 'The thing about Steph that sticks out to me, respectfully to all the other rookies, is (that) I don't know that there's anybody who has been asked to do the variety of roles and responsibilities, and the way he's handled it,' Johnson said. 'That he's been able to achieve enough to be honored as Rookie of the Month more than once says a lot.' Advertisement Johnson moved Castle into the starting lineup after Sochan suffered a broken left thumb Nov. 4 against the LA Clippers. The rookie started 17 games before Sochan returned, then went back to the bench. That 17-game stretch is his longest as a starter, but he is on a streak of 12 straight starts that seems certain to run through the team's final six games. If so, Castle will finish with 47 starts in 81 games played. 'A lot of rookies, you come in and learn by watching, or you come in beside one or two, multiple guys,' Johnson said. 'Very few rookies come into the league and are asked to be the guy or one of the main guys. He's been asked to do all that. He's been asked to play alongside guys; he's been asked to play off the bench; he's been asked to start; he's been asked at times to be one of the main guys. 'To be able to navigate all of that with success is probably something that doesn't show on the surface. It's hard to see unless you pull back the layers a little bit. His demeanor allows him to play through the highs and the lows, which this league hits you with both. To continue to stay even-keeled and know water finds its level, it's hard to do.' Castle's offensive surge since All-Star Weekend may be the deciding factor for Rookie of the Year voters, but the Spurs believe his defensive prowess remains his greatest asset. It was what most impressed the team's scouts as they watched him before he got to UConn and during his one season with the Huskies. If there was a single tournament game that solidified his spot near the top of San Antonio's draft list, it likely was UConn's Elite Eight game against Illinois. Castle shut down the Illini's top scorer, Terrence Shannon Jr., a 23-year-old who came into the game averaging 23 points. He limited Shannon to eight points on 2-of-12 shooting as the Huskies earned a 77-52 win. Castle's rookie season defensive assignments typically put him on the opponent's top perimeter scorer. Among those he has defended are Gilgeous-Alexander, Stephen Curry, Luka Dončić, Jalen Brunson, Jaylen Brown, Coby White, Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Tyrese Halliburton. Rookie of the Year voters inclined to bypass a No. 1 vote for Castle may rationalize such a decision by citing his below-average shooting percentages. After going 6 of 18 in his near-triple-double in Denver, he is at 42.3 percent overall, 28.7 percent from beyond the arc and 71.6 percent from the foul line. Advertisement Most of Castle's scoring comes off aggressive drives to the rim. His midrange shots are few and far between, but he has attempted 307 3-pointers with 88 makes. Despite Castle's ugly percentage from deep, Johnson and those in the Spurs' basketball operations department understand the importance of Castle's continuing to attempt them. No doubt they recall UConn's national semifinal game, in which Alabama left Castle nearly unguarded at the 3-point line. He attempted six shots from deep and made two on his way to scoring 21. While improving his accuracy from the midrange and deep will be an offseason goal for Castle, Johnson believes the rookie's next steps will come naturally. 'The No. 1 thing you ask of every young player is to continue to focus on improving their habits because no one at 19 or 20, in any aspect of life, is a done product,' said Johnson, a four-year starter at point guard at Stanford from 2005-09. 'That bleeds into the fundamentals, and then the overarching thing that happens with the fundamentals is consistency.' Johnson is certain Castle's already proven work ethic eventually will produce consistency in all aspects of his game, including shooting. Castle isn't comfortable talking about his individual accomplishments this season, but he knows the numbers don't lie. Asked recently to comment on having more than twice as many games (22) of 20-plus points than anyone else from his rookie class, he acknowledged his own successes and showed that he understands what Johnson and the rest of the Spurs basketball brain trust expect from him going forward. 'I feel like a lot of that comes from my teammates setting me up, being in good positions, getting me the ball in the right spots,' he said. 'My ability to stop fast has also helped me get to the free-throw line, get easier buckets. 'But, just reflecting on the year, I feel like it's been a good year. It could have been better. I mean, going into right now and next year, something I want to just continue to get better on is just efficiency, just stuff like that.' That's what basketball experts call the right stuff.
