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.

The AP Women's College Basketball Poll turns 50 next year, and the publication began celebrating its rankings run a few months early by asking 13 former players and AP sportswriters to fill an All-Time team roster with the NCAA's best.

First Team honors went to USC legend Cheryl Miller, UConn greats Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi, all-time leading NCAA scorer and Iowa alum Caitlin Clark, and position-defining Tennessee forward Candace Parker.

Standout Huskies Sue Bird and Maya Moore also snagged AP All-Time nods, earning Second Team spots alongside Virginia star guard Dawn Staley, Tennessee forward and three-time national champion Chamique Holdsclaw, and three-time AIAW champion and MVP Lusia Harris from Delta State.

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Even the AP list's reserves are full of legends, with basketball pioneers like Kansas star Lynette Woodard and UCLA's Ann Meyers Drysdale joining Lisa Leslie (USC) and Sheryl Swoopes (Texas Tech) as well as current WNBA superstars A'ja Wilson (South Carolina) and Brittney Griner (Baylor) on the All-Time bench.

"Being named an AP All-American is one of the most storied honors in college sports," Clark said in response to her AP All-Time First Team nod. "It's fun to think about what it would have been like if we all played together."

"What an accomplishment and what an honor," said fellow First Team honoree Taurasi. "There's so many great women who paved the way."

With the October 31st WNBA CBA deadline looming, ESPN recently conducted an anonymous survey of team owners, executives, players, and other insiders about the simmering tensions between athletes and league leadership in the wake of Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier's viral exit interview last month.

"Once you have that kind of fighting with your best players, it's a death spiral," a team executive told ESPN after fans booed commissioner Cathy Engelbert at this year's WNBA Finals.

"Change is a must," another exec said in the anonymous WNBA survey. "Either Cathy has to change how she relates to the players, or there has to be a change in that role."

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That said, not everyone agreed, with one owner saying, "If you fire her now, it's admitting weakness. It's a terrible look for the league. I can't stand what [Collier] did. That was a private conversation. It makes me not want to fire [Engelbert] — even though I think she should be."

CBA negotiations have also remained frosty this month, with Las Vegas Aces star guard Chelsea Gray telling ESPN that the talks are "not where we thought and wanted to be at this point in time. It's market share, it's salaries, it's player safety, it's everything."

With the parties still reportedly far from a deal, the threat of a work stoppage next season hangs over the stalled proceedings.

"I don't think it's going to be done by Halloween," a league source told ESPN. "[But] in the end, a work stoppage doesn't benefit anybody."

Just one ticket to the 2025 NWSL Playoffs remains unpunched after four different clubs clinched postseason berths over the weekend.

The No. 4 Seattle Reign clinched with a 2-1 win over the No. 12 Utah Royals on Friday before the No. 5 San Diego Wave emphatically slammed the door with a 6-1 Saturday drubbing of the No. 14 Chicago Stars, while the No. 6 Portland Thorns joined the postseason party with a 2-0 Sunday win over No. 11 Angel City.

As for No. 7 Gotham FC, a tense 2-2 draw with No. 8 Louisville propelled the Bats to their third consecutive postseason appearance on Sunday, leaving Racing still poised to earn a club-first playoff spot with a post-international break win.

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The newly clinched quartet will join the previously postseason-bound No. 1 Kansas City Current, No. 2 Washington Spirit, and No. 3 Orlando Pride in the 2025 NWSL Playoffs.

Only one team — No. 9 North Carolina — can challenge Louisville for the eighth and final berth, as weekend results saw both the No. 10 Houston Dash and No. 11 Angel City eliminated while the Courage took down No. 13 Bay FC 4-1 on Friday to remain in contention.

In order to snag that eighth spot, however, North Carolina will need a 2025 Decision Day win over Gotham — plus a Louisville loss or draw against Bay FC.

"The reality is, we are still in control of our destiny with one game to go," Racing captain Janine Sonis said on Sunday. "[It's] not like us to not to keep things interesting."

With one postseason spot and the majority of the 2025 Playoffs seeding still up for grabs, the NWSL is gearing up for yet another game-changing Decision Day on November 2nd.

The No. 1 Kansas City Current hit an unexpected skid on Saturday, when the 2025 NWSL Shield-winners suffered a 1-0 upset loss to the No. 10 Houston Dash — and lost their star striker, Temwa Chawinga, to injury along the way.

Despite leading the match in shots, shots on goal, and possession, the defeat snapped the Current's 17-game unbeaten streak, leaving the club one result short of setting a new franchise record.

"Sometimes things like this will happen," Kansas City head coach Vlatko Andonovski said postgame. "You're going to dominate, you're going to do everything well, but you're not going to score a goal…. I'm glad it happened now and not two games from now."

The loss stings, but with the top postseason berth already secured, Kansas City's concern turns to their 2024 MVP after Chawinga exited the match with a non-contact injury.

A knock to the upper right leg saw the Malawi international wheeled off the pitch in the 29th minute, with Andonovski later clarifying that it was not a knee injury.

Considered a frontrunner to repeat as both NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner, the 27-year-old leads the league in scoring this season with 15 goals over 23 appearances.

While Kansas City is still awaiting a specific diagnosis for their star striker, time could be on the Current's side, as this week's international break gives Chawinga a moment to rest before her club closes out their 2025 NWSL regular season — and, more importantly, takes aim at a championship run.

How to watch the next Kansas City Current match

The league-leading Current will be back in action on NWSL Decision Day, with Kansas City closing out their 2025 regular-season campaign by hosting the No. 5 San Diego Wave on Sunday, November 2nd.

The time and broadcast details for the 2025 season's Decision Day will drop at a later date at NWSLSoccer.com.