Four elite women’s college basketball teams met on Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Health, Safety and Environmental Management and Fox came together to create the Shark™ Beauty Women’s Champions Classic.

The doubleheader between Iowa and Tennessee, as well as UConn and Louisville, celebrates the growth in women’s sports, especially in college basketball.

At 7 p.m. the first game began. The Iowa Hawkeyes, ranked #17, took on the unranked Tennessee Vols. Both teams came into this matchup undefeated.

The Vols quickly let the Hawkeyes know this was not going to be an easy game with Ruby Whitehorn quickly leading an 8-0 run. The Hawkeyes regathered themselves and tied the game at 10 points by the first media timeout.

Lucy Olsen, a redshirt senior who transferred from Villanova for her fifth year, scored a game high 11 points to end the first quarter with a 22-18 lead.

The Hawkeyes and Vols hung close to each other in a balanced second quarter.

Hannah Stuelke, the junior forward, contributed to the Hawkeye’s close quarter, while Olsen and Addi O’Grady faced foul trouble.

The third quarter began with a 35-35 tie. Although the Hawkeyes only had five turnovers, Tennessee regained the upper hand, ending the quarter with a 55-52 score. In the final quarter, Tennessee did an amazing job of picking apart Iowa’s offense.

Talaysia Cooper led a Tennessee 12-1 run late in the fourth quarter, scoring four baskets straight. This effort helped seal the 78-68 victory for the Vols.

Iowa’s loss came down to its 30 forced turnovers against Tennessee’s ruthless full court press. Tennessee scored 42 of its 78 points from Hawkeye turnovers. This is Iowa’s first loss in the post-Caitlin Clark era.

At 9 p.m., #2 UConn and #22 Louisville were ready to battle. Right off the bat, fans knew this game was going to be nothing like the last. In just the first quarter, UConn was leading 28-10, and Paige Bueckers hadn’t even scored yet. When the second quarter began, UConn seemed slow, unable to score for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

However, once UConn found its groove, the team was on fire. The Huskies headed into a halftime with a 49-24 lead.

As the third quarter started, it was the same deal. UConn strengthened its lead by scoring 10 consecutive points. The Cardinals had an opportunity to score after being put on the foul line, but they fell short.

After UConn scored 13 more points in a row, the Cardinals finally made its first shot with 56 seconds left in the quarter.

After a dull final quarter, the Huskies ended the game with an 85-52 win, making their record 8-0, with the Bueckers having an off night.

Freshman Sarah Strong led the Huskies, putting up 21 points and had 8 rebounds, making her name known in the process.

Not only were there major stars on the court, but they were also in the stands.

Women’s basketball legend and former Husky, Sue Bird, was seen sitting court side. Bird was among the prominent figures in attendance, with another former UConn player, Azura Stevens, sitting with Los Angeles Sparks teammate, and former Lady Vol, Rickea Jackson. Chicago Sky guard, Diamond DeShields, ESPN’s Andraya Carter, and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert were also seen supporting the teams.