No. 1 UConn honored one of the NCAA basketball program's legends on Sunday, hanging up the No. 10 jersey of Hall of Fame guard Sue Bird in a retirement ceremony prior to the Huskies' dominant 102-35 victory over DePaul — their ninth win of the 2025/26 season.
A two-time NCAA champion, Bird is now one of only three UConn women's basketball players with a number in the rafters, joining Rebecca Lobo and Swin Cash — and soon-to-be Maya Moore.
"This is home," said Bird. "This is where it started. So to see what we are about to see, my number up in the rafters next to these other legends, it's an incredible, incredible honor. Hard to put into words."
"The amazing thing about [Cash, Lobo, Bird, and Moore] was the incredible amount of success they had after they left here," said UConn head coach Geno Auriemma during Sunday's jersey retirement ceremony. "That as great as their accomplishments were here, what they've done since they left has been nothing short of incredible."
Bird became UConn's first-ever No. 1 WNBA draft pick in 2002, with the floor general winning four titles with the Seattle Storm plus five Olympic gold medals as part of Team USA before retiring in 2022.
How to watch No. 1 UConn in action this week
After honoring their past superstar, the reigning national champions are now looking to the future, with No. 1 UConn gearing up for a ranked matchup against No. 16 USC on Saturday.
The clash between the Huskies and the Trojans will tip off at 5:30 PM ET, with live coverage airing on FOX.
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese announced her first signature shoe in style on Wednesday, debuting the Reebok sneaker design as the cover star of the WNBA edition of NBA 2K26.
The 23-year-old is now the sixth WNBA player to grace an NBA 2K cover, as well as the second Sky player, joining league legend Candace Parker.
"To be cemented in NBA 2K history is a special honor that reflects not only my journey, but also all the veteran WNBA players who have paved the way before me and the growing impact of the league as a whole," Reese said in a statement.
Following in the recent footsteps of 2K25 star and reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson, Reese posed for the popular video game cover in her new "Angel Reese 1" sneakers, effectively announcing both her shoe design and her NBA 2K collaboration with the game's Wednesday cover drop.
"Being on the cover of NBA 2K26 and debuting my first-ever signature shoe with Reebok on that cover, the Angel Reese 1, is more than a milestone — it's a statement," Reese said in a release. "It's about representation and showing young girls they can be confident, bold, and take up space unapologetically."
The WNBA sophomore forward also donned the "Diamond Dust" colorway during Chicago's 87-76 win over the Dallas Wings on Wednesday, showing the iridescent white sneakers in action.
Reese first partnered with Reebok in 2023, just before her senior season at LSU, with this week's reveal coming just over a month after the pair released a player edition shoe.
When her sneakers officially drop, Reese will become just the second WNBA player to have a Reebok signature shoe, joining legend Rebecca Lobo who paved the way in 1997.
How to purchase NBA 2K26 and the Angel Reese 1s
Though an on-sale date is still in the works, Reebok does plan to drop the Angel Reese 1s in 2026.
While NBA 2K26 will be release across gaming platforms on September 5th, the WNBA version will again be a limited physical edition of the game.
Fans can buy the WNBA Edition, featuring Reese, exclusively at GameStop on September 5th — though the gaming retailer's presale is on now.
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.