Paige Bueckers is committed to returning to UConn for the 2023-24 women’s college basketball season. She said Thursday that she will not declare for the 2023 WNBA draft despite being eligible.

She has three more years of NCAA eligibility remaining.

The UConn star and 2020-21 national player of the year will miss the upcoming season after tearing her ACL. She spoke Thursday with reporters in her first media appearance since before her August injury.

“I’m not leaving. That is not in question,” Bueckers said. “People asked me, ‘What are you thinking about fifth year, COVID year, redshirting this year.’ I’m not thinking too far ahead about that at all. But I will be playing college basketball again.”

Paige Bueckers is speaking with media for the first time since tearing her ACL.

She joked that she is taking over as a an extra UConn coach.

Paige says she’s taking things day by day, but re the 2023 WNBA Draft: “I’m not leaving … I will be playing college basketball again.” pic.twitter.com/mJSksYxDAp

— Lila Bromberg (@lilabbromberg) September 1, 2022

Since arriving at UConn, Bueckers has played just one full season of college basketball – her freshman season in 2020-21, during which she averaged 20 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She earned the Wooden Award that year, among other accolades.

Since then, though, she’s struggled with injuries. She missed 19 games last season with a tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear in her left knee. She returned in time for the NCAA tournament and helped the No. 2 seed Huskies to their first national title game appearance since 2016.

Noting that she felt “really good” and was eager to start the season, Bueckers was playing in a pickup game on Aug. 1 when she tore the ACL in her left knee. The guard said that while it is the same knee, the two incidents are “unrelated.”

“I was going full speed and I sort of tried to come to a stop and there was some contact, not a lot of contact, but it just kind of gave out,” Bueckers said. “I knew it was bad. I felt a pop. And then I went to the training room and I was extremely frustrated. I didn’t know how serious it was, but I knew something was wrong.”

Her recovery has been going well, and she has been walking more. Soon, she’ll begin work in the pool after being cleared for chair workouts and biking.

While the comeback has been quick, she noted Thursday that she has no plans to play this season. She said that she wants to be “110% healthy” before playing basketball again because she never wants to take a long break again “ever in my career.”

“Last year, I got hurt, but there was always the reassurance that I could return and I could be back in the same season,” Bueckers said. “This just really makes me never want to take things for granted again, live in the moment, don’t think too far in the future because you never know what could happen. So just living every day to the best of my ability, being thankful to God that I wake up every morning.”

But while she’ll be sidelined this season, that won’t stop Bueckers from helping out the team.

“Nah, yeah, I’m head coach,” Bueckers joked. “Coach [Auriemma] let me take his spot.”

UConn opens up its season Nov. 10 against Northeastern.

Las Vegas Aces star forward A'ja Wilson is teaming up with Nike and Danish toymaker LEGO as part of the two brands' new multi-year collaboration, the apparel giant announced on Thursday morning.

According to the release, the partnership aims to "inspire kids everywhere to play both on and off the court."

Nike and LEGO's collaboration will include experiential activations in the US, UK, and China this summer in conjunction with the United Nations' International Day of Play on June 11th.

The companies are also releasing product collections, beginning with the 1,180-piece LEGO Nike Dunk set, which features an iconic Nike Dunk sneaker, a brick basketball, and the "Dunk" slogan.

Three-time WNBA MVP Wilson will support the project "by helping engage kids through a reimagined world of play that will come to life across digital channels," with more information on her involvement to come.

Fresh off the launch her smash-hit A'One signature shoe, Wilson has become one of Nike's most prominent athletes. Her addition to the Nike x LEGO team comes on the heels of a lucrative six-year contract extension between Wilson and the sportswear brand late last year.

"I have loved playing with LEGO bricks since I was a kid and know that my creativity and play helped me not only in sports but also at school and in life," said Wilson.

How to buy drops from the Nike x LEGO collection

The LEGO Nike Dunk set will hit shelves on July 1st, though it's currently available to preorder online.

The first Nike footwear, apparel, and accessories products from the collaboration will drop in the brand's retail locations and online on August 1st.

