The top-10 women’s basketball matchup between No. 1 UConn and No. 9 Michigan, the first meeting between the two programs, lived up to the billing on Friday. 

The Huskies defeated the Wolverines 72-69 at the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, cutting Michigan’s gutsy comeback just short. 

UConn completely dominated the first half of the contest and built up a 20 point lead by the third quarter. Just when it looked like UConn was going to cruise to its fifth win of the season, Michigan upped the pressure and completely changed the momentum of the game with an 18-2 run to close the third quarter down by four points.

The Huskies showed their experience and quickly stretched their lead back to 13 points with 3:37 remaining, but the Wolverines never faltered and continued coming at the Huskies. Michigan sophomore guard Syla Swords knocked down three of her eight 3-pointers in the final minute of the contest, including a deep 3 with 13 seconds remaining to come within one point, 70-69.

What ensued next was utter chaos. Michigan fouled UConn’s Azzi Fudd with eight seconds remaining and Fudd made both her free throws to go up 72-69. Michigan’s Olivia Olson inbounded the ball to Swords, who was stripped in the backcourt by UConn’s KK Arnold. Ashlynn Shade then turned the ball over to Michigan’s McKenzie Mathurin, but the Wolverines weren’t able to get a final shot off.

UConn improves to 46-1 all-time at Mohegan Sun Arena. UConn is 136-56 all-time in games where both teams are ranked in the top 10. This was the first meeting between UConn and Michigan.

Azzi Fudd finished with a game-high 31 points, two steals and two blocks, while Sarah Strong added 16 points, 20 rebounds, six assists, four blocks and three steals. 

Swords had 29 points and nine rebounds in the losing effort, while Olson added 18 points and 10 rebounds.  

UConn vs. Michigan highlights

End of Q3: UConn 49, Michigan 45 

We have a ball game at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. 

Michigan trailed by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, but the Wolverines went on an 18-2 run to cut their deficit to four points. UConn had six turnovers in the third quarter, which fueled Michigan’s comeback and the Wolverines outscored the Huskies 18-4 in the frame.

Syla Swords scored nine points in the third quarter and has a team-high 17 points, while Olivia Olson is up to 12 points. 

The Huskies shot 2-of-15 from the field in the third quarter. UConn has not scored since the 6:19 mark.

Halftime: UConn 45, Michigan 27

UConn guard Azzi Fudd ended the second quarter with an exclamation point after knocking down a buzzer-beating jumper to push the Huskies’ lead over Michigan to 18 points at halftime. 

The Huskies have been utterly dominant. UConn is shooting 46% from the field and 6-of-17 from the 3-point line, while holding the Wolverines to 28% from the field and 5-of-17 from 3. That’s a major feat considering the Wolverines are averaging 99.2 points per game this season, the fourth highest-scoring offense in the nation. 

Fudd has a team-high 18 points and two steals for the Huskies, while sophomore forward Sarah Strong already has a double-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and three steals in 20 minutes of play. 

Michigan appeared to settle in during the second quarter, scoring 22 points in the frame compared to only five points in the first quarter, but the Wolverines are still struggling to take care of the ball with 10 total turnovers in the half. 

Michigan sophomore guard Olivia Olson leads the Wolverines with nine points (4-of-10 FG, 1-of-5 3PT), while sophomore guard Syla Swords added eight points (2-of-12 FG, 2-of-6 3PT).

UConn first meeting vs. Michigan

End of Q1: UConn 22, Michigan 5

UConn showed why it’s the top-ranked team in the nation following a dominant first-quarter performance. The Huskies came out with their foot on the gas on Friday and built a 17-point lead, while holding the Wolverines to five points through the first 10 minutes.

Michigan shot a dismal 2-of-20 from the field and 1-of-7 from the 3-point line due to the constant pressure applied by the Huskies. UConn forced Michigan into five turnovers, which the Huskies converted to five points.

