Jamelle Elliott is stepping down from the UConn women's basketball coaching staff. The university confirmed she plans to pursue professional opportunities outside of coaching.
Elliott spent more than two decades with the Huskies as both a player and an assistant coach. She contributed to seven national titles, including the program's undefeated 1995 championship run.
Head Coach Geno Auriemma Reacts to Elliot's UConn Departure
Head coach Geno Auriemma praised her commitment, calling her impact on the program difficult to replace.
"We’ll miss Jamelle tremendously, but I’m grateful for all the time we spent together and all that we accomplished together," Auriemma said in a press release.
Elliot called the decision to leave her alma mater difficult, but the right one for this period in her life.
"This was not an easy decision, but I know it is the right time for me to begin a new chapter," she said. "It was a privilege and honor to wear the Husky uniform and be a part of the coaching staff. UConn will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will always love and support our program and the university."
Before joining the bench, Elliott was a forward who pulled down over 1,000 rebounds in her playing career. Her transition from player to recruiter helped shape the program's pipeline for years.
UConn plans to launch an immediate national search for its next assistant coach. The rest of the staff remains in place, including associate head coach Chris Dailey and assistant Tonya Cardoza.
The Hawkeyes and Huskies are making plans, as Iowa and UConn announced a new two-year nonconference women’s basketball series kicking off next season.
UConn opens 2026/27 by hosting Iowa this November, while the Hawkeyes host the Huskies for the first time since 1999 the following year.
UConn holds a 7-4 all-time head-to-head advantage. Iowa won the pair’s most recent Final Four clash in 2024, while the Huskies topped the Hawkeyes at the 2025 Women’s Champions Classic last December.
The post-Caitlin Clark Hawkeyes continue to grace the national stage, while the Huskies target non-Big East contenders to boost their strength of schedule.
UConn has already set matchups with 2026 AP Top 25 teams Michigan, South Carolina, Duke, and Maryland ahead of next season’s NCAA women’s basketball tipoff.
Tina Charles has officially announced her retirement, bringing an end to one of the most accomplished careers in WNBA history.
"Today, I officially announce my retirement from basketball," Charles wrote in a social media post.
"Fifteen years at the professional level and a lifetime of love for this game... Through it all, I learned how to show up. When doubt got loud and narratives were written about me, I kept showing up. That's the New Yorker in me, where resilience is built, not talked about."
The 37-year-old steps away after 14 seasons as the league's all-time leading rebounder and second all-time top scorer.
Charles finishes her career with 4,262 rebounds and 8,396 points, trailing only Diana Taurasi on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list.
Drafted No. 1 overall by the Connecticut Sun in 2010, the UConn product made an immediate impact at the professional level. She won Rookie of the Year before earning MVP honors in 2012, going on to become an eight-time WNBA All-Star.
Charles played for multiple teams throughout her career, including the New York Liberty, Washington Mystics, Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm, and Atlanta Dream, before returning to Connecticut in 2025. In her final season, she averaged 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds.
While she never got the chance to play in a WNBA finals, Charles's international basketball resume includes three Olympic gold medals and multiple FIBA World Cup titles with Team USA.
Her impact extended off the court as well.
"Her legacy will be defined not only by her excellence on the court, but by the standard she set as a leader, a teammate, and a champion for the communities she touched," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a league statement.
Charles leaves the game as one of the most defining players in WNBA history.
Dallas Wings gaurd Paige Bueckers made one thing clear as attention around her WNBA reunion with former UConn teammate and No. 1 draft pick Azzi Fudd grows: She wants the focus on basketball.
Bueckers addressed her relationship with Fudd at Dallas Wings media day, redirecting the conversation before reporters could ask questions.
"Azzi Fudd was a No. 1 draft pick because she earned it," Bueckers said. "It had nothing to do with me and everything to do with who she is as a human being, who she is a basketball player, her resilience, her strength and her career-best year at UConn."
The two share years of history on the court as former UConn women's basketball teammates and 2025 national champions. Now, Bueckers is pushing back on any media attention that overshadows Fudd's unique impact on and off the court.
"Azzi is her own great individual person, and she should be celebrated as such," she added.
The 24-year-old also stated she won't continue answering questions about their personal relationship. Instead, she plans to focus on basketball and the rest of her Dallas Wings teammates.
Fudd left UConn shooting 42.2% from 3-point range and 92.5% from the free-throw line. She additionally averaged 14.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game across 115 NCAA appearances.
When asked about her relationship with Bueckers in an interview with Dallas's ABC affiliate WFAA, Fudd described how she felt about being reunited with her fellow Husky guard.
"So special," she said. "Here I am, no control in where I get drafted, and I get to play with my best friend again. So it really is special."
