In the midst of an injury-riddled season, the No. 5 UConn Huskies have managed to stretch their limited lineup all the way to a 20-2 record.

Their latest win came over NCAA scoring leader Maddy Siegrist and No. 19 Villanova. The Huskies ended the contest on a 20-13 run in the fourth quarter to secure a 63-58 victory, yet another against-all-odds performance from a team that has grown accustomed to overcoming adversity.

The words “UConn” and “adversity” rarely are used together, as the Huskies historically have been the most dominant team in women’s college basketball. But this season is different, as they play without stars Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd and deal with a plethora of other injuries.

And yet UConn keeps winning. Its two losses came at the hands of No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 8 Maryland, both respectable defeats even with a full roster. But as the Huskies navigate conference play and inch closer to March, a question arises: Can they keep it up?

Proud of this team, they keep fighting 💙 pic.twitter.com/gdtAmCrzkJ

— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) January 30, 2023

While Bueckers is out for the season, there’s hope for Fudd to make a return. Still, UConn certainly will be cautious with the sophomore guard.

Fudd missed a month of action after injuring her knee in UConn’s Dec. 4 loss to Notre Dame. And then, after playing just one full game, she reaggravated the injury against Georgetown on Jan. 15. There is no timetable for the guard’s return, and she won’t be putting weight on her knee until the start of February.

Without Fudd, and with Caroline Ducharme and other players dealing with their own injuries, the Huskies have a numbers problem. Against Villanova, coach Geno Auriemma rolled with a six-player rotation, in which Aaliyah Edwards, Dorka Juhász and Nika Muhl played all 40 minutes. Lou Lopez Sénéchal and Aubrey Griffin were on the court for 38 and 37 minutes, respectively.

No matter how talented the available Huskies are, burnout is definitely a concern. With a small rotation, it’s possible they run out of steam, particularly in the Big East tournament and the NCAA tournament, when games are played in a shorter window. Having three players put in 40 minutes a game with limited rest in between contests is not sustainable.

Another issue that may come into play is personnel. So far, the Huskies have met nearly every challenge they’ve come across. A lot of that has come down to the play of Edwards and Lopez Sénéchal. The pair are the only players on UConn’s roster that have played in all 22 games so far this season, and they’ve been reliable offensive forces.

Edawrds’ 17.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game have put her in Player of the Year conversations, while Lopez Sénéchal’s ability to hit big shots has Auriemma preaching on her potential as a professional, either in the WNBA or overseas. The guard is averaging 16.8 points per game and shooting 49% from the 3-point line.

But what happens when one of its dynamic duo is shut down? Well, against Villanova, Lopez Sénéchal was held in check with just 6 points – the first time all season the Fairfield transfer has scored less than 10 points in a game. Griffin and Juhász picked up the slack with 19 and 16 points, respectively, seemingly answering that question.

Yet as long as Fudd is sidelined, UConn will have one big missing piece: a player who can create their own shot. In March, that’s something the Huskies will need.

Edwards is capable of scoring on most anyone in the paint, but she needs someone to feed her the ball. Lopez Sénéchal is in the upper echelon of shooters, but she doesn’t break down defenders off the dribble. Fudd can put the ball on the floor and force her defender into mistakes, and against elite defensive teams (the kind you see in March), such a player can provide a needed edge.

It’s hard to count the Huskies out from a deep postseason run simply because at every turn, and despite every hardship, they’ve delivered. Even so, the UConn faithful would likely feel more confident with Fudd on the floor. And until her return is confirmed, the questions will remain.

The USWNT announced their 2025 season finale on Monday, setting a pair of friendlies against Italy at Orlando's Inter & Co Stadium on November 28th and Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on December 1st.

Facing the now-world No. 2 US for the first time in 15 years, Italy's recent run to the 2025 Euro semifinals shot them to No. 12 in the FIFA rankings.

"As we prepare for World Cup qualifying at the end of 2026, we want to play teams from all parts of the world with different styles and different strengths, so getting to play Italy, one of Europe's up-and-coming teams, will be a great way to end the year," said USWNT head coach Emma Hayes in a statement announcing the friendlies.

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After an extended break following a series of early July matchups, the US now has five matches left on the books, with the year-ending Italy matches rounding out three already-announced October friendlies.

