UCONN MAKES BROOKLYN FEEL LIKE HOME

Black Rosie Media was in the house for the Women’s Champions Classic at Barclays, and we got to see some high-level hoops throughout the day.

The opener of the doubleheader saw Louisville take on Tennessee in a late morning showdown.

Louisville used an extended 35-15 second-half run to take what was a close game and turn it into an 89-65 rout. Jeff Walz’s team was able to dominate in part by making things tough on Vols star Janiah Barker. Barker had her worst outing of the season as she had season lows in points and field goal percentage. The Cardinals sped Barker up and forced her into a lot of difficult choices. On offense, Louisville didn’t have its best outing of the season as it turned it over 19 times.

However, they forced the Vols into 16 turnovers, as Tennessee struggled to manage Louisville’s full-court presses and half-court trapping defense. The Cardinals are off for the holidays and will return to the court on New Year’s Day against SMU as conference play begins in the ACC.

In game two of the doubleheader, Iowa took on the reigning and undefeated champion UConn Huskies. In the first half, Sarah Strong put on a show for the ages as she had 20/5/3/5/1 and played all 20 minutes. She was able to get wherever she wanted on the court and had a perfect blend of drives, post-ups, and spot-up shooting as she flummoxed a game Hawkeye team.

After half, UConn’s other superstar and likely WNBA Draft lottery pick took over. Azzi Fudd had a rough start to the game, going 3-9 from the field and not recording an assist. Despite those early struggles, she remained engaged on both sides of the ball and kept taking open shots as they came within the flow of the offense. That good process paid off as she scored 21 points of her game-high 27 points after halftime, as she dominated the Hawkeyes at all three levels.

At the Women’s Basketball Classic in 2024, Fudd left the UConn win over Louisville with a right knee injury. In the postgame, Erica asked Fudd if the 2024 injury crossed her mind, and she admitted that it did in practice, but only briefly. She added:

“Having the confidence of my teammates and the coaches, no matter what, I feel like that is just [the most important thing]. When I can't find that confidence in myself and I start to question things, having them in my ear giving me that motivation helps so much.”

As we talked about on the December 19 edition of Gotta Get Up, Fudd checks a lot of boxes for teams and is a great candidate to be taken first overall in the 2026 Draft.

Fudd has been sensational and is ready to be a star in the WNBA. She does everything well and has a relentless motor. As she continues to get ready for her professional career, games like this show that she’s always one play away from changing the tenor of a game.

At the Women’s Champions Classic, we got a chance to speak to Jan Jensen and Geno Auriemma. We’ll have plenty more in a special Coaches’ Corner coming soon to Black Rosie Media!

CHRISTMAS WEEK!

Here’s the latest in the AP’s Top 25 rankings:

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7

IOWA STATE IS OFF TO A TREMENDOUS START

Audi Crooks has been one of the highlights of the current basketball season. Off the court, the Iowa State superstar stepped up to assist Iowa families in need when the government was shut down in November.

On the court, the junior center is having the best season of her career. Audi leads the nation in scoring at 28.9 points per game on a blistering 71.6 percent shooting from the field. When she gets the ball in the low post, she’s practically automatic and is a guaranteed two points every time she gets the ball. For as amazing as Crooks is, she’s got a heck of a team alongside her as well.

Iowa State is currently third in the Big 12 (21st in the nation) in three-point percentage at 37.6 percent. Five of their rotation players are above 35 percent from three-point range, including Kenzie Hare at 51.1 percent. On December 21, Kansas rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to tie the game at 76 in the final seconds. The play was designed for Crooks in the low post, but the Jayhawks provided post help before an entry pass could be attempted. The Cyclones were prepared for that and made Kansas pay…

“I pray before the game and during the game so I can stay present and be prepared for anything, Kenzie Hare said. “So kind of just be ready at any moment, and that’s just what happened. We had to be ready.”

At 13-0 and tenth in the AP Poll, Iowa State has a great chance to go on a big run this season. Flanked by a superstar big in Crooks and talented players up and down the roster, they have a great chance to get back to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2022.

And if a few things break right for them in March, they might make even more history along the way.

IS THE SUN SETTING IN CONNECTICUT?

Throughout 2025, the Connecticut Sun have been for sale. The Mohegan Tribe have been looking for a buyer, and the process has been complicated, to say the least. And it appears that the process might be ending soon.

On December 19, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou and Ramona Shelburne reported that the NBA’s Houston Rockets are in substantive talks to purchase and move the Sun to Houston, Texas. Later reporting from the Houston Chronicle indicated that the move would occur in 2027 and lead to the return of the Houston Comets. From Philippou and Shelburne:

“The WNBA previously indicated strong interest in a return to Houston. At the league's three-team expansion announcement in June, commissioner Cathy Engelbert specifically highlighted Houston and Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta as "up next" and "the one we have our eye on."“

It’s become evident that the NBA and WNBA want the Sun in Houston and have steered the process toward their desired outcome. If the sale occurs, it gives them more ownership group that is aligned with NBA interests as compared to independent WNBA owners who might not be.

There’s a part of me that thinks the NBA and WNBA are killing the W’s chances to return to the New England area in the future. If I'm a Sun fan, why would I want to follow the WNBA again when I'm being told by Adam Silver, Cathy Engelbert, and leadership that I don’t matter?

Sun ownership stuck with the WNBA when others abandoned the league. Now that big money is flowing into the WNBA, the NBA has decided they want to get back in the WNBA business fully, previous relationships be damned. If you feel grossed out by this saga, you're not alone.

This saga appears to be heading towards the finish line. Connecticut fans deserve better from the WNBA, but it seems 2026 will be the last season they have with the Sun. It’s a shame and will be a permanent black mark on the reputations of the WNBA and NBA.

At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in the women’s basketball community.

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