Caroline Ducharme earned a chance to pursue her WNBA dreams this week, as the UConn women's basketball product signed a training camp contract with the Golden State Valkyries, marking another twist in the WNBA's 2026 offseason moves.
The Valkyries offered Ducharme a one-year, nonguaranteed deal at minimum salary. Players on training camp contracts compete to make the final 12-player roster, with many facing waivers before WNBA preseason concludes.
"We're so excited to be able to add Bailey, Caroline, and Ndjakalenga to our training camp roster," Valkyries GM Ohemaa Nyanin said, also welcoming Bailey Maupin, and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda to the team. "Each of these players have shown a high level of competitiveness, a winning mentality, and a desire to improve."
Caroline Ducharme battled significant injury adversity throughout her UConn women's basketball career. She averaged just 7.4 minutes across 25 games in 2025/26 after sitting out much of the previous two years with various injuries.
The 6-foot-2 guard arrived at UConn as the Class of 2021's No. 5 prospect. She excelled in her freshman year, averaging 9.8 points and 21 minutes per game across 11 starts in 31 appearances.
However, injuries derailed the rest of her trajectory. Ducharme suffered her first head injury in February of her freshman season. She missed 13 games with a concussion sophomore year, before neck spasms kept her out for all but four games in 2023/24. She didn't receive clearance to return until late February 2025.
Ducharme's redshirt senior year brought migraines that cost her six games, with coach Geno Auriemma often listing her status as day-to-day.
Ducharme now reunites with former teammate Kaitlyn Chen on the Valkyries, while fellow Huskies Gabby Williams and Kiah Stokes also play for the 2025 WNBA expansion team.
UConn star Sarah Strong capped a historic NCAA season on Friday by winning the 2026 John R. Wooden Award. The annual honor recognizes the nation's most outstanding women's college basketball player.
Strong became the fifth Husky to claim the Wooden Award, joining program legends Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, and Paige Bueckers. The sophomore forward is additionally just the fourth underclassman to win, after USC guard JuJu Watkins and fellow UConn greats Bueckers and Moore.
Strong beat out finalists Azzi Fudd (UConn), Lauren Betts (UCLA), Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt), and Madison Booker (Texas) after finishing the 2025/26 season with unmatched stats. Strong averaged 18.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks while shooting 58.2% from the field and 40.4% from 3-point range.
"She affects every part of the game," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said of his star center. "Scoring, defending, rebounding — she does it all."
Sarah Strong Completes NCAA Sweep with Wooden Award Win
The Wooden Award completed Sarah Strong's sweep of major national player of year honors. She also won the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, AP Player of the Year, the Naismith Trophy, and the Wade Trophy.
Strong additionally earned unanimous Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. Her defensive presence stood out with elite steal rates and rim protection, solidifying her as one of the most complete players in the country.
The daughter of former WNBA All-Star Allison Feaster, the 6-foot-2 forward is a former No. 1 recruit. Since joining the Huskies, Strong has emerged as one of the brightest stars in women's basketball, drawing comparisons to some of UConn's all-time greats.
The Los Angeles Athletic Club presents the Wooden Award each year, spotlighting both athletic excellence as well as character and leadership. Strong's season checked every box, cementing her place among college basketball's elite.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and UConn coach Geno Auriemma put their heated Final Four confrontation behind them Tuesday, as both NCAA coaches released statements calling for the women's basketball community to move forward.
"I spoke with Geno, and I want to be clear — I have a great deal of respect for him and what he's meant to this game," Staley wrote. "One moment doesn't define a career, and it doesn't change the impact he's had on growing women's basketball."
Auriemma echoed the sentiment in his second formal apology, acknowledging he "lost" himself during Friday's semifinal.
"This morning, Dawn Staley and I spoke," Auriemma wrote. "I apologized to Dawn, her staff and her team. I've lost more games in the Final Four than any coach in history. But Friday I lost something more important. I lost myself."
The conflict erupted in the final seconds of South Carolina's 62-48 victory over previously undefeated UConn. Auriemma approached Staley for a postgame handshake before angrily confronting her. The exchange escalated until officials and staff stepped in.
After criticizing the referees during the broadcast, Auriemma initially showed no regret in his postgame news conference. He later released his first apology the following day.
Dawn Staley vs. Geno Auriemma Final Four Rivalry Returns Next Season
The South Carolina-UConn rivalry resumes on November 24th, when the programs meet at the Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Showcase at Connecticut's Mohegan Sun Arena.
"Coach Auriemma and Coach Staley have not only built championship programs but have also helped elevate women's basketball to new heights," said Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame CEO and President John L. Doleva.
"Having two Hall of Famers leading their teams in this marquee matchup perfectly represents our mission to honor the past, celebrate the present, and inspire the future of basketball."