The USWNT kicks off next month's lineup with two matches against Euro 2025 participant No. 23 Portugal, followed by a third friendly against No. 33 New Zealand.

As Hayes's year of roster evaluation comes to a close, expect stakes to rise as the 2027 World Cup comes into sharper view.

How to purchase tickets to the final 2025 USWNT friendlies

Though a myriad of presale opportunities are available throughout this week, tickets to both the November 28th match in Orlando and the December 1st friendly in Fort Lauderdale will go on sale to the general public on Friday.

Tickets will drop at 10 AM ET online.

The red-hot No. 2 Las Vegas Aces will hit the court in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs again on Tuesday night, facing off against the No. 7 Seattle Storm in Game 2 of the postseason's first round with an eye on scoring their 18th consecutive victory — and a trip to this year's semifinals.

"You guys celebrate this more than we do," MVP frontrunner A'ja Wilson said, brushing off the team's recent dominance. "The streak stopped in the regular season."

"It's the first to nine wins [for the championship], so that's how we want to approach it," Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon echoed, voicing a renewed focus on retaking the WNBA crown.

Following the league's new home-away-home first-round format, Seattle has the chance to extend their season on their home court on Tuesday night, as the Storm arrives back in market with few answers after suffering a 102-77 Game 1 loss.

"Our fans deserve for us to play well," said Seattle forward Nneka Ogwumike. "We have to figure out how to do it, no matter what. That's going to be the test on Tuesday."

How to watch the Las Vegas Aces vs. Seattle Storm

No. 7 Seattle will try stay alive against No. 2 Las Vegas at 9:30 PM ET on Tuesday, with live coverage of Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs airing on ESPN.

With their backs against the wall, the No. 6 Indiana Fever will face down both the No. 3 Atlanta Dream and potential elimination from the 2025 WNBA Playoffs when they host their first home postseason game in nearly a decade on Tuesday night.

"I think you give yourself an edge as the home team. When they punched us, they punched us hard," Indiana guard Kelsey Mitchell said after Sunday's 80-68 loss in Atlanta. "So we have to do the same thing."

"I would like to think that being back at home can kind of give us a sense of comfort, so hopefully we could use it for what it's worth and not take it for granted," she continued.

Mitchell will likely be the key to the Fever's survival, after an onslaught of season-ending injuries forced the three-time WNBA All-Star to step up as a scoring leader — with Mitchell dropping a postseason career-high 27 points in Sunday's Game 1.

"It's a lot of little things," said Indiana head coach Stephanie White following the weekend result. "I like where we are, I'm proud of our group for continuing to fight, and we're going to be better on Tuesday."

How to watch Atlanta vs. Indiana in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs

No. 6 Indiana will tip off against No. 3 Atlanta in Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at 7:30 PM ET on Tuesday, with live coverage airing on ESPN.

WNBA legend Elena Delle Donne is returning to the court, with USA Basketball announcing on Monday that the two-time league MVP will join the 3×3 Women's National Team as its first-ever managing director.

The 36-year-old officially retired in April 2025 after struggling with injuries, capping a career that spanned winning gold at the 2016 Olympics and the 2018 FIBA World Cup with Team USA as well as two WNBA championships.

"Elena has been a member of the USA Basketball family for almost 15 years," USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley said in Monday's press release. "Her wealth of knowledge of the sport of basketball and our organization will be an asset as we continue our journey."

As part of her duties, Delle Donne will be responsible for selecting the USA Basketball 3x3 team's coaching staff and players prior to the 2028 LA Olympics, the FIBA 3x3 World Cup, and other major international competitions.

"USA Basketball was an important part of my on-court career for a decade and a half. To have the opportunity to continue my journey with the organization, and to help shape and grow the 3x3 program, is something that I take very seriously," Delle Donne said. "I'm excited to get started."

Delle Donne's new position is the 3x3 version of fellow WNBA icon Sue Bird's role, as the newly minted Hall of Famer became the managing director of the USA Basketball women's 5x5 arm in May.

"To now think that I'm going to be on the other side of the phone letting someone know that their dream has come true and they've made the team is going to be such a fulfilling, full circle moment for me," Delle Donne said.