Women’s College Basketball superstar Paige Buckers planned to be finishing up her first WNBA season this year, but plans are something Bueckers has learned, are apt to change. Instead, she and her teammates have battled injuries and setbacks so now, she’s gearing up for one final year in a UConn jersey. Sports reporter Gabrielle Lucivero spoke one-on-one with Paige Bueckers and Geno Auriemma as she gets set for her final season in Storrs.
UConn and Louisville will take part in a historic 2025 Armed Forces Classic in Germany next November.
The two powerhouse programs will become the first women's college basketball teams to take part in the event, which will be held at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, and broadcasted on ESPN.
“We are honored to continue to celebrate the lives and contributions of our military and their families,” Clint Overby, vice president of ESPN Events, said in a press release. “The opportunity to stage a major Division I women’s basketball game in front of the military on an overseas base is truly a rewarding experience. We look forward to tipping off the 2025 season with this marquee game in this unique venue.”
Ramstein hosted the first ever Armed Forces Classic in 2012 when the UConn men battled Michigan State. The air base was also the site of the 2017 contest between Texas A&M and West Virginia.
ESPN created the Armed Forces Classic in 2012 as part of the network's "America's Heroes: Salute to Veterans" initiative. The most recent Armed Forces Classic was held in 2022, when Gonzaga and Michigan State played on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in San Diego Harbor.
UConn is 19-3 all-time against Louisville, with the Huskies winning 86-62 in their most recent matchup last December. UConn also defeated Louisville in the 2009 and 2013 national championship games.
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“We want to do as much as we possibly can, both personally and team-wise, to support our armed forces,” UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said. “I’m glad we’re getting the opportunity to go overseas and have many of our military members see us play in person. I know it’ll be an experience of a lifetime for everyone in our program.”
