Sports Quick Hits: December 8th 2021

🎓🏀College basketball: No. 3 UConn women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers (pronounced BECK-ers) was carried off the court with a scary injury on Sunday, and the team announced yesterday that the reigning Player of the Year will miss six to eight weeks with a tibial plateau fracture. Ugh.

• Add that to the fact that UConn’s also missing freshman phenom Azzi Fudd for at least another week, and there could be even more movement in the AP Top 25 poll to come. Wishing both Huskies speedy recoveries.

🏀WNBA: Two major head coaching changes were announced on Monday: Walt Hopkins is out after helming the New York Liberty for two seasons, while the Phoenix Mercury and eight-year veteran Sandy Brondello surprisingly parted ways just months after the squad’s trip to the finals.

• The Mercury statement on the decision read, in part, “we are confident a new voice is necessary for our team at this time.” Could that new voice be Sue Bird’s?

🎾WTA: The Ash Barty party rages on as the World No. 1 was named 2021 WTA Player of the Year yesterday, her second time winning the honor. Barty won five titles this year, highlighted by her Wimbledon Grand Slam victory in July. Cheers to that.