BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — In the days after Paige Bueckers went down with a tibial plateau fracture in her knee in early December, and it was determined she would need surgery to repair it, Geno Auriemma tried to keep a level head. The coach has pretty much seen it all during his 37 years of coaching at UConn, and he knew there were more benefits to taking the long-term approach with Bueckers’ recovery than rushing her back.

Auriemma stuck to that plan as his star sophomore guard returned to the court late last month, limiting her minutes and easing her back into the leading role everyone came to expect of her as a freshman. Even after the Huskies’ Sweet 16 win over Indiana on Saturday, Auriemma said Bueckers was “not quite” back to her old self.

So on Monday night, when Buckers took over the game in overtime, scoring 15 of UConn’s 30 points in the two extra periods to lead her team to a 91-87 win over NC State and a berth in its 14th straight Final Four, Auriemma could only shake his head.

When a player like Bueckers steps into the bright lights of an NCAA Tournament game, there’s only so much you can predict.

“There was a point in time during the season where I really said to the team, ‘I don’t know if you guys are all walking around in practice every day going, that’s OK, it doesn’t matter how bad we are, Paige is coming back and she’ll fix everything. I said, ‘I’m not counting on it,’” Auriemma recalled from the podium, trying to put words to what he called “one of the best games I’ve ever been a part of” at UConn.

“But when it was evident that there was a chance, by that time a lot of other players on our team had gotten a lot better. I think if Paige had come back to the exact same team, we probably wouldn’t be in this game, given what happened.”

In the 19 games Bueckers missed while recovering from her injury, Auriemma needed other players to step up. The same was true when freshman Azzi Fudd was sidelined for over two months with a foot injury. Freshman Caroline Ducharme and sophomore Nika Mühl suddenly were playing more minutes and, though they might not have realized it at the time, earning valuable experience for March.

That evolution has turned UConn into a well-rounded and fearsome team after an uncharacteristic season in which it lost to multiple unranked teams. It was just No. 1 seed NC State’s luck to draw the Huskies into their quarter of the bracket when they were peaking at the right time.

Where Fudd steadied UConn’s offense throughout the game Monday, scoring 17 of her 19 points in regulation and making critical free throws down the stretch, Bueckers played the part of closer. Jakia Brown-Turner’s improbable 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds left to send the game to double overtime and keep NC State’s hopes alive was just the fuel Bueckers needed.

“I mean, that whole game she was amazing,” said Fudd, “but I think NC State hitting that big shot to put us into that second overtime on her was the best thing they could do, but the worst thing they could do.”

Wouldn't advise going under the screen when defending Paige Bueckers. Dominate OT performance from Paige. pic.twitter.com/XSq4lyKl3N

— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) March 29, 2022

NC State knew it, too. Coach Wes Moore said that they focused on getting the ball out of Bueckers’ hands late in the game — just like they did against Notre Dame freshman Olivia Miles in the fourth quarter on Saturday — but this time, the effort was fruitless.

It had been a while since the reigning National Player of the Year had tapped into her magic, but in overtime Monday, Paige Bueckers became Paige Bueckers.

“Just my teammates and my coaches just instilling that confidence in me that they trust me in these moments and they trust me with the ball and they trust me to do the right thing,” Bueckers said. “I just wanted to continue to play, and Coach is always huge on me about just making sure just to find a way to win. So I think that was the key tonight.”

UConn’s Final Four streak was far from Auriemma’s mind when Bueckers went down nearly four months ago. He knew he’d need her healthy for whenever UConn made a run at its 12th national championship.

He just didn’t realize that moment would be now. There’s only so much you can predict with your players, but then again, this player was made for these moments.

“It could end tomorrow. It could end next week. It could end next year, like everything else ends,” Auriemma said. “But kids like Paige won’t let it end, and there has to be that kind of kid.”

Hannah Withiam is the Managing Editor at Just Women’s Sports. She previously served as an editor at The Athletic and a reporter at the New York Post. Follow her on Twitter @HannahWithiam.

For the first time in the NWSL's 12-year history, fans can now buy their own goalkeeper jerseys. And while replica goalkeeper jerseys representing all 14 NWSL teams hit the market on Wednesday, some didn't stick around for long. 

Fans across women's soccer have long vocalized their discontent over the position's lack of availability on social media, often comparing the shortcoming to the widespread availability of men’s goalkeeper jerseys. And as the NWSL has grown, so has demand — and not just from those in the stands. 

"To have goalkeeper kits available for fans in the women’s game as they have been for so long in the men’s game is not only a long-awaited move in the right direction, it’s just good business," said Washington Spirit goalie Aubrey Kingsbury in an team press release. "I can’t wait to see fans representing me, Barnie [Barnhart], and Lyza in the stands at Audi!"

just went looking at #nwsl goalkeeper kit stock out of curiosity — Alyssa Naeher's $145 kit already sold out S-XL (league announced GK jerseys on sale 3 hours ago)https://t.co/8bYA7tlwcx

— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) April 17, 2024

Business does, in fact, appear to be booming. Alyssa Naeher’s Chicago Red Stars kit sold out less than three hours after the league's announcement. Jerseys for other keepers like DiDi Haračić, Abby Smith, Michelle Betos, Katelyn Rowland, and Bella Bixby aren’t currently available via the Official NWSL Shop, though blank goalkeeper jerseys can be customized through some individual team sites. Jerseys start at $110 each.