Sarah Strong and Ashlynn Shade each scored six points for UConn in the first quarter. Strong is already up to nine rebounds, rounding out her stat line with three blocks, one assist and one steal in 10 minutes of play. Azzi Fudd added five points and two steals. 

Michigan’s Syla Swords has three points, while Olivia Olson added two points. 

UConn jumps to 10-3 lead vs. Michigan

The top-10 showdown between UConn and Michigan is underway at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, home of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, which is less than 30 miles from Storrs, Connecticut.

Both teams came out with early jitters and missed some shots early on, but Huskies forward Sarah Strong opened up the scoring with a layup nearly two minutes into the game. Strong has done a little bit of everything so far. She’s up to four points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block as the Huskies lead 10-3 with 4:41 remaining in the first quarter.

Michigan sophomore guard Syla Swords got the Wolverines on the board with a 3-pointer, Michigan’s only field goal so far. Michigan is 1-of-7 from the field.

What time is Michigan vs. UConn women’s basketball?

Top-ranked UConn (4-0) faces No. 6 Michigan (4-0) in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 21, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Michigan vs. UConn: TV, streaming

• Date: Friday, Nov. 21
• Time: 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT)
• Location: Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut
• TV: FOX
• Stream: Fubo, ESPN Unlimited

UConn Huskies starting lineup

• (2) KK Arnold
• (12) Ashlynn Shade
• (21) Sarah Strong
• (22) Serah Williams
• (35) Azzi Fudd

UConn women’s basketball roster

Michigan Wolverines starting lineup

Head coach: Kim Barnes Arico

• (1) Olivia Olson
• (3) Mila Holloway
• (5) Brooke Quarles Daniels
• (12) Syla Swords
• (15) Ashley Sofilkanich

Michigan women’s basketball roster

Check out UConn’s championship rings

The ‘Power of Friendship’ lifted the UConn women’s basketball team to the program’s 12th national championship in April and the phrase has been commemorated forever in the team’s new bling.

Nearly seven months after the Huskies defeated South Carolina 82-59 in the 2025 NCAA championship game to win the university’s first title since 2016, Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers returned to Storrs, Connecticut, to receive the first national championship ring of her career alongside former teammates.

‘The power of friendship … is the reason that we did win it,’ said Bueckers, who helped design the ring alongside Azzi Fudd and Caroline Ducharme. ‘We just went off of straight vibes and we stuck together through it all.’

From facing UConn to fueling them: Kayleigh Heckel’s seamless transition

STORRS, Conn. — If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

That may not be exactly how sophomore Kayleigh Heckel ended up playing for No. 1-ranked UConn, but it is true that she finished her freshman season at USC with a loss to the team she ended up joining after entering the transfer portal.

‘My last game at USC was against UConn,’ Heckel said in a video posted by UConn prior to the season. ‘The stakes were high, was the Elite Eight game, so excited to be on this side now.’ Read full story here.

UConn freshman Blanca Quiñonez latest target of Auriemma’s tough love

UConn freshman Blanca Quiñonez, who Auriemma jokes ‘leads the free world in turnovers,’ is the most recent recipient of Auriemma’s affection. The Ecuador native played in her second collegiate game Nov. 16, scoring 18 points but also turning the ball over five times.

UConn remains No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball poll

The defending champion Connecticut Huskies remain in the No. 1 spot in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, released on Tuesday, Nov. 18. UConn looks to become the first repeat champion since winning four straight from 2013-16.

USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

1. UConn (4-0)
2. South Carolina (4-0)
3. UCLA (5-0)
4. Texas (4-0)
5. LSU (5-0)
6. Maryland (5-0)
7. Oklahoma (4-1)
8. TCU (4-0)
9. Michigan (3-0)
10. Baylor (4-0)
11. USC (2-1)
12. North Carolina (3-1)
13. Tennessee (3-1)
14. Ole Miss (3-0)
15. Iowa State (5-0)
16. North Carolina State (2-2)
17. Vanderbilt (3-0)
18. Kentucky (5-0)
19. Louisville (3-1)
20. Iowa (4-0)
21. Oklahoma State (5-0)
22. West Virginia (4-0)
23. Notre Dame (3-1)
24. Duke (3-2)
25. Michigan State (4-0)

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

The Denver Nuggets managed to overcome the loss of Aaron Gordon in the first half and beat the Houston Rockets on the road at the Toyota Center on Friday in an NBA Cup game. 