The WNBA is dominating the air waves in its 2025 season, with last weekend's slate of games blowing past yet another TV viewership record.

The New York Liberty's 90-88 win over the Indiana Fever averaged 2.22 million viewers on CBS, with the Saturday showdown marking the second-highest WNBA viewership in network history.

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That clash follows a record-setting 2025 season tip-off, in which ABC's May 17th doubleheader became the most-watched WNBA opening weekend ever on ESPN's platforms, earning a 115% viewership increase over last year's regular-season coverage.

Notably, both New York and Indiana contributed to that record-setting initial Saturday slate. A 92-78 Liberty win over the Las Vegas Aces averaged 1.3 million viewers, before the Fever's 93-58 defeat of the Chicago Sky claimed an average audience of 2.7 million fans.

The closing matchup between Indiana and Chicago made even more history, peaking at 3.1 million viewers to become the most-watched regular-season WNBA game in 25 years.

The Midwest rivals also tallied the second-largest audience in league history, surpassed only by the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game's 3.44 million viewers.

With Fever star Caitlin Clark set to miss at least four games with a quad strain, concerns over lags in attendance and viewership have started to crop up this week.

Those fears, however, might be overblown, as 11,183 fans packed Baltimore's CFG Bank Arena to watch the Washington Mystics take on the Fever on Wednesday night — while Clark looked on from the bench.

The Washington Mystics have continued to impress in the early 2025 WNBA season, earning another big win on Wednesday with an 83-77 victory over a Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever.

As the star guard watched from the sidelines, the Mystics leaned into their depth, securing the win behind a 21-point, nine-rebound performance from guard Brittney Sykes.

Now sitting sixth in the league with a 3-3 record, Washington's rebuild appears to be moving ahead of schedule, with rookie duo Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron looking pro-ready from the jump.

Seizing their opportunity as day-one starters, the pair put up a collective 29 points against Indiana on Wednesday, joining Sykes and forward Shakira Austin as the only Mystics to finish in double digits.

Indiana, on the other hand, looked shaky without their injured young superstar.

Despite veteran forward DeWanna Bonner coming off the bench to lead the Fever with 21 points on Wednesday night, Indiana dropped to 2-3 on the season with Clark out for at least three more games.

"We weren't sharp enough to be a contender for anything tonight," Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, who led Indiana's starters with 14 points, told reporters after the loss. "I think getting punched in the mouth early is humbling, because it shows where we need to be."

How to watch the Mystics and Fever in this week's WNBA action

Both Washington and Indiana will be back in action on Friday night, when the Mystics will test their form against the surging New York Liberty while the Fever tip off against the still-winless Connecticut Sun at 7:30 PM ET.

Both games will air live on ION.

With the 16-team UEFA Euro 2025 set to kick off in Switzerland in less than five weeks, UEFA is seizing the opportunity to expand its global footprint following a breakout 2022 tournament.

The continental governing body is starting stateside, with Fox Sports announcing Wednesday that its platforms will air 20 matches from the upcoming 31-game European Championship live — marking the women's side's largest US media deal on record.

With no major events scheduled for the USWNT, international women's soccer will take center stage this summer, as the Euro, Copa América, and Africa Cup of Nations all return in July.

Fox Sports will also bring Copa América action to US viewers for the first time ever this summer, with broadcast details still to come.

England raises prize money for Lionesses

England is also upping its investment, with the FA agreeing to pay the Lionesses a record £1.7 million bonus package — nearly $2.3 million — should they successfully defend their 2022 title.

This year's total more than doubles the amount England players received for reaching the 2023 World Cup final.

While exact sums will vary, player payouts would average £73,000 each (over $98,000) — up some £18,000 ($24,000) from the Lionesses' 2022 earnings.

The move follows UEFA's earlier decision to double its own prize pool in 2025, raising the total purse to £34 million (almost $46 million), including an extra £4.3 million ($5.8 million) for the winner.

How to watch the 2025 Euros this summer

The 2025 European Championship kicks off on July 2nd when Iceland faces Finland at 12 PM ET before Switzerland takes on Norway at 3 PM ET, live on Fox.