“She went to Baylor, what the hell does she know about great wine”: When Geno Auriemma roasted Brittney Griner on IG Live with Sue Bird
Geno Auriemma is one of the most successful women's college basketball coaches of all time. Throughout his career with the UConn Huskies, Auriemma has had the opportunity to coach some incredible players. One of the most successful to come through his program is Sue Bird, who played for the Huskies from 1998 to 2002 before winning four WNBA championships and six Olympic gold medals.
Bird maintained a strong relationship with her former coach throughout her professional career. In May 2020, during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bird and Auriemma shared a fun moment when Auriemma roasted Atlanta Dream star Brittney Griner on IG Live (Timestamp: 57:20).
"She went to school at Baylor, what the hell does she know about great wine?"
Bird then came to Griner's defense:
"What does that have to do with anything? You know, this is where college coaches, you guys, just can't let go. Just let it go."
Auriemma, who holds the record for most wins (1,233) and has the highest winning percentage (0.833) among coaches with at least 10 seasons and has been UConn's coach since 1985, had a fun response, joking about Bird's lack of a sense of humor.
"It's supposed to be, see, that's the difference between you and everybody else," Auriemma said. "It's supposed to be a funny comment. Right away, you attack college coaches. You attack college coaches.
"You know why? Because college coaches are always looking at you guys and going, you know what, you guys don't get it. You don't know how hard it is to coach these guys once they get out of high school."
Geno Auriemma and Sue Bird teamed up to win two national championships
Sue Bird accomplished a lot after turning pro in 2002, but she was also a highly successful college player. In four seasons playing under Geno Auriemma with the UConn Huskies, the two paired up to win two national championships. In 2000, they defeated the Tennessee Volunteers to win the championship. They won again in 2002, defeating the Oklahoma Sooners.
Bird's successful college career under Auriemma led to her being drafted first by the Seattle Storm. She spent her entire career with the Storm and is one of the greatest players in WNBA history.