Saturday night, Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY hosts the inaugural Women’s Champions Classic.
The opening game between the Tennessee Lady Vols and No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes (7 p.m. ET) will serve as the appetizer for the event’s main course, when the No. 22 Louisville Cardinals will challenge the No. 2 UConn Huskies (9 p.m. ET). Both games will be broadcast on FOX.
Expect a big game from player-edition Paige, UConn
The evening should serve as a showcase for the Huskies and their headliner, the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Paige Bueckers. Bueckers has been characteristically brilliant for undefeated UConn in her redshirt senior season, shooting over 60 percent from the field while averaging more than 20 points per game. Bueckers likewise leads the Huskies with 4.7 assists per game.
Saturday also will mark the official debut of Bueckers’ player-edition Nike GT Hustle 3. She’s the first college athlete with her own, dedicated colorway.
Among other personal details, the shoes include a mantra repeated to Bueckers by her dad: “Be You, Be Great.” So, expect greatness from Bueckers in her new baby blues under the bright lights of Barclays.
That’s unfortunate for Louisville. This is the Cardinals’ fourth matchup of the still-young season…
