Gray zip-up sweat suits and long, flowing hair tucked behind ears have replaced jerseys and slicked back ponytails for much of the UConn roster. Paige Bueckers, Ice Brady, Azzi Fudd, Dorka Juhász and Nika Mühl sat side by side on Sunday as the Huskies fell to Maryland for the first time ever, 85-78.

Injuries have piled up through the first month of the season and depleted the team’s depth. And now, as they wait for Juhász, Mühl and Fudd to return (Bueckers and Brady are out for the season), the Huskies are down to just seven available players.

Even with key pieces of the roster confined to the bench, the Huskies still stuck with Maryland for much of the contest. As improbable as that seems, it comes down to one simple fact: UConn is still UConn. Bench players are still five-star recruits, and those who barely sniff the court would be starters on other teams. That’s how the Huskies have remained a dynasty for the last four decades.

Mühl and Juhász should be healthy in the near future, while Fudd’s comeback is slated for January. As we wait for the Huskies to return to full strength, let’s get to know the available players they’ll be running out on the court until then.

Aaliyah Edwards, F, junior

Fans are likely already familiar with Edwards, who started most of UConn’s games last season and was key to getting the Huskies to the national championship game. Even before injuries stretched UConn’s roster, the 6-foot-3 junior had taken on a bigger role this season. Now, as other players adjust to more responsibility, Edwards is a steadying force amid the chaos.

She’s playing 30.3 minutes per game and averaging a double-double with 15.5 points, 11 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Edwards is also making the most of her shot attempts, shooting 63.2 percent from the field, a mark that puts her in the top 25 of all NCAA players.

Aubrey Griffin, F, junior

The redshirt junior was absent last season after a back injury required season-ending surgery. Prior to that, the former McDonald’s All-American averaged about six points and five rebounds through her first two seasons. Griffin was poised for a big 2021-22 campaign before the injury, and she is picking up where she left off this year.

Paige likes what she sees from Aubrey Griffin pic.twitter.com/iwTUQC4xxb

— UConn Videos (@SNYUConn) December 9, 2022

An athletic 6-1 guard, Griffin thrives in transition and exploiting defensive mismatches for the Huskies, making her an asset to their offensive rotation. The forward has started seven games for UConn this season and is averaging 13.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Her best performance came in a tight contest with Princeton last week. After Mühl exited the game with a head injury, Griffin gave her team the lift it needed to secure a win, finishing with 29 points on a perfect 11-for-11 from the field.

Lou Lopez-Sénéchal, G/F, grad

One of UConn’s biggest strengths is the program’s ability to recruit the best players, no matter where they come from. While the Huskies tend to attract the top high-school prospects, the staff also hunts for players from overseas and the transfer market — or both, in Lopez-Sénéchal’s case.

During her final season at Fairfield, the 6-1 multi-position player averaged 19.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and was named the MAAC Player of the Year. After a successful four-year career with the Stags, Lopez-Sénéchal, who hails from France, transferred to Storrs and adjusted quickly to UConn’s system. In Fudd’s absence, she’s leading the Huskies with 17.3 points per game while shooting an efficient 50 percent from the field and 95 percent from the free-throw line.

Caroline Ducharme, G, sophomore

Another five-star recruit, Ducharme is one of the highest-ranked prospects on UConn’s roster, coming in as the No. 5 player in the country last season. But Ducharme’s journey hasn’t been easy: Despite UConn’s bench full of injured players, her career may be the one most affected by injuries. In high school, the 6-2 guard missed nearly two seasons with an ACL tear and a torn labrum. This year, she’s also battled neck stiffness that’s plagued her since the offseason.

CAROLINE DUCHARME pic.twitter.com/cPKsPpYwrt

— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) December 11, 2022

Ducharme is only scratching the surface of her abilities right now, averaging 9.8 points per game last season and 6.2 in five appearances this year. The Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year in 2020-21, Ducharme averaged 21 points, 15.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 4.5 steals per game as a high school senior.

Inês Bettencourt, G, freshman

Easily the most unknown player on the roster, Bettencourt was heading to junior college in Florida when Bueckers’ season-ending ACL tear left UConn in need of another guard. Coach Geno Auriemma joked that the flight to Bettencourt’s home country of Portugal took longer than the recruiting process because it all happened so quickly. The guard decided to come to UConn without having seen the campus and, after averaging 1.8 minutes per game to start the season, was thrust into the starting lineup Sunday for the first time. Bettencourt finished with two points, three rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes, looking relatively comfortable in her role against a top-20 team.

Ayanna Patterson, F, freshman

The freshman recorded a career-high 10 points against Maryland, topping her previous high of six against Duke on Nov. 25. Patterson has played in all nine of UConn’s games this season. While her minutes have increased with the injuries, including a career-high 21 on Dec. 2, she was likely to get playing time this season regardless.

Patterson came to UConn already knowing how to win at a high level, with a 2021 U18 World Cup 3×3 gold medal to her name. A 6-2 forward with versatile skills and strength, Patterson won Indiana’s Miss Basketball award as a high school senior and was ranked as the No. 4 player and No. 1 wing in the Class of 2022. She has some developing left to do, but Patterson should be a crucial player for UConn for the next four seasons.

Amari DeBerry, F, sophomore

Another five-star recruit, DeBerry has yet to find her footing at UConn, but the talent is clearly there. A monster block against Shyanne Sellers that DeBerry palmed out of the air was the highlight of the sophomore’s game against Maryland. It’s also the kind of brilliance that DeBerry has showcased in flashes during her 23 appearances over the last two seasons.

Let's GO, Amari! pic.twitter.com/aBui0MHBXG

— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) December 11, 2022

Most of the 6-5 forward’s minutes have come in garbage time this season, but DeBerry’s skills are hard to ignore. In addition to the eye-catching block, the sophomore stepped in against Notre Dame and hit a 3-pointer on her first touch of the game, showcasing her versatility and ability to stretch the floor.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.