UConn head coach Geno Auriemma is on the brink of becoming the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history, with the No. 2 Huskies hosting Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday night.

Should UConn win, Auriemma will surpass retired Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer after pulling even with her 1,216 career wins with last Friday's victory over No. 16 UNC. Unlike VanDerveer, who had stints leading Idaho and Ohio State prior to Stanford, Auriemma's entire head coaching career has been his 40 years at UConn.

Forty seasons of UConn excellence for Auriemma

Already a bonafide legend of the game, Auriemma has helmed UConn's women's basketball program since 1985, inheriting a team that had only seen one winning season prior to his arrival.

"We started at ground zero, at nothing — we didn’t have the advantage of location, the advantages of the reputation of the school, we didn’t have the luxury of a big-time league that could elevate us," Auriemma explained. "We started at the absolute ground level and it has evolved into this.”

Of course, Auriemma is referring to the program's stacked resume. That success stems from his high standards, recruiting prowess, and the work ethic and selflessness he demands from his players.

In total, the nine-time AP Coach of the Year boasts a record 11 national championships, including a stranglehold on the NCAA title from 2013 to 2016. His Huskies have completed six undefeated seasons and featured in 23 Final Fours — more than any other NCAA team, men's or women's.

Rightfully sharing in Auriemma's record is his veritable partner-in-crime, associate head coach Chris Dailey, who has served UConn alongside Auriemma all 40 seasons.

UConn's unmatched legacy of world-class athletes

Wednesday's sold-out game will include dozens of Auriemma's former players in attendance. At least 63 — from superstars Sue Bird to Diana Taurasi to Maya Moore — are expected to make the trip to Storrs to celebrate the milestone.

Subsequently, Athletes are Auriemma's true legacy. The 70-year-old is responsible for shaping the players who arguably put not just UConn, but women's basketball on the national map.

The Huskies' first-ever Final Four appearance in 1991 allowed Auriemma to take serious aim at the country's top high school recruits. And it was center Rebecca Lobo who first took a chance on the program.

Despite her parents' protests, Lobo chose the relative unknown over established dynasties specifically to learn from Auriemma.

"He was the selling point. The reason to go there was to play for him. That has stayed consistent, but especially in the early years," Lobo recently told reporters. "He could be the one to usher you into the best version of yourself."

Coach Auriemma's UConn-to-WNBA pipeline

That "best version" has turned many UConn players into stellar pros. Including Lobo, who became UConn's first WNBA player during the league's 1997 formation, a total of 47 Huskies have featured in the WNBA. Last season, 17 former UConn players were on the league's rosters, with at least one on all 12 teams.

Current star Paige Bueckers is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, putting Auriemma on the verge of sending a sixth top pick to the league. Previously, other No. 1 picks include Bird, Taurasi, Moore, Tina Charles, and Breanna Stewart.

The future pro is always quick to sing Auriemma's praises, summing up what so many players echo about the coach. "It means everything to play for UConn, and to play for him," Bueckers recently said.

As for Auriemma, who's currently contracted to continue his Huskies' dominance through 2029, Wednesday's likely milestone snuck up on him.

"I don’t think anybody goes into anything thinking that they're going to spend 40 years of their life at one place doing the exact same thing," Auriemma told reporters earlier this week. "The best way I can describe it, you know, it just caught up to me."

How to watch UConn vs. Fairleigh Dickinson women's college basketball

The star-studded sold-out game honoring UConn head coach Geno Auriemma will tip off in Storrs against Fairleigh Dickinson at 7 PM ET on Wednesday. Live regional coverage will air on SNY.

The 2025 WNBA preseason put together an exceptionally strong start this weekend, earning stellar viewership led by the fan-favorite Indiana Fever.

In the league's first-ever fully broadcast preseason, Sunday's exhibition between the Fever and the Brazil women's national team earned ESPN an average audience of 1.3 million viewers, with a peak at 1.6 million fans.

That average represents a 13% increase over the network's 2024 WNBA regular-season viewership per game.

Even more, Sunday's Fever audience surpassed the viewership marks of every NBA preseason matchup on ESPN since 2018, as well as topping the then-record number of fans who tuned into Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA Finals.

Sunday's pregame show WNBA Countdown also saw a big boost, averaging 571,000 viewers to mark a 71% year-over-year increase.

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Fever, Clark fuel WNBA-leading attendance, viewership

The 108-44 Indiana victory was a homecoming for 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, with the exhibition taking place at her alma mater, Iowa.

Like the clamor to tune into the game, all 15,500 seats at Carver-Hawkeye Arena — where Clark's No. 22 jersey was raised into the rafters in February — sold out in just 24 minutes.

The fanbase surrounding Clark and the Fever is notoriously enthusiastic, with demand for tickets to see Indiana on the road surpassing all other WNBA teams this season.

Similarly — as evidenced by Sunday's exhibition — the Fever drives significant viewership numbers. The WNBA is strategically capitalizing on that trend, granting Indiana more national broadcasts and streams than any other team in the league this season.

Aiming to add even more most-watched games to the network's docket, ESPN platforms snagged 10 of the Fever's 41 national broadcasts this season, including an ABC airing of Indiana's 2025 opener against regional rival Chicago on May 17th.