"This should be the benchmark," said Spirit Chief Operations Officer Theresa McDonnell. "The expectation is that all players’ jerseys are available to fans. Keepers are inspiring leaders and mentors with their own unique fan base who want to represent them... I can’t wait to see them all over the city."

Decorated gymnast Simone Biles took to the popular Call Her Daddy podcast this week to open up about her experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, revealing she thought she was going to be "banned from America" for her performance.

After Biles botched her vault routine due to a bout of the "twisties," she withdrew from the team final as well as the all-around final in order to focus on her mental health. She later reentered the competition to win bronze in the individual balance beam final.

In her interview with podcast host Alex Cooper, Biles admitted to feeling like she let the entire country down by failing her vault attempt.

"As soon as I landed I was like 'Oh, America hates me. The world is going to hate me. I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,'" she recalled thinking. "I was like, ‘Holy s---, what are they gonna say about me?'"

"I thought I was going to be banned from America," she continued. "That’s what they tell you: Don’t come back if not gold. Gold or bust. Don’t come back."

Widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, Biles has hinted at a desire to join her third Olympic team in Paris, though her participation won't be confirmed until after the gymnastics trials in late June. She holds over 30 medals from the Olympic Games and World Artistic Gymnastics Championships combined, and if qualified, would be a sure favorite heading into this summer’s games.

Caitlin Clark is reportedly close to cementing a hefty endorsement deal with Nike.

The Athletic was the first to break the news Wednesday evening, commenting that the deal would be worth "eight figures" and include her own signature shoe. On Thursday afternoon, the publication tweeted that the deal would top $20 million, according to lead NBA Insider Shams Charania. Both Under Armour and Adidas are said to have also made sizable offers to the college phenom and expected future WNBA star.

The new agreement comes after Clark's previous Nike partnership ended with the conclusion of the college basketball season. She was one of five NCAA athletes to sign an NIL deal with the brand back in October, 2022. 

Considering Clark's overwhelming popularity and Nike's deep pockets, the signing's purported value doesn't exactly come as a shock. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu’s deal with the brand is reportedly worth $24 million, while NBA rookie and No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama’s deal is rumored to weigh in at $100 million. And in 2003, LeBron James famously earned $90 million off his own Nike deal. 

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Clark’s star power continues to skyrocket, with the NCAA championship averaging 18.9 million viewers and the 2024 WNBA Draft more than doubling its previous viewership record. Following the draft, Fanatics stated that Clark's Indiana Fever jersey — which sold out within an hour — was the top seller for any draft night pick in the company’s history, with droves of unlucky fans now being forced to wait until August to get their hands on some official No. 22 gear.

In Wednesday's Indiana Fever introductory press conference, the unfailingly cool, calm, and collected Clark said that turning pro hasn’t made a huge impact on how she’s conducting her deals.

"If I’m being completely honest, I feel like it doesn’t change a ton from how I lived my life over the course of the last year," she said. "Sponsorships stay the same. The people around me, agents and whatnot, have been able to help me and guide me through the course of the last year. I don’t know if I would be in this moment if it wasn’t for a lot of them."

Former Oklahoma slugger Jocelyn Alo has signed on with Athletes Unlimited and will compete in the AU Pro Softball AUX this June.

The NCAA record holder in career home runs (122), total bases (761), and slugging percentage (.987), Alo was originally drafted by the league in 2022 but opted instead to join the newly debuted Women’s Professional Fastpitch. 

Alo currently plays for independent pro softball team Oklahoma City Spark, with team owner Tina Floyd reportedly on board with her recent AUX signing. AUX games are scheduled for June 10-25, while the Spark's season will kick off June 19th. Alo will play for both. 

Among those joining Alo on the AUX roster are former James Madison ace pitcher Odicci Alexander and former Wichita State standout middle infielder Sydney McKinney.

According to Alo, the decision to play in the Athletes Unlimited league was fueled by her desire to propel women's sports forward as well as provide more exposure to a sport that's given her "so many opportunities."

"Not only to challenge myself more, but just for the growth of the game," Alo said, explaining her reasoning to The Oklahoman. "I genuinely believe that professional softball can be a career for girls."

Joining AUX is also one more step in her plan toward representing Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"I’m constantly thinking about how can I do these little things right in these four years to prepare me for the biggest stage of softball," she told The Oklahoman. "I definitely want to play in the Olympics, for sure."

Alo further expressed enthusiasm in the hope that the rise of other women’s sports, like women’s basketball and the NWSL, will push softball’s professional viability even higher.

"We’re seeing the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) get their stuff going, I see the WNBA starting to get hot," she continued. "I feel like the softball community is like, 'All right, it’s our turn and it’s our turn to just demand more.'"