The 10th-ranked UConn Huskies took down No. 7 Tennessee 75-56 on Sunday as freshman Azzi Fudd made a statement in her first career start.

Fudd had a team-high 25 points, adding four rebounds and four assists. She made 7-of-9 3-pointers, including one on her first touch of the game.

“Today was a lot of fun,” Fudd said. “I was smiling the whole time.”

Career-high in points for @azzi_35 as @UConnWBB routs Tennessee 75-56 😤 pic.twitter.com/tOt89lMX4R

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) February 6, 2022

It was a statement made by the freshman in just her fourth game since returning from a foot injury that kept her sidelined for 11 games. Since her return, she has averaged 13.8 points per game.

“Today was the first game where she took it upon herself to be present in the entire game,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “She didn’t pass up any shots. If you watched the game, you’d have thought she was an upperclassman. If that’s the worst she ever looks, it’s going to be pretty good.”

Evina Westbrook and Aaliyah Edwards each added 14 points apiece.

The Huskies’ 12-for-26 3-point shooting far outpaced the Lady Vols, who were just 3-of-15 on the day. UConn also shot 44.8 percent to Tennessee’s 28.8. With the loss, the Lady Vols have lost three of their last four games. They lost forward Keyen Green to a torn ACL on Jan. 23.

“We have not recovered from that yet,” Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper said. “We’ve got to be able to find confidence in what we’re doing. That’s been the biggest drop-off for us in the last two weeks.”

Tennessee’s Jordan Horston led all scorers with 26 points, adding eight rebounds.

UConn was without Caroline Ducharme, who was unavailable due to a head injury. Sophomore guard Paige Bueckers continues to be out after having surgery to repair a tibial plateau fracture in her left knee. She is expected to make her return sometime in February. While UConn has hit some tough times due to injuries, the return of its stars could prove deadly heading into the final stretch of the season.

“We’re going to be a nasty team with everyone healthy,” Fudd said.

The rivalry game between the two teams lacked some of the firepower it used to have. The same rivalry that still has Auriemma and Candace Parker on opposite ends of the game was relatively tame on Sunday. Prior to the game, Auriemma spoke to the game’s meaning for the current group of players.

“I feel like it’s — things evolve, things change,” he said. “It’s certainly not the rivalry that it used to be and it may never be that again. I don’t think any of these players remember any Tennessee-Connecticut game, you know?

“If it didn’t happen earlier this afternoon and they didn’t see it on TikTok, it didn’t happen.”

UConn takes on Villanova on Wednesday as Tennessee will look to rebound against Missouri on Thursday.

The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury went the distance on Tuesday night, overcoming a 20-point deficit against the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx to secure an 89-83 Game 2 win in overtime — and sending the 2025 WNBA semifinals to Arizona tied at 1-1.

Even more, Phoenix's come-from-behind victory set records as the third-largest comeback in WNBA playoff history.

Mercury forward Satou Sabally led the team with 24 points, while guard Sami Whitcomb added 13 points off the bench — including the game-tying three-pointer that propelled the matchup into overtime.

"Just pride, toughness, grit. I couldn't be more proud of our group for doing that," Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said afterwards. "I'm fired up. Phoenix is going to be rocking on Friday and Sunday."

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After dominating Game 1, Tuesday's defeat marked the first time in Lynx franchise history that they lost a postseason game after holding a double-digit halftime lead.

"Suddenly, we lost our way," said Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve. "We didn't respond. Then when we needed to go get buckets and we had good opportunities, we weren't strong enough."

"I think we beat ourselves," forward Napheesa Collier added. "Unforced turnovers, not taking care of the ball when they were pressuring us, just keeping our composure in those situations is huge."

How to watch the Minnesota Lynx vs. Phoenix Mercury in Game 3

The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury will host the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx for Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA semifinals at 9:30 PM ET on Friday, airing live on ESPN2.

The No. 2 Las Vegas Aces reclaimed their contender status in Game 2 on Tuesday night, taking down the No. 6 Indiana Fever in a 90-68 blowout victory to tie their best-of-five 2025 WNBA semifinals at 1-1.

Reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson fueled the Aces' bounce-back performance with 25 points and nine rebounds, backed by 10 points apiece from reserves Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans.

"I just think we came to work," Wilson said following the win. "We didn't come to work in Game 1, and that's on all of us. I think Game 2, we just decided to come to work."

Physicality on the court — as well as the referees' response to it — has played a major role in the Aces vs. Fever series, with Las Vegas clearly upping the intensity to keep Indiana at bay on Tuesday.

"It's playoffs — very physical games," said Aces forward NaLyssa Smith afterwards. "I feel like we've got to match the energy, day in and day out."

"It's hard for us to find flow when there's a foul called every 10 seconds," Fever head coach Stephanie White lamented. "When they're at the free throw line, we can't get up and down the floor, and that's a challenge."

How to watch the Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever in Game 3

The 2025 WNBA semifinals next travels to Indiana for Game 3, with the No. 6 Fever hosting the No. 2 Aces at 7:30 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage airing on ESPN2.

Despite finishing at the bottom of the 2025 WNBA standings, the No. 12 Chicago Sky and No. 13 Dallas Wings will not be moving on from their current head coaches according to a report from Front Office Sports this week.

Dallas sideline leader Chris Koclanes and Chicago manager Tyler Marsh led their sides to identical 10-34 records in their first year at the helm — the worst in the league this season.

In contrast, 2025 playoff participants Seattle and New York are already making aggressive coaching changes, dismissing Storm boss Noelle Quinn and Liberty leader Sandy Brondello following first-round postseason exits.

While some fans criticized the presumed decision, Chicago Sky and Dallas Wings stars spoke out in support of their head coaches.

"Obviously the season didn't go how we expected, but being able to have a coach like Tyler, it was amazing through the ups and downs," Chicago center Kamilla Cardoso told reporters. "He always showed up every day with the same energy, no matter what the record was."

"The team embodies the attitude of your leader," echoed Dallas guard Paige Bueckers. "And for [Koclanes] to show up every single day at work and pour into all of us…it means a lot to us as a team."

With the 2025 WNBA Playoffs in full swing, many big-name players are shifting their focus to the winter, joining the 2026 roster for offseason leagues like 3×3 upstart Unrivaled and 5×5 Athletes Unlimited.

Connecticut Sun rookie Aneesah Morrow officially signed with AU Pro Basketball this week, joining WNBA veteran teammate Tina Charles, Las Vegas Aces standout and 2023 AU champion NaLyssa Smith, as well as fellow pro first-years in guards Kaitlyn Chen (Golden State Valkyries) and Te-Hina PaoPao (Atlanta Dream) on the AU court.

The 2026 Athletes Unlimited Basketball season also boasts several returning stars among its 40-player league roster, including Chicago Sky guard Kia Nurse, Washington Mystics forward Alysha Clark, Seattle Storm guard Lexie Brown, and New York Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison.

Tipping off its fifth season in February 2026, the month-long Nashville-based competition features rotating teams and individual leaderboards, offering an alternative to both overseas play and Unrivaled's 3×3 team format.

"It's player-driven," Charles said in her own AU Basketball signing announcement earlier this month. "I think that's really neat, you know, something that I've never been a part of, nor have I seen on men's or women's side."

How to watch the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Basketball season

The upcoming 2026 season of AU Pro Basketball runs from February 5th through March 2nd, with all 24 games airing live across several different broadcasters.