For the second consecutive year, South Carolina found itself on the losing end of an NCAA final blowout, falling 79-51 to UCLA on Sunday to mark the third-largest margin of victory in women's title game history.
The Gamecocks shot just 29% from the field and became the first team to lose back-to-back championship games by more than 15 points. The 28-point defeat came one year after UConn handed South Carolina a 23-point loss in the 2025 final.
"To get here is hard, to win here is harder, right?" head coach Dawn Staley said postgame. "Obviously we got smacked today. We got to figure out how we smack back."
NCAA Championship Loss Caps Rocky South Carolina Semifinal
The South Carolina loss capped an emotional weekend for Staley. The lauded coach dealt with fallout from Friday's heated exchange with UConn coach Geno Auriemma following the team's semifinal victory. In the incident, Auriemma approached Staley for a postgame handshake, then angrily confronted her face-to-face before staff separated them.
"I'm of integrity," Staley said following the altercation. "If I did something wrong to Geno, I had no idea what I did."
Auriemma issued a statement on Saturday, writing that he had no excuse for how he handled the game's end. However, Staley told ESPN she hadn't heard directly from the Hall of Fame coach despite reports he reached out.
"The story should be how well South Carolina played, and I don't want my actions to detract from that," Auriemma wrote in his formal apology.
Staley spent much of Sunday's postgame praising UCLA coach Cori Close, who captured her first NCAA title in her 15th season. The two shared a long pregame hug that stood in stark contrast to the Auriemma dust-up.
"I'm always happy for people that worked hard in this game, who are really quality people," Staley said of Close.
Reaching six consecutive Final Fours demonstrates South Carolina's sustained excellence, but Staley and her staff face the challenge of breaking through if they want to claim another NCAA championship title.
The Portland Fire selected guard Nika Muhl from the Seattle Storm during Friday's 2026 WNBA expansion draft — despite knowing the former UConn standout will miss the entire 2026 season with a knee injury.
Muhl tore her right ACL during a March 11th EuroBasket qualifying game for Croatia. The 24-year-old subsequently underwent surgery on April 1st, just two days before the expansion draft kicked off.
The injury marks the second consecutive season-ending ACL tear for Muhl. She missed the entire 2025 campaign after tearing her left ACL while playing for Turkish club Besiktas in the FIBA SuperCup.
The Croatian guard appeared in only 16 games across two seasons with Seattle since the Storm drafted her 14th overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She averaged 2.8 minutes per game during her lone healthy season.
Despite the injury history, Portland sees long-term value in the 5-foot-11 point guard after she established herself as one of college basketball's premier defenders under UConn coach Geno Auriemma. The Fire's move suggests it views Muhl as a potential building block once she's fully recovered.
Muhl won Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors twice and earned All-Big East recognition for three straight seasons. Her defensive prowess shined brightest during the Huskies' 2024 NCAA tournament run. There, she shut down some of college basketball's top scorers including Syracuse's Dyaisha Fair and Iowa's Caitlin Clark.
Portland's expansion draft selection signals a patient approach, as Nika Muhl recovers from her second major knee injury in as many years. The Fire will open their inaugural season in May 2026.
Azzi Fudd is simultaneously preparing for the 2026 WNBA Draft while leading UConn into the Final Four in Phoenix — and she's tying her decision to the Huskies' postseason run.
While the fifth-year guard hasn't announced her plans, the timeline is clear. The WNBA entry draft takes place shortly after the NCAA tournament, putting Fudd's future in focus as unbeaten 38-0 UConn tips off against South Carolina.
For now, Fudd says her goal is to remained locked in and avoid looking ahead, even as draft projections place her among the year's top picks.
"My goal all year has been to stay present," the 23-year-old said from Phoenix.
"I know how special it is to be in this program... I want to take full advantage and just really appreciate everything about this year."
As UConn gears up for tonight's 2025 title game rematch, Fudd has remained central to the game plan. Along the way, she and 2026 Naismith Player of the Year Sarah Strong have formed one of the NCAA's most efficient scoring duos.
Meanwhile, coach Geno Auriemma made clear what's at stake for Fudd's legacy this weekend.
"If we win tomorrow and if we win Sunday, Azzi will be crowned one of the greatest of all time," he told reporters.
"If we don't win tomorrow and we don't even get a chance to play on Sunday, she's going to feel like that this was a disappointing year for her."
Fudd's college career already includes the 2025 national title and subsequent Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors. She went on to add All-American recognition to her final collegiate year — as well as a chance to cap her tenure with back-to-back NCAA championships.
For now, Azzi is only thinking about finishing the job, helping the Huskies chase their first perfect season since 2016.
How to Watch Azzi Fudd Lead UConn in the 2026 Final Four
UConn takes on South Carolina on Friday, April 3rd at 7 PM ET, live on ESPN.
The winner advances to Sunday's national championship game.