Injuries impacting top contenders; Maryland’s historic win

Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma looked down his bench on Sunday to a group of players in street clothes. The Huskies had dropped to seven available players after Nika Mühl entered concussion protocols in Thursday’s slim win over Princeton.

Auriemma wasn’t the only coach looking down the bench to see a top player unable to take the court. The injuries are piling up early in the season, before conference play is underway for many teams, and impacting title contenders.

It’s a loss for the entire sport that these established star student-athletes aren’t able to play, and play against one another. It could also shake up the early favorites for the Final Four.

Loser: Injuries impacting top contenders

UConn’s situation is the headliner in the shorthanded team department. The Huskies are without 2021 National Player of the Year Paige Bueckers (ACL), top freshman recruit Ice Brady (dislocated knee), 2023 National Player of the Year contender Azzi Fudd (right knee), fifth-year forward Dorka Juhász (thumb) and Mühl (concussion). Lou Lopez Sénéchal is also dealing with a foot issue she is playing through.

The Huskies (7-2, 1-0 Big East) have made it through the toughest of their nonconference schedule despite the injuries and should have Juhász and Mühl back soon with Fudd estimated to return anywhere from Dec. 27 to Jan. 17. They have the week off before playing Florida State in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Sunday.

Tennessee (6-5) has not had as easy of a time with its eighth-ranked schedule and had been without senior Rickea Jackson for two games. The Lady Vols’ outlook moving forward took another hit when the team announced that senior center Tamari Key would miss the rest of the season with blood clots in her lungs. They still have a meeting with Stanford on Sunday before SEC play.

Iowa (8-3, 2-0 Big Ten) found its proper footing again in an impressive rivalry win over Iowa State, 70-57, last week, but might be without one of its starters. Senior guard Kate Martin left in the third quarter of Saturday’s win against Minnesota with what head coach Lisa Bluder said that night looks to be a deep bone bruise to her shin. She was scheduled to receive X-rays Sunday or Monday.

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The Hawkeyes need more senior partners in the Law Firm of (Caitlin) Clark and (Monika) Czinano to make a Final Four run. Martin had stepped up in big games recently to be that, first shooting 70% overall, 6-of-6 from 3, and scoring a career-high 20 points against UConn and then going 5-of-8 for 13 points, including 3-of-4 from 3, to defeat Iowa State. Martin averaged a career-high 7.2 points per game last season.

Iowa has a little time to have her back in the starting…