Nuggets star Nikola Jokić nearly produced a triple-double with 34 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Jamal Murray contributed to the victory with 26 points and 10 assists for Denver.

The Rockets held a three-point lead at halftime after a strong scoring performance from Reed Sheppard in the first half. The 2024 first-round pick scored 20 points. Sheppard was limited in the second half to just seven points, though.

Amen Thompson had 22 points and seven rebounds in the loss.

The two Western Conference teams have been tabbed by NBA experts as the teams most likely to challenge the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Western Conference crown this season.

Here’s how Friday’s NBA Cup game between the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets played out:

Nuggets-Rockets highlights

Final: Nuggets 112, Rockets 109

Jabari Smith Jr. scored a 3-pointer with 5.5 seconds left on the clock to cut into the Nuggets’ lead and make it a 1-point game at 110-109.

Smith fouled out of the game moments later on the Nuggets’ next possession. Jokić was sent to the foul line, where he managed to put the game away for the Nuggets.

3Q: Nuggets 80, Rockets 78

The Nuggets managed to keep pace with the Rockets, outscoring them 34-29 in the third quarter. Nikola Jokić has 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists in 27 minutes of action through three quarters of play. Jamal Murray has 12 points and eight assists.

Reed Sheppard scored just four points in the third quarter after 20 in the first half. Jabari Smith Jr. has 12 points and seven rebounds for the Rockets.

Aaron Gordon out for game

The Nuggets announced that Aaron Gordon suffered a right hamstring strain in the first half and he has been ruled out for the second half.

Halftime: Rockets 49, Nuggets 46

The Rockets outscored the Nuggets 37-21 in the second quarter to take the lead at halftime.

Reed Sheppard scored 20 points in the first half for Houston. Nikola Jokić was held to just three points in the second quarter for the Nuggets.

1Q: Nuggets 25, Rockets 12

Nikola Jokić had seven points and seven rebounds for the Nuggets in the opening quarter. Peyton Watson and Jamal Murray each scored five points. Kevin Durant had six of the Rockets’ 12 points.

Nuggets lead Rockets early

The Nuggets built up a 16-8 lead with 3:50 left in the first quarter. Jamal Murray has five points for Denver.

Rockets starting lineup vs. Nuggets

Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr., Steven Adams, Amen Thompson and Kevin Durant made up the starting lineup for the Rockets.

Nuggets starting lineup vs. Rockets

Jamal Murray, Cam Johnson, Peyton Watson, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokić started for the Nuggets.

What time is Nuggets vs. Rockets NBA Cup game today?

The Houston Rockers will host the Denver Nuggets in NBA Cup action at the Toyota Center at 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 21.

How to watch Nuggets vs. Rockets in NBA Cup: TV, live streaming

The Friday, Nov. 21 NBA Cup game between the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets will be live streamed nationally on Amazon Prime Video.

• Date: Nov. 21, 2025
• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. local)
• Location: Toyota Center (Houston)
• TV: None
• Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

Nikola Jokic’s hot start

The Denver Nuggets star is on an early pace to set new career highs and perhaps win his third NBA Most Valuable Player award:

• Jokić last nine games stats: 34.0 PPG | 12.6 RPG | 11.3 APG | .724 2PT% | .476 3PT%
• Jokić 2025-26 season stats: 29.1 PPG | 13.2 RPG | 11.1 APG — leads NBA in rebounds & assists

Alperen Sengun fueling Rockets

While Kevin Durant (25.5) tends to draw the most attention from opposing players and fans, teammate Alperen Şengün has been stuffing the stat sheets so far this season:

• Şengün 2025-26 season stats: 23.4 PPG | 10.4 RPG | 8.7 APG | 45.3% FG% | .409 3PT%
• Elite company: Şengün is the only player besides Jokić averaging 23+ PTS, 10+ REB, 7+ AST

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

Anthony Joshua towered over Jake Paul. The moment underscored the massive size difference between the two men.

