basketball | Connecticut Public Radio
WNPR

basketball

Connecticut Sun Find Themselves A Playoff Force

By • Sep 12, 2019
Frankie Graziano / Connecticut Public Radio

The Connecticut Sun are contenders. The WNBA basketball team missed out on postseason play from 2013 to 2016, but has since made it to the playoffs in three straight years. After securing early round byes, this time around the Sun are guaranteed a deep playoff run. 

Connecticut Sun Forward Jonquel Jones Seeking Hurricane Relief For Bahamas

By • Sep 4, 2019
Ramon Espinosa / AP Photo

Relief efforts are underway in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian devastated the islands that make up the country.

UConn's Move To Big East Now Has A Start Date

By • Jul 26, 2019
Nicole Leonard / Connecticut Public Radio

The University of Connecticut is paying a premium to leave the American Athletic Conference after the upcoming NCAA season is complete.

Competing For The World Cup And Equal Pay

By & • Jun 25, 2019
United States' Megan Rapinoe scores her side's second goal from a penalty spot during the Women's World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Spain and US at the Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, France, Monday, June 24, 2019.
Alessandra Tarantino / AP Photo

The Women’s World Cup is underway in France, as national teams pit it out for women’s soccer’s top prize.

This hour, we take a look at how the U.S. Women’s National Team has come to reign as an international powerhouse. And we talk about the battle women’s sports teams across the board have fought to gain recognition -- and pay.

Boston Celtics Great And Hall Of Famer John Havlicek Dies At 79

By editor • Apr 26, 2019

The Boston Celtics drafted John Havlicek in 1962, and he played for the team for 16 seasons — eight of them as NBA champions. He was voted one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

Havlicek died Thursday in Jupiter, Fla., at age 79. The cause of death wasn't immediately available, but Boston media report he had Parkinson's disease.

The Celtics released a statement honoring Havlicek:

Our Silver Edition Of March Madness: Welcome To Hartford!

By • Mar 21, 2019
(AP Photo/Kathy Willens

March Madness starts TODAY with some of the best games coming to Hartford!

March Madness Hits Hartford's XL Center With No Remodel In Sight

By • Mar 20, 2019
Frankie Graziano / Connecticut Public Radio

There could’ve been major work done by now on a building that’ll host a lot of people this weekend.

But, there’s no renovation on the books right now for the XL Center in Hartford, a 44-year-old, state-owned building officials have said is in desperate need of a makeover.

The Myth Of Meritocracy; The Global Threat Of White Nationalism; March Madness

By • Mar 18, 2019
Pascal Walschots / Creative Commons

We're outraged that wealthy parents illegally paid to get their kids into elite colleges they would otherwise not qualify to enter. Despite evidence to the contrary, we still want to believe that America is a meritocracy. It's not. And believing that it is might be bad for you.

Hartford Activates Pratt Plan To Keep 'March Madness' Foot Traffic Downtown

By • Mar 17, 2019
Frankie Graziano / Connecticut Public Radio

The city of Hartford is going back to a familiar strategy with the hope that local businesses can capitalize on March Madness.

Beginning March 21, the NCAA Tournament returns to Hartford for the first time since 1998.

Jim Calhoun Reportedly Undecided On What's Next

By • Feb 25, 2019

It could be ‘one and done’ for hall of fame coach Jim Calhoun at the University of Saint Joseph.

Baylor Women End No. 1 UConn's Years-Long Winning Streak

By editor • Jan 4, 2019

The Baylor University Lady Bears women's basketball team delivered a stunning double-digit defeat Thursday to the University of Connecticut Huskies, ending a 126-game regular season winning streak that spanned more than four years.

The No. 8 Lady Bears beat the No. 1 Huskies 68-57 at home in front of more than 10,000 fans at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas.

'Seduced By The Game' - Hall Of Fame Coach Returns To The Court

By • Nov 29, 2018
Jim Calhoun retired from the University of Connecticut in 2012, but has now returned to the game as the head coach of a NCAA Division III program in West Hartford, Conn.
Frankie Graziano / Connecticut Public Radio

Hall of Fame basketball coach Jim Calhoun has returned to the bench — six years after he officially retired. He's back, not to navigate a powerhouse program, but to coach at a tiny NCAA Division III school that was an all-women's college for 86 years.

What If Tug-Of-War Were Still An Olympic Sport? And Other Crazy Crucial Questions With Mike Pesca

By • Nov 14, 2018
popo.uw23 / flickr creative commons

Mike Pesca is one of our very favorite guests -- on any number of topics. And he's got a new book out: Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History.

Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen Dies At 65

By • Oct 15, 2018

Updated at 8:50 p.m. ET

Paul Allen, who co-founded tech giant Microsoft with Bill Gates, died from complications of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Seattle on Monday. He was 65 years old.

Allen's death was announced in a statement released by his investment firm, Vulcan.

