UConn gets it done | Rodman makes a splash | EDD calls it quits

No shame in her game.

UConn gets it done

The UConn Huskies are back on top, lifting the program’s 12th NCAA championship trophy after Sunday’s blowout 82-59 win over South Carolina.

• UConn’s “Big Three” — seniors Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd plus freshman Sarah Strong — towered over South Carolina, combining for 65 points with Fudd earning Most Outstanding Player honors.

The road to Sunday: UConn’s perfect Final Four began with a dominant 85-51 win over No. 1 overall seed UCLA on Friday, fueled by Strong’s 22 points and eight rebounds.

• South Carolina reached their second straight NCAA title game with a third win over SEC rival Texas, taking the Longhorns down 74-57 behind freshman Joyce Edwards’s double-double.

Top dogs: But the big day belonged to the Huskies, as Bueckers and Fudd finally inked their names alongside previous generations of UConn champs — and ended a nine-year title drought in the process.

• “It’s been a story of resilience, of gratitude, of overcoming adversity, and just responding to life’s challenges," Bueckers said after playing her last game in a Husky uniform.

• “This is one of the most emotional Final Fours and emotional national championships I’ve been a part of since that very first one,” echoed head coach Geno Auriemma.

Bottom line: After years of close calls, injury woes, and buzzer-beating heartbreaks, the Huskies have revived their March Madness dynasty — and with Strong leading the charge, the future looks brighter than ever.

Final Four contenders eye 2026

South Carolina couldn’t get the job done on Sunday, falling one game short of back-to-back title runs in their third championship game in four years.

• “We lost to a very, very good basketball team,” head coach Dawn Staley said after the game. “They beat our ass, but they didn’t make us like it. There’s a difference."

Big picture: Sunday’s loss stings, but considering their talented underclassmen core, the Gamecocks — alongside similarly youthful Final Four contenders UCLA and Texas — won’t be down for long.

• “I hope they’re crying,” Staley said on Sunday. “I hope they’re boo-hooing, because from crying, they have emotion about losing, makes you work hard in the offseason.”

• “We have the same team coming next year,” UCLA junior Lauren Betts said after the Bruins’ Friday night exit. “I hope this fuels us, and I hope that we come out angry after this.”

• “It won’t be easier tonight or tomorrow but it will be easier knowing them three are around,” Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said of returning Longhorns trio Madison Booker, Bree Hall, and Jordan Lee. “They are competitors. And again, they’re kids that invest in their craft.”

Bottom line: The Final Four squads unable to seal the deal this year will rue an opportunity lost, but give them another year of development, and the same names will likely be dominating the news cycle next March.

Rodman’s splashy USWNT return

It didn’t take long for USWNT star Trinity Rodman to re-introduce herself on Saturday, finding the back of the net just five minutes into her first national team appearance since last August’s Olympic gold medal match.

• Rodman’s tally came off a quality assist from Alyssa Thompson, with the attacking pair eventually leading the USWNT to a 2-0 win over Brazil in the first of two April friendlies.

• US captain Lindsey Heaps doubled the scoreline in the second half, striking home a bullet of a penalty kick after 17-year-old US midfielder Lily Yohannes drew a foul in the box.

Big picture: While big names stole the spotlight, US head coach Emma Hayes still managed to test out less experienced players against a high-flying Brazil offense.

• Goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce earned a clean sheet in her USWNT debut, making six saves to put herself firmly in the running to replace now-retired starting keeper Alyssa Naeher.

• Rodman’s impact was undeniable, as the veteran continues to rehab a lingering back issue that she’s admitted she doesn’t think “will ever be 100%.”

• “I wanted to be a provider of energy and to be able to charge everyone’s batteries. I think I did that pretty well today,” Rodman said after the win.

Bottom line: The USWNT’s slow-and-steady build-up continues, but Rodman’s return bodes well for the future — even as injuries beleaguer team mainstays.

Sports are a numbers game. And whether it’s shattering PWHL attendance records or dropping triple-doubles on the college court, there’s never been a better time to celebrate the most powerful moments in women’s sports.

This major moment is presented by Discover®.

Michele Kang doubles down on US Soccer

Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang is all in on the growth of US women’s soccer, investing an additional $25 million in US Soccer late last week.

• The move follows last November’s initial pledge of $30 million over the course of five years, while also further integrating Kang’s Kynisca Innovation Hub into US Soccer’s Soccer Forward Foundation.

Big picture: Started under the umbrella of Kang’s global multi-team organization Kynisca Sports International, the Innovation Hub is a science-based platform focused on improving research and development for women’s sports athletes.

• Per USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone, the collaboration will “drive real change through research-backed standards that support players at every level.”

Delle Donne calls it quits

Two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne is officially retiring from pro basketball, with the Olympic gold medalist announcing on Friday that her body “seemed to make this decision before my mind accepted it.”

• Delle Donne won her first MVP in 2015 with the Chicago Sky, picking up her second in 2019 while leading the Washington Mystics to their first-ever WNBA championship — and recording the only 50-40-90 season in league history along the way.

• She later struggled with injuries, undergoing back surgery after suffering three herniated disks — a string of events that eventually saw Delle Donne sit out the 2024 season despite being cored by the Mystics.

Last words: “This game has been my life, and I am grateful for the memories and how much it’s given me,” Delle Donne posted to social media. “It feels good to close this chapter knowing I gave it my all.”

What you had to say

Last Friday, 57% of readers picked UConn to win the 2025 NCAA championship. Easy buckets.

• 57%: UConn

• 23%: South Carolina

• 15%: UCLA

• 5%: Texas