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Destanni Henderson caps South Carolina career with game to remember

(Bri Lewerke/Just Women’s Sports)

Destanni Henderson scored a career-high 26 points in the national championship game Sunday night.

It would be natural to make a pun about how it was her “Destanni,” or describe the 3-pointers that helped South Carolina sink UConn 64-49 to win the title, but what would be the point?

Henderson said everything that needed to be said on the court, and her scoreline speaks for itself, even if she didn’t know exactly how monumental it was.

When the buzzer sounded and Henderson commenced celebrating with her teammates, the senior guard wasn’t aware that she had reached a career milestone.

“I didn’t even know I had a career-high, to be honest,” Henderson said with a laugh, after it was brought up in the postgame press conference. “But when people spoke about it and let me know, that is even more of a blessing. It is an honor to do it in this special moment that all of us are going to remember forever.”

Henderson’s offensive outpouring was sparked by her defensive performance.

The senior guard drew the assignment of matching up with Paige Bueckers, holding the UConn star sophomore to zero first-quarter points and 14 for the game.

Staley said she was ready to switch the bigger Brea Beal on Bueckers if necessary — she has six inches on Henderson — but the Gamecocks never had to make the switch.

“We didn’t really have to do that, because Henny was super focused on making it really hard for her,” Staley said. “Paige made some incredible shots, but we wanted 40 minutes of making her work.”

While Henderson made it difficult for Bueckers to score, she had no trouble getting going on the other end.

She had 11 first-half points, including three 3-pointers. Every time Henderson hit from long range, she pulled out her signature bow-and-arrow celebration, eliciting cheers from the South Carolina crowd.

And when UConn made runs to chip away at the lead, and the Gamecocks needed to put them away, it was Henderson who stepped up.

“Henny did it all tonight,” Aliyah Boston said. “She attacked the basket. We knew that they couldn’t guard her, and if they couldn’t guard her, then they’re probably going to put her on the foul line and give her an and-one. And she knew, she embraced her role.”

Henderson scored 15 second-half points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, which accounted for more than half of South Carolina’s second-half production (29 points).

“She’s a quiet soul, a smooth operator,” Staley said of Henderson. “But she had a different look this tournament, because she knew it was going to be her last tournament.”

For Staley, Henderson’s success was the ultimate showcase of a player trusting in the process. As a freshman, Henderson played 15 minutes a game and averaged 5.5 points. During her sophomore year, Staley told Henderson that she was good enough to start, but she would still be coming off the bench. The next year, she started all 31 games and helped her team advance to a Final Four.

This year, she did even more.

“She never wavered,” Staley said of Henderson’s commitment to South Carolina.

On the biggest stage, Henderson’s faith paid off. Four years in a Gamecocks uniform, and she went out the way most players only dream of, with a piece of the championship net and a share of the NCAA trophy.

Eden Laase is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. She previously ran her own high school sports website in Michigan after covering college hockey and interning at Sports Illustrated. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

2025 Women’s Euro Set to Break Tournament Attendance Record

An official 2025 UEFA Women's Euro soccer ball rests on the ground in front of a lake in Switzerland.
Over 570,000 tickets have been sold for Euro 2025. (Chris Ricco - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

UEFA's 2025 Euro tournament is already knocking on the door of history, as the European Championship is on track to shatter the competition's overall attendance record — despite not kicking off until next week.

This year's Switzerland-hosted edition has sold more than 570,000 of the 673,000 tickets available as of Thursday.

Given that tally, England's 2022 Euro record of 574,875 is likely to fall in the coming days.

In addition to the tickets already on sale, stadiums will release another 32,000 to accommodate the knockout stages in the coming weeks.

While Switzerland is poised to claim the Euro's total attendance title by the competition's July 27th finale, England's single-game record crowd of 87,192 — set at the 2022 championship match — will be safe, as no Swiss venue matches the capacity of London's iconic Wembley Stadium.

The 2025 Euro final will be a much more elite affair, as only 34,250 seats are available at Basel's St. Jakob-Park — the largest of the tournament's eight venues.

That said, this summer's European Championship will have more eyes on it than ever before, and not just from the stands.

The 2022 edition shattered viewership records worldwide, but the 2025 Euro has a chance to level up even more, as the tournament has seen its global broadcast footprint expand — particularly in the US.

UEFA inked a media deal with Fox Sports in late May, ensuring that audiences Stateside will have live access to at least 20 of the Euro's 31 matches next month.

While the overall tournament chases new attendance and viewership records, the 16 teams bound for Switzerland will be battling toward the 2025 Euro trophy when the competition kicks off next Wednesday.

NCAA Stars Represent Team USA at FIBA AmeriCup in Chile

TCU basketball star Olivia Miles celebrates a play during a 2025 USA Basketball training session.
Current NCAA stars — including TCU's Olivia Miles — will feature for Team USA at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup competition. (USA Basketball)

The 2025 FIBA AmeriCup 5×5 basketball tournament tips off Saturday in Santiago, Chile, where a youthful Team USA will battle nine other countries from North and South America for both this summer's trophy and a ticket to the 2026 FIBA World Cup.