NCAA Charges Former UConn Coach Ollie For 'Unethical Conduct'

By • Sep 30, 2018
Frankie Graziano / Connecticut Public Radio

Former University of Connecticut men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie has been charged by the NCAA with multiple violations including unethical conduct. Those findings could validate UConn’s March dismissal of Ollie.

Jim Calhoun Returns To The Basketball Bench, Will Coach The University Of Saint Joseph

By • Sep 19, 2018
Frankie Graziano / Connecticut Public Radio

The University of Saint Joseph has tapped former UConn coach Jim Calhoun to lead its NCAA Division III men’s basketball team for its upcoming inaugural season.

MGM Strikes Gambling Deal With Pro Basketball. Will Massachusetts Play Along?

By Heather Brandon • Aug 3, 2018

MGM Resorts has announced a gambling partnership with the NBA and WNBA. But don't look for betting on basketball at MGM’s new Springfield casino anytime soon.

LeBron James To Leave Cleveland For The Los Angeles Lakers

By • Jul 2, 2018

LeBron James is leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for a 4-year, $154 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

His agency Klutch Sports Group announced the move in a release on Sunday, less than 24 hours after the NBA's free agency market opened.

For the second time in his 15-year career, James will part with his home state team. In 2010, the free agent bolted to the Miami Heat to win two titles over four years, before returning to Cleveland.

The Nose On The Oral History Of The Bobbitts, ESPN's Body Issue, And Naomi Alderman's 'The Power'

By • Jun 29, 2018

Believe it or not, Lorena and John Wayne Bobbitt (and their kitchen knife) entered the public consciousness 25 years ago last week.

And this week, former UConn athlete Sue Bird and her girlfriend, Megan Rapinoe, became the first same-sex couple to appear on the cover of ESPN The Magazine's The Body Issue.

UConn President Upholds Ollie Firing

By • Jun 25, 2018
Frankie Graziano / Connecticut Public Radio

University of Connecticut president Susan Herbst has upheld the school’s decision to fire men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie. The school is looking to strengthen its case that it fired Ollie for cause by blaming him for NCAA rules violations UConn has self-reported.

UConn: Ollie Fired For Impermissible Contact, Workouts

By • Jun 21, 2018

The University of Connecticut fired men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie after finding NCAA violations that included improper training sessions and improper contact with recruits by Ollie and former UConn star Ray Allen, according to documents released by the school.

Referees: The Risks, Rewards, And Evolution Of Sports Officiating

By • Jun 19, 2018
nplove / Flickr

From the first Olympic games in 776 B.C. to the 2018 World Cup currently underway, referees have always played an integral part in competitive sports. But as technology advances and the means to make more accurate on-field calls improves, these men and women find themselves under increasing pressure to keep up.

What If Tug-Of-War Were Still An Olympic Sport? And Other Crazy Crucial Questions With Mike Pesca

By • Jun 7, 2018
popo.uw23 / flickr creative commons

Mike Pesca is one of our very favorite guests -- on any number of topics. And he's got a new book out: Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History.

XL Center Renovation May Go Into The Hands Of Private Investors

By • Apr 30, 2018
Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public Radio

The Capital Region Development Authority has opened the bidding process for the sale of Hartford’s XL Center.

UConn Women's Basketball Again Loses In Final Four Overtime

By • Mar 31, 2018
Daniela Marulanda / Connecticut Public Radio

The UConn women’s basketball season ended in heartbreak with a clutch shot by Notre Dame’s Arike Ogunbowale in the final seconds of overtime.

UConn Women Head To Final Four, Trailing A Familiar Controversy

By • Mar 29, 2018
CT Senate Democrats

The UConn women’s basketball team will play in their 11th straight Final Four this weekend. No team in either the men’s or women’s game has ever done that. But not everyone thinks that’s a good thing.

Women's Basketball Fans Explore Columbus As Final Four Takes Over Downtown

By editor • Mar 29, 2018

Fan have arrived in Columbus before the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament this weekend.

UConn Seeks A Return To Men's Basketball Prominence With Hurley Hire

By • Mar 25, 2018
"I knew deep down inside I wanted just one more job in coaching--a place where Final Fours and national championships are a real distinct possibility," Hurley said Friday.
Frankie Graziano / Connecticut Public Radio

The University of Connecticut introduced Dan Hurley as the school’s new men’s basketball coach Friday in Storrs. Hurley has a six-year deal with the Huskies and, with incentives, could make $18.75 million.

UConn Names Dan Hurley Head Men's Basketball Coach

By • Mar 22, 2018
Frankie Graziano / Connecticut Public Radio

The University of Connecticut has hired a new men’s basketball coach. The school has confirmed that Dan Hurley is leaving the University of Rhode Island for UConn on a six-year deal.

Our Ninth* Annual March Madness Show

By • Mar 14, 2018
Chion Wolf / WNPR

Every year at this time, we invite an improv comic and an ex-politician-turned-political-pundit on to break down the NCAA tournament brackets and battle for sports analyst supremacy. Logically.

Pages