Forbes
02-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
As NCAA Final Four Approaches, Women Athletes Redefine NIL Success
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 29: Paige Bueckers #5 of the Connecticut Huskies celebrates in the ... More fourth quarter against the Oklahoma Sooners in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Spokane Arena on March 29, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by) The Final Four is set. South Carolina-Texas and Connecticut-UCLA will paint the canvas on Friday night, framed by the Championship game masterpiece on Sunday. Coming off a 40 point explosion from Paige Bueckers in the match up against Oklahoma, UConn looks to be firing on all cylinders. Three 2025 Wooden Award finalists will also be in action-Lauren Betts of #1 overall seed UCLA, Morgan Booker of Texas (the SEC Player of the Year) and Bueckers, who won the award as a freshman in 2021. New data released today from Sponsor United demonstrates just how dominant top women athletes are in the NIL space. While the majority may focus on who takes home the trophy, this indicator showcases just how popular women athletes are in the NIL marketplace. Alongside electric performances, the storytelling by both brands and players likely on display has led to soaring interest in spending on deals. 'Brands are getting smarter—and more strategic—about how they approach NIL. Some are going all-in on high-profile athletes to maximize exposure during marquee events like March Madness, while others are placing early bets on under-the-radar talent with big upside,' Bob Lynch, Founder and CEO of SponsorUnited told me. 'Whether it's a star player, scout team standout, or student manager, the common thread is that brands are leaning into storytelling, real-time relevance, and the cultural currency these athletes now carry. NIL has evolved from a test-and-learn phase into a core part of the sports marketing playbook.' And the data tells the story. Take a look at what the Huskies' Bueckers has done. Taking a Paige from Paige When it comes to branded engagements between March 2024-March 2025, Bueckers led all high school and college athletes tracked from publicly available, athlete-controlled Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok accounts. Five of the top ten are women's basketball players, including JuJu Watkins, the Cavinder Twins (University of Miami), and Azzi Fudd (UConn), who will return for the 2025-26 season. 'High brand integration potential' means a company feels a deep enough connection to the athlete that they can begin to tell stories. Think State Farm and Caitlin Clark. Gatorade and JuJu Watkins. Their professional brand affiliations have moved beyond a social media post. Lynch attributes some of the attention on specific players to 'how long they've been in the eye of the public'. Emerging research is showing that women spend more time on their social platforms curating their own story; thus, 'what we've found is a lot of brands are trying to go on offense, trying to find athletes that align with a brand's 'ethos' of what they're doing in the marketplace'. Women Soar in Social When it comes to 'Branded Posts' aligning with athletes, Instagram is the dominate tool for (see chart below): When it comes to 'Branded Engagement' with products, TikTok leads the way in both Food and Consumer Products categories. Instagram comes in a relatively close second, but Twitter (X) and Facebook are nearly out of the race. The TikTok Opportunity Why do top athletes on these social platforms do so well? Examining the top 150 posts amongst the most 'engaging' athletes feature similar patterns, including: Women are 75% of the top 150 most engaged social media content creators. The other value add the women's game brings is the WNBA's requirement that athletes remain in college longer than men's game-it gives players a longer runway to develop as a known quantity. Depending on individual performances this weekend, we could see new breakout stars emerge, including Connecticut freshman Sarah Strong, who was outstanding in the game against USC. What could her NIL numbers look like in a year? Trending upwards. Most Engaged-what do athletes do well?
Forbes
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Bueckers Joins Historic Group in Tonight's Victory Sending UConn To The Elite Eight
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 29: Paige Bueckers #5 of the Connecticut Huskies celebrates in the ... More fourth quarter against the Oklahoma Sooners in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Spokane Arena on March 29, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by) Tonight in the Spokane Regional, graduate guard Paige Bueckers added another accolade to her growing and long list of accomplishments scoring 40 points. Bueckers became the fourth player in UConn history (fifth instance) to score 40 points in a game, and the first to do it in the NCAA tournament. Bueckers joins elite company in the Huskies record books with Nykesha Sales scoring 46 points in 1997, Maya Moore (40, 41) in 2009 and 2010, and Katie Lou Samuelson (40) in 2017. With tonight's 40 point performance Bueckers passed Maya Moore for the most 25-point games in the NCAA Tournament (7) by a UConn player in the last 25 years. She also surpasses Seimone Augustus (LSU, 2002-2006) and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (UConn, 2011-2015) to become the 10th-highest scorer in March Madness history. Additionally, Bueckers performance tonight places her 16th on the highest scoring individual performances in March Madness women's history and 13th on the list if performances taken after 2000 are considered. Bueckers joins Alabama's senior guard Sarah Ashlee Barker as the only player in the March Madness tournament this year so far to score 40 or more points. Barker scored 45 points making 17 of her 25 field goal attempts, including four 3-pointers in the double overtime loss to Maryland in the second round. SPOKANE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 29: Paige Bueckers #5 of the Connecticut Huskies celebrates with ... More teammates in the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma Sooners in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Spokane Arena on March 29, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by) In the 82-59 win tonight against the Oklahoma Sooners, Bueckers led the team at the half with 11 points, making 4 of her 11 field goal attempts, going 1-for-2 from beyond the arc and a perfect 2-for-2 at the foul line. However, the Huskies found themselves down four points to OU at the half. Bueckers explained after the game that the Sooners had the upper hand at the half, "They had a great first half, and we didn't make a lot of shots, but we dug down defensively, stuck to our defense, and I think that's what we want to just hang our hat on, is defense winning games." As Bueckers said, the Husky defense plus her 29 second half points allowed the team to take a 23-point margin of victory which is the fourth-largest by a team in NCAA tournament history after trailing at the half, and second-largest in the Sweet 16 or later. Bueckers finished the game making 16 of her 27 field goal attempts, converting 6-of-8 three pointers, contributing six rebounds, and three steals. After the game when asked about her performance and being a part of a program with so many legends, Bueckers expressed, 'It is an honor. I'm extremely blessed and extremely grateful that I even get to play at UConn and be in these conversations with, like, the greatest of all time. But people see the points, but like, a large just attribution to Sarah, Jane, Ice, the way they were screening for me, getting me open, getting me looks. Like, everybody sees the points, but nobody seese the screens set, the passes that were found to me. So it's, I guess, an individual point total, but it's really a team effort.' UConn will play USC on Monday, March 31st at 9pm ET on ESPN for a chance to move on to their 24th Final Four. To follow along with coverage of the women's March Madness Spokane Regional, follow me on Twitter.
