“I don’t think anybody is shooting the ball exceptionally well”: Geno Auriemma makes honest admission about UConn players
Geno Auriemma summarized his roster's performance as the No. 2 UConn Huskies prepared for their game against the Holy Cross Crusaders on Monday.
He said except for star guard Paige Bueckers, the roster is struggling to shoot the ball efficiently.
"Right now, I (don't) think anybody on our team is shooting the ball great except, you know, Paige." Auriemma said (1:10)."I don't think anybody is shooting the ball exceptionally well. So, that'll get better."
Geno Auriemma praised KK Arnold's assist-to-turnover ratio, Ashlynn Shade's versatility and Ice Brady's defensive tenacity across the first six games.
"But KK's assist-to-turnover ratio is fantastic, she's done a great job of making the great play and Ash just does Ash things. You just let her loose and see what she does and Ice has been solid. An area that you would say, defensively she's been really good. I think she's done a really good job defensively for the most part."
Paige Bueckers is averaging 22.0 points per game (11th-best) on 62.7% shooting so far. Her efficiency is ranked 13th overall and top among guards with at least 50 made field goals.
KK Arnold averaged just 20 minutes in the first month of the 2024-25 season but leads Division I with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 9.50. She has dished 19 dimes so far while committing just two turnovers.
Ashlyn Shade is the best 3-point shooter for UConn behind Bueckers (36.4%) and has the third most steals for the Huskies (2.0 spg) while playing under 25 minutes. While Ice Brady's stats show improvement in all categories, her impact comes from bringing toughness and physicality to UConn.
Geno Auriemma leads Division I basketball in wins and NCAA titles
Geno Auriemma became the winningest coach in men’s and women’s Division I basketball history on Nov. 20 when the Huskies defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 85-41. It was his 1217th win in his 40 years of coaching career, pitting him above Tara VanDerveer, who retired with the record earlier this year.
Auriemma is also the record holder for most NCAA titles in women’s basketball. He has led the Huskies to 23 Final Four appearances and 11 NCAA championships behind an 88% win record.
With his player developmental programs, Auriemma has cultivated some of the biggest names in women’s basketball, like Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart. Currently, there are 16 former UConn players active in the WNBA. Geno
Geno Auriemma has also coached on the international level, guiding the USA women’s basketball squad to undefeated gold medal runs from 2009 to 2016.