"How hard would you fight, knowing you can't win": When Geno Auriemma explained why he puts UConn players in situations where they can't win
Geno Auriemma takes pride in creating a tough practice environment. The 11-time NCAA championship-winning coach orchestrates it to push his players to become the best version of themselves. It also ensures that the development and culture at UConn remain at the forefront of women's basketball.
The coach opened up about his approach in a 2019 interview with "What Drives Winning":
"How hard would you fight knowing you can't win?" Auriemma said (at 2:18). "On a scale of one to a thousand, there's a 999% chance you will fail ... or you know that after about five minutes and just say, 'Hell, I can't win.' So, to me, I put them in situations where they cannot win unless by the stroke of God they get it exactly right and then they win."
Geno Auriemma addressed the importance of equality in sports, expressing that he sets the same expectations for his players that any male basketball team coach would.
"I just think excellence doesn’t know gender," he said (at 2:58). "This idea that girls should play different than guys, you would never expect that from a guy, you would never tolerate that in a guy. So, why you tolerate it in girl's basketball?"
Geno Auriemma has coached some of the biggest names in women's basketball, like Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Brittany Stewart, Napheesa Collier and more. All of these players describe the UConn coach's style as demanding, brutally honest and intense, with a dash of tough love.
However, despite rising to the top ranks in women's basketball, Auriemma's players still credit him for preparing them for the bigger stage.
Geno Auriemma's Huskies pull off the unexpected
The Huskies faced the defending champions South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday, pulling an 87-58 upset.
The Huskies were predicted to have the least chance to win. UConn faced inconsistency issues due to the recent injuries around Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd. Dawn Staley's crew not only had a better ranking and a home-court advantage but they also had an active 71-game home-game winning streak.
UConn's previous contests against key games against Notre Dame, USC Trojans and Tennessee further diminished their chances. Whereas the Gamecocks bought the experience of playing 11 ranked opponents.
Nevertheless, Azzi Fudd's 18-point run in the third quarter marked the first time South Carolina lost at its fort. It also ended Geno Auriemma's four-game losing streak against Dawn Staley, which includes the 2022 NCAA championship game loss.