It was their first face off, and it had all the looks of a monumental mismatch waiting to happen, with the 6-foot-6 Joshua and the 6-1 Paul set to fight in an eight-round heavyweight bout Dec. 19 in Miami.

But during a press conference held at the same place they’ll fight – the Kaseya Center in Miami – Paul on Nov. 21 cited “delusional optimism’’ as he prepares for an eight-round heavyweight bout against the former two-time heavyweight champion from Great Britain.

“All of these things I’ve gotten to where I’m at today (are) because of delusional optimism,’’ Paul said. “And so it’s delusion until it’s not, because look at where we’re sitting today.

“No one ever thought that this would be possible, that we would be here when I first started boxing, and no one thinks I’m going to win. So join the list and be ready to be shocked.’’

Joshua expressed respect for Paul, who made his pro debut in January 2020 and is now 12-1 with seven knockouts. But Joshua, who is 28-4 with 25 knockouts, surely knows he will be the biggest challenge yet in Paul’s boxing career.

“If I’m going to be honest, I’m going to break his face, I’m going to break his body up, I’m going to stomp all over him,’’ Joshua said.

Paul indicated he would welcome punishment from Joshua.

“I want him to cut me up,’’ Paul said. “I want him to break my face, but guess what? He’s going to have to kill me to stop me and I’m ready to die. Seriously. Ready to die in the ring to win this fight.’’

The weight issue

Joshua must weigh no more than 245 pounds at weigh-in, according to the fight rules as announced by Most Valuable Promotions, which is partnering with Netflix.

That’s about 100 pounds more than Gervonta Davis was expected to weigh in for his fight against Paul. The fight was canceled amid legal issues stemming from a lawsuit filed against Davis.

Joshua, asked how much he expected to weigh by the time of the fight without a rehydration clause in place, said he’s focused on 245 pounds.

 “Anything else is a bonus after that,’’ said Joshua, who has weighed in at 250 pounds or more for his last five fights.

Paul, who was required to weigh in at no more than 195 pounds for his fight against Davis, said he expects to weigh between 215 and 225 pounds for the fight against Joshua.

“Man, I was cutting down for Gervonta, so it’s been a little tough getting back up and some strength for this,’’ Paul said.

But Paul also rejected the notion that his being smaller than Joshua will put him at a disadvantage.

“Look, he’s one of the best heavyweights ever,’’ Paul said of Joshua. “But I believe that fighting a smaller man is oftentimes harder as a heavyweight because of the speed difference and because of the foot speed, because of the angles, because the head being off of the center.

“And so all of that power is great and he’s knocked people out. I just have to avoid that one shot for eight rounds and I believe that I can do that.”

AI-assisted summary
• Heavyweight boxer Cassius Chaney was scheduled to fight Anthony Joshua but the bout was canceled.
• Chaney is now serving as a sparring partner for Jake Paul ahead of Paul’s fight against Joshua.
• Chaney, who is the same height as Joshua, is helping Paul prepare at his training facility in Puerto Rico.

As Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua prepare for their fight Dec. 19 in Miami, Cassius Chaney is the central figure in an unlikely twist.

Chaney, a heavyweight boxer from Baltimore, was set to fight Joshua Nov. 22 in Saudi Arabia. Now he’s in Puerto Rico, helping prepare Paul to fight Joshua.

“Things sometimes just work out in weird ways,’’ Chaney told USA TODAY Sports.