After falling to reigning champions Brazil in 2023, Team USA will aim to avenge the loss by winning a fifth all-time gold medal at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup final on July 6th.

Led by Duke head coach Kara Lawson, this 12-player US squad follows the federation playbook by tapping top college talent, with the NCAA's finest looking to gain international experience and hone their skills against pros like Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, who leads Brazil's AmeriCup roster.

Full of familiar faces, the USA AmeriCup lineups includes March Madness stars Olivia Miles (TCU), Flau'Jae Johnson (LSU), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Madison Booker (Texas), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Raegan Beers (Oklahoma), and Joyce Edwards (South Carolina).

Also taking the FIBA court for Team USA are NCAA standouts Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt), Gianna Kneepkens (UCLA), Kennedy Smith (USC), Hannah Stuelke (Iowa), and Grace Vanslooten (Michigan State).

"[W]e haven't seen the level of physicality and experience we're going to see down there," Lawson said this week. "So that remains to be seen if we're going to be able to impose that athletic, physical play. But there's no doubt we're going to try."

Hannah Stuelke and Flau'Jae Johnson high-five during a Team USA training session at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup in Santiago, Chile.
Team USA will tip off their 2025 FIBA AmeriCup campaign on Saturday. (USA Basketball)

How to watch Team USA at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup

The 2025 FIBA AmeriCup group stage runs from Saturday through Wednesday, with the knockouts tipping off on July 4th in a run-up to the July 6th championship game.

Team USA will open their AmeriCup campaign against hosts Chile at 8:25 PM ET on Saturday, then face Colombia at 8:10 PM ET on Sunday.

Arguably the toughest Group B contest for the US will be their Monday matchup against Puerto Rico at 8:10 PM ET, before the collegiate stars finish up the tournament's group play against Mexico at 2:10 PM ET on Wednesday.

All 2025 FIBA AmeriCup games will stream live on Courtside 1891.

Runner Faith Kipyegon Beats Her Own World Record, Falls Short of 4-Minute Mile

Kenyan star Faith Kipyegon races in a bid to run a sub four-minute mile on Thursday.
Faith Kipyegon fell just short of the four-minute mile record on Thursday. (EMMA DA SILVA/AFP via Getty Images)

Three-time 1,500-meter Olympic gold medalist Faith Kipyegon fell just short of making running history on Thursday, as the middle-distance star clocked a time of 4:06.42 in her attempt to become the first woman to break the four-minute mile.

"It was the first trial. I have proven that it's possible and it's only a matter of time. I think it will come to our way," said Kipyegon following Thursday's race. "If it's not me, it will be somebody else."

Still the fastest mile-runner of any woman in history, the Kenyan icon did beat her own previous world record of 4:07.64 by 1.22 seconds, though the time won't count as a new record as the race came during Nike's unofficial Breaking4 event.

With full support from the sportswear giant — the 31-year-old's partner for 16 years — Kipyegon had the benefit of multiple pace-setters, as well as an aerodynamic suit, 3D-printed Nike FlyWeb sports bra, and spiked shoes made specifically for the much-hyped four-minute mile attempt at Paris's Stade Charléty.

"Faith didn't just make history, she proved the future of sport is faster, stronger, and more inclusive than ever," noted Nike president Amy Montagne after Kipyegon's race.

"It was tough, but I am so proud of what I've done, and I'm going to keep on trying, dreaming and pursing big goals," said Kipyegon. "I want to show the world, and especially women, that you have to dare to try."

USWNT Tops Republic of Ireland 4-0, Readies for Sunday Rematch

USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson celebrates a goal during a 2025 friendly against Ireland.
USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson scored the team's fourth goal on Thursday. (Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT topped the No. 25 Republic of Ireland 4-0 on Thursday, dominating the first of two friendly matchups against the Girls in Green this week.

Veteran midfielder Rose Lavelle notched a goal and an assist in her first appearance for the US in 2025, with defender Avery Patterson, midfielder Sam Coffey, and forward Alyssa Thompson also finding the back of the net to round out the scoresheet.

Despite relative inexperience, this USWNT lineup claimed control of the match from the very first whistle, holding 68% of possession while keeping Ireland from registering a single shot on goal.

The US also saw new faces step up, as defenders Lilly Reale and Jordyn Bugg as well as goalkeeper Claudia Dickey all earned their first caps without a hitch.

While USWNT boss Emma Hayes is still figuring out her player pool, her team has been busy racking up the results.

"Being able to trust my teammates around me, trusting Emma — she's helped me a lot," Thompson said after the game. "Just the coaching staff in general, I feel like I've learned so much."

"My natural instincts are to go into the attack more," Patterson told media after tallying her first-ever senior team goal. "I think it's a little bit of that, and also the backing of my coaches."

How to watch the USWNT vs. Ireland this weekend

The USWNT and Ireland will clash again in Cincinnati, Ohio, at 3 PM ET on Sunday.

Coverage of the friendly will air live on TNT.

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