Forbes
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Everything You Need To Know About Women's March Madness 2025
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - DECEMBER 21: JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans is defended by Paige ... More Bueckers #5 of the Connecticut Huskies during the second half of an NCAA women's basketball game at the XL Center on December 21, 2024 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by) Women's March Madness is underway, showcasing elite basketball talent and thrilling matchups on the national stage. As the 2025 tournament progresses, here's everything you need to know about its history, schedule, how to watch, top contenders, and this year's Cinderella teams. MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 03: Aliyah Boston #4 of the South Carolina Gamecocks holds the trophy after ... More a win over the Connecticut Huskies in the championship game of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Target Center on April 3, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) For years, the term "March Madness" was reserved exclusively for the men's tournament, despite the women's competition delivering just as much excitement and skill. That finally changed in 2022, following the 2021 Kaplan, Hecker & Fink Gender Equity Report, which exposed major disparities in marketing, funding, and overall visibility between the two tournaments. The 40th installment of the tournament, marking the debut of Women's March Madness, kicked off on March 16, 2022, and wrapped up with the championship matchup on April 3 at Target Center in Minneapolis. In the final, the South Carolina Gamecocks secured their second NCAA title with a 64–49 victory over the UConn Huskies, delivering UConn its first-ever loss in a championship game. NCAA Vice President of Women's Basketball, Lynn Holzman, emphasized that integrating the "March Madness" branding into the women's tournament was a critical step in addressing gender equity. The move has since contributed to increased sponsorship, higher viewership, and greater overall recognition of the women's game. INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 09: JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans shoots the ball while defended ... More by Kiki Rice #1 of the UCLA Bruins during the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament - Championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 09, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by) The 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament will once again feature 68 teams, following the expanded format introduced in 2022. The tournament kicked off with Selection Sunday on March 16, followed by several rounds of high-stakes competition across different locations. The tournament culminates in Tampa, where the Final Four and championship game will be held at Amalie Arena. GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 09: Rori Harmon #3 of the Texas Longhorns plays against the South ... More Carolina Gamecocks during the championship of the SEC women's basketball tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 09, 2025 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by) While the women's and men's March Madness tournaments follow a similar structure, key differences remain: Women's Tournament Schedule: Men's Tournament Schedule: SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - MARCH 21: Hannah Hidalgo #3 of the University of Notre Dame goes up for a ... More layup during the First Round of the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament game between the University of Notre Dame and Stephen F. Austin State University held at Purcell Pavilion on March 21, 2025 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Abigail Dean/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) Every moment of the women's tournament will be available across ESPN's family of networks, ensuring maximum exposure and accessibility: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews. The final will air on ABC. The men's tournament will be broadcast across CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV. All CBS games are available for streaming on Paramount+. All TBS, TNT and TruTV games can be streamed on Max. CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 7: Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks cuts down the net ... More after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyesduring the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament National Championship at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 7, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) The 2024 Women's March Madness Tournament featured a thrilling showdown between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the South Carolina Gamecocks. On April 7, 2024, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, South Carolina secured their third national championship with an 87–75 win over Iowa. Caitlin Clark, in her final collegiate season, led Iowa to a second straight runner-up finish, while South Carolina's commanding performance furthered their dominance as one of the nation's top women's basketball programs under head coach Dawn Staley. The championship game drew an estimated 18.9 million viewers on ABC and ESPN, according to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, with viewership peaking at 24.1 million during the final minutes of the game (5:00 – 5:14 PM ET). This was a 90% increase over the 9.9 million viewers who tuned in for the 2023 final and an astonishing 288% jump from 2022. In a historic first, the women's championship game outdrew the men's final in 2024. The Men's College Basketball National Championship on April 8, which featured UConn and Purdue, attracted 14.8 million viewers, nearly 4 million fewer than the women's game. GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 09: Madison Booker #35 of the Texas Longhorns dribbles against ... More Tessa Johnson #5 of the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second quarter during the championship of the SEC women's basketball tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 09, 2025 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by) Heading into the 2025 tournament, several teams have emerged as strong contenders: Cinderella Teams:
