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.

Despite some mock drafts projecting her to go as high as the first pick in the second round of the 2025 WNBA Draft, TCU’s Sedona Prince did not earn an invite to the pro league on Monday night.

The move came after the 6-foot-7 center helped lead the Horned Frogs to the 2024/25 NCAA tournament's Elite Eight round.

Prince, who turns 25 years old next month, suited up for Texas, Oregon, and TCU during her seven-year NCAA career. Her run spanned multiple injury-induced redshirt seasons caused by a broken leg, torn elbow ligament, and a broken finger.

During Monday's ESPN broadcast, commentators noted that her age and injury record may have impacted Prince's WNBA prospects. They also directly brought up Prince's history of intimate partner violence and abuse allegations.

As reported both via social media and by The Washington Post, several women have accused Prince of abuse or sexual assault. Prince denies these claims and, to date, has never been charged with a crime.

Prince's complicated collegiate campaign also includes a viral 2021 social media post calling out gender inequities within the NCAA tournament. The post ultimately ignited top-line changes across college sports.

WNBA GMs weigh risk factors in drafting Prince

Like other undrafted athletes, Prince could still receive an invite to any of the 13 teams' training camps. Though the decision to offer her a preseason try-out remains complicated for WNBA front offices.

"You want to be fair about it and don't want to necessarily hold [the allegations] against her," one unnamed WNBA GM told ESPN’s Katie Barnes in a recent article detailing Prince’s draft prospects. "But from an organizational standpoint, you also have to be cautious and do your due diligence."

"We wouldn't touch it, but I think that everybody's at a different spot. Everybody has different information," another GM said. "But where we're at with this franchise, right, wrong, or indifferent, there's a risk associated and that's not a risk on someone's character that we'd take."

The Dallas Wings made arguably the easiest decision of the 2025 WNBA Draft on Monday night, selecting UConn guard Paige Bueckers as the overall No. 1 pick.

"I can't wait to play with that system, to play with that team, to embrace that new city," Bueckers told reporters. "To be in a place that you're loved and wanted, that's very important."

"Very early on it was Paige, and Paige only. She's such a special player," said newly hired Dallas GM Curt Miller.

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Bueckers bolsters revamped Dallas team

Bueckers has been the consensus No. 1 draftee since the start of the 2024/25 NCAA season. Top pick-holder Dallas subsequently spent the offseason assembling existing WNBA talent to complement their expected collegiate recruit.

Returning starters include Arike Ogunbowale and Teaira McCowan. Additionally, Miller brought on experienced players NaLyssa Smith, DiJonai Carrington, and Ty Harris.

"There's a new GM, new coach, new assistant coach, a whole new team," Bueckers said. "We're excited for that fresh start."

The 11th-place Wings ended last season on a nine-game losing streak. And with a 9-31 record, Dallas missed the 2024 WNBA Playoffs. The team now aims to right the ship in 2025 behind their new-look lineup and freshly minted franchise player Bueckers.

"She can take over a game when she wants to, but she has a great feel for getting others involved and that’s really special," said incoming Wings head coach Chris Koclanes.

"You put that next to Arike, and I feel together they'll be able to play off each other."

With a fully revamped roster and an upgraded arena and practice facility in the works, the Dallas Wings appear to be bypassing the traditionally slow rebuild and will instead hit the ground running in 2025.

After UConn superstar Paige Bueckers set the tone as the overall No. 1 pick, the rest of Monday night’s 2025 WNBA Draft played out without too many surprises, as teams stocked up on fresh talent from both home and abroad.

The Seattle Storm selected French phenom Dominique Malonga second, before the Washington Mystics took Notre Dame guard Sonia Citron at No. 3 and USC forward Kiki Iriafen at No. 4.

Incoming expansion team Golden State threw the night’s initial curveball with their first-ever draft pick, adding Lithuanian forward Justé Jocyté to the Valkyries' inaugural roster at No. 5.

However, Jocyté's availability remains a question mark, with the 19-year-old confirming her intent to join her national team for this summer's EuroBasket.

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Young stars earn first round selections at the 2025 WNBA Draft

The rest of Monday's first round showcased NCAA and international standouts alike, with teams prioritizing both skills, potential, and team fit as they strategized and vied to load their draft boards with top talent.

The exception to the original first-round lineup was Las Vegas, whose No. 10 pick was rescinded after a 2023 investigation found the Aces guilty of violating league policies.

• No. 6: Georgia Amoore (Kentucky) to the Washington Mystics
• No. 7: Aneesah Morrow (LSU) to the Connecticut Sun
• No. 8: Saniyah Rivers (NC State) to the Connecticut Sun
• No. 9: Sarah Ashlee Barker (Alabama) to the LA Sparks
• No. 10: Ajša Sivka (Slovenia) to the Chicago Sky
• No. 11: Hailey Van Lith (TCU) to the Chicago Sky
• No. 12: Aziaha James (NC State) to the Dallas Wings

With the 2025 WNBA season starting in just one month, the new draftees will soon be joining their pro teams in training camp, where final roster decisions will be made as franchises make difficult cuts en route to May 16th's opening tip-off.

"The WNBA is so unique with how powerful the talent is because it is so small," said Van Lith, who's set to link up with her former LSU teammate Angel Reese at the Chicago Sky this year. "It's a competition that I'm ready to embrace, that I'm excited to embrace."

Teen phenom Dominique Malonga officially introduced herself to US basketball fans during Monday's 2025 WNBA Draft, with the 19-year-old becoming the highest drafted French player in league history as the overall No. 2 pick by the Seattle Storm.

"I'm so proud just to show that today French basketball is at a level that we have never seen," she told reporters after her record-setting selection.

"She's a unicorn. She's one of one," Seattle head coach Noelle Quinn said of the 6-foot-6 teenager. "The thing that is very intriguing about her is the way that she's grown rapidly over the last few years.... She's 100% an amazing athlete."

Malonga's rapid rise to the WNBA

After turning pro at just 15 years old in 2021, Malonga's first international spotlight came during the 2024 Paris Olympics, when the then-18-year-old debuted as the youngest player on France’s silver medal-winning national team.

A nimble, athletic player with skilled shooting and marked versatility, Malonga went on to make waves last October as the first-ever Frenchwoman to dunk in a game.

"I would say that international FIBA basketball prepared me [on] toughness because it was always high-level games," Malonga added. "I think that it really helped me to be ready for the league."

Though not yet a household name in the US, Seattle is keeping an eye on the future by drafting a player whose generational talent could potentially set the bar in the WNBA.