During a press conference Nov. 21, Joshua mentioned that Chaney was in Paul’s camp.

Paul chimed in, saying,“Already whooped that (butt). Sorry, Cassius.’’

But Chaney sounded only grateful this week during an interview with USA TODAY Sports. The story started less than a month ago when, according to Chaney, he was contacted by Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, and offered a chance to fight the former two-time heavyweight champion from Great Britain.

But last week, Chaney said, his fight with Joshua was canceled when Paul and Anthony agreed to their fight.

 “I was disappointed and I was upset,’’’ Chaney said.

Then came the twist.

In attempt to confirm Paul and Joshua had officially agreed to fight, Chaney said he called Danny Davis, who is Paul’s cutman and someone Chaney said he knows well.

“He actually worked on my hands a lot when I was in Philadelphia training,’’ Chaney said.

According to Chaney, Davis said he talked to Paul, confirmed the fight with Joshua was official and then invited Chaney to Puerto Rico to serve as a sparring partner for Paul.

Working with Jake Paul: ‘He’s open to information’

Chaney is 6-foot-6, the same height as Joshua. He is 38, two years older than Joshua. He is 24-3 and, like Joshua, has power – 17 of his 24 victories have come by knockout.

But while Joshua won an Olympic gold medal in 2012 before he turned pro and became a two-time heavyweight champion, Chaney has fought mostly in obscurity. Now he’s joined Paul’s high-end camp. During an interview with USA TODAY Sports this week, Chaney said he’s staying in a villa on Paul’s compound.

“Every room has a bathroom, like a mini mansion or something,’’ he said. “I’m actually the only person in this house. …

“The gym is awesome. It is like state-of-the-art. They have two (boxing) rings, a recovery room upstairs, everything – weights, red-light sauna, salt bath, cold tub, massage therapist, everything.’’

Chaney said he’s also been struck by something else – Paul.

“I know I’m stronger than him, but he’s doing pull-ups easier than me,’’ Chaney said. “I know I’m stronger than him, but he’s doing the bench press a little easier than me. He works hard.

“And he’s cool, too. You can go tell him, ‘Hey, man, try this out or try that out and maybe you should try this.’ And he’s open to information. The first day the coaches told me, ‘Hey, you go tell him what you think he needs to do and that type of stuff.’ So it’s very professional and open.”

Chaney said he’s already offered advice to Paul.

‘I told him that when he’s trying to throw his overhand right, he has to keep his eyes up,” Chaney told USA TODAY Sports. ‘Instead of dropping his head down, he’s looking for the overhand, but sometimes he drops his head down and he doesn’t see where the punch is going.

‘It’s better to see where the punch is going when he’s throwing it, so he knows if it lands or not. And he can tell if I’m throwing a punch back.”

Assessing Jake Paul’s skills: ‘He knows what he’s doing’

Although Paul is a significant underdog for his fight with Joshua, Chaney expressed hope for his new boss.

He complimented Paul for his boxing IQ and his athleticism.

“Jake, he knows what he’s doing,’’ Chaney said. “He’s definitely strong, but he has to be crafty and stay elusive.’’

While working with Paul, Chaney said, he realized he wasn’t truly prepared for the fight with Joshua that fell through. He said he thinks he had the power to drop Joshua but that watching Paul train has revealed more Chaney could have done during his own training regimen.

“For the resources we had, we were making it work,’’ Chaney said of his abbreviated training camp. “But you come down here and I get into the strength and conditioning with (Paul) and I’m like, ‘Yo, hold on.’

“This is what I need to be doing.’’

So what’s next for Chaney?

“I haven’t heard I’m going to be a millionaire so much in my life since the last three weeks,’’ he said. “So I’m like, maybe somebody knows something I don’t know, or people know something I don’t know.

“But one of the main things I’ve heard when I came down here straight up, you got to give yourself the best chance you can give yourself. And I’m happy I came down here getting to see the stuff that I need. You know what I mean?’’