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.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Washington Mystics (@washmystics)

"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.