Elevating games to ESPN's flagship channel, Clark says, "really helps" grow the WNBA.

"As a competitor, these are the moments you live for, when the spotlight's on," Clark told reporters before Sunday's preseason clash. "We're on ESPN. This is a great opportunity for our team."

Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun!

Every week on Sports Are Fun!, co-hosts soccer legend Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes on the biggest women's sports headlines.

This week, the Sports Are Fun! hosts get right into the week's biggest news: who wore what on the red carpet at Monday night's Met Gala.

And what better way to size up the women's sports athletes in attendance than to blind rank their Met Gala looks? Of course, O'Hara volunteered herself as tribute.

"I know nothing about what happened last night," says O'Hara, preparing to lay eyes on the celebrity guests for the very first time. "And I deleted Instagram from my social media because we wanted to be able to blind rank the 'fits of the athletes."

"What's cool about the Met Gala in years past?" she continues. "I feel like we're seeing more and more female athletes go onto the carpet and be included in the Met Gala, which is incredible."

"So the theme was Black tailoring through the years," says BJ, who actually worked the annual New York event as part of the floral team. "It's like representing and honoring Black artists, their fashion, and how they represent themselves.

"They had a couple videos come out of how sports athletes specifically also do that, how they represent with jerseys and in their clothes. It's kind of like their suit of armor."

"I love that. That's awesome," says O'Hara. "Should we get into the blind ranking? Let's do it."

In addition to gushing over the Met Gala, the crew dives into top-table NWSL shakeups, WNBA preseason action, what exactly is going on between Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo, and so much more!

'Sports Are Fun!' can't get enough of Angel Reese at the Met Gala

The Sports Are Fun gang subsequently got right into it. As each photo filled the screen, O'Hara, Diaz, and BJ gave their hottest takes on the designers, the clothes, and the women's sports stars stealing the spotlight.

The first athlete to impress? Angel Reese.

"Ooh Angel Reese," says Diaz, marveling over the Chicago Sky star's black tuxedo-inspired outfit. "It's actually her birthday today and she has a game today. But her coach was very accepting and willing to allow her to go, which is super supportive."

"I'm kind of obsessed with this," says O'Hara.

"This is a Tom Brown ensemble," explains Diaz. "She's wearing a 107 carats of diamonds between all the jewelry she has on."

"I love this," says O'Hara. "It's a bit like men's fashion with the color, the broad shoulders. I love what I can see of the silhouette. Do you see these words that I'm using? I'm such a fashionista."

"I'm obsessed," she continues. "I don't want put it one because that'd be crazy... Okay, I'm going to put this two."

The rest of the list runs the gamut from gymnastics superstar Simone Biles to LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson to several members of the 2024 WNBA champion New York Liberty. Tune in to see who comes out on top and who's look was a bit of a flop.

About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara

'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place.

Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.

From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"

Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.

Decorated US skier Mikaela Shiffrin is investing in the NWSL, backing 2026 expansion side Denver, the club announced on Tuesday.

Hailing from Vail, Colorado, the all-time winningest World Cup alpine skier is bringing her championship ways — which includes two Olympic gold medals, eight World Championships, and 101 World Cup victories — to her home soccer team.

"I'm beyond thrilled to join the ownership group of Denver NWSL and support something so meaningful in the community I call home," Shiffrin said in a club statement.

"The sport culture in Colorado is rich and deep, and — most notably — the growth of women's sports is one of the most exciting movements in our culture today," she continued. "To be part of it, and to help bring professional women's soccer to Colorado, is not only an incredible investment opportunity — but it is both an honor and a joy."

The 30-year-old is just the latest prominent women's sports athlete to buy into the NWSL, with the league seeing club valuations rise and further expansion on the horizon.

"Mikaela's commitment to excellence, her global impact, and her deep Colorado roots make her a perfect addition to our ownership group," said Denver NWSL controlling owner Rob Cohen. "We're building a club with purpose, and having Mikaela's vision and voice in that journey will be invaluable."

The 2025 WNBA preseason continued on Tuesday, as teams size up their rosters with less than 10 days to go until the regular season tips off.

After missing the playoffs last year, the Chicago Sky is showing out under new head coach Tyler Marsh, complementing their weekend win over Brazil with a 74-69 victory against 2024 championship contenders Minnesota on Tuesday.

The Sky successfully leaned into their young core, pairing second-year bigs Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso with new backcourt talent like rookie Hailey Van Lith. Also lifting Chicago this season are veteran leaders Ariel Atkins and Courtney Vandersloot.

"Hailey is great, she's like a sponge," Vandersloot said after Tuesday's game. "She's listened to everything I say. I think the best part of it is that we can compete in practice — we're going to make each other better."

With Tuesday's win, the Sky join the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces in winning both of their 2025 WNBA preseason matchups so far, with Chicago forecasting quite the turnaround from last year's losing record.

"We understand that nothing that's happened in the past, good or bad, impacts what we're doing moving forward — and that's with any team," Marsh told reporters this week.

After a quietly active offseason and several key draft picks, the 2025 WNBA season could see the Sky right the ship — as long as Chicago keeps striking a balance between their young firepower and seasoned leaders.