Geno Auriemma Admits Relief After Paige Bueckers' Injury Ended UConn's Final Four Streak
Geno Auriemma is synonymous with winning in NCAA women's basketball. But is there anything such as too much winning? In a surprising take from UConn's legendary coach, he expressed relief that his team ended its 14-year-long streak.
It is customary for teams to celebrate their title wins on a victory bus. However, when UConn won the NCAA title in 2016, the tradition saw a reality check. Winning had become so common for UConn that instead of celebrating at the rally, cars were honking at the victory bus so as to not cause traffic on the road.
What did Geno Auriemma say about Paige Bueckers' injury and UConn?
In conversation with Eden Lasse of Hoops HQ, Geno Auriemma spoke about how winning had become so common that it felt like a birthright to the public even when it was not. Paige Bueckers, the star guard of UConn, tore her ACL in a pickup game before the 2022-23 season. This forced her to sit out the entire NCAA season.
While speaking about the 2022-23 season when their 14-year streak ended, Geno said "I kind of liked that it ended. Not at the time, and not how it happened. But now, when I tell people that this is really hard, they will believe it."
So while one would be shocked to hear a coach saying he is relieved about losing, it is understandable where Geno is coming from. When you're sitting at the top, the only way seems down. It is very easy to take the intangibles for granted if done constantly for multiple years.
What does this mean for UConn?
UConn Huskies began their NCAA season on November 8 and have already notched two wins in their first two games. Despite the wins, Geno Auriemma did not seem happy. He has indirectly set the expectation straight, that it's not going to be as easy as he has made it seem to be.
It has been eight years since UConn last won an NCAA championship. Now they are primed to lead the Big East Conference, and reaching the final four would still be a bare minimum expectation.
With star guards like Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, it would not be far-fetched to say the Huskies have the assets to win. However, Geno Auriemma has clearly highlighted that he wants the people to know how difficult it is to win this, indirectly warning his own team about the path ahead of them.
Will Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd lead the Huskies to an NCAA Championship? Or will coaches like Dawn Staley and Kim Mulkey outsmart Geno once again?