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Napheesa Collier reveals Geno Auriemma's message after she arrived at UConn: "All the talent is gone, you guys need to be smarter"
Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier shared a message from Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Geno Auriemma when she played for the UConn Huskies.
In Collier's interview with "South Beach Sessions," which was shared by a fan on Friday on X (formerly Twitter), Collier revealed Auriemma's hilarious message to the team in the season following the program's historic four-peat.
Breanna Stewart led UConn's run, and after she and the rest of the seniors graduated, the legendary coach remarked that the team doesn't have "talented basketball players anymore." He added that the remaining players need to be smarter.
"It's funny because, you know, my freshman year, Stewie was a senior. That's when they had won four championships in a row, never been done," Collier said.
"After they graduated, he's like, 'Well, all the talent is gone, so you guys need to be smarter because we don't have anymore talented basketball players.' We had like six WNBA players on the team still."
Napheesa Collier played under Auriemma at UConn from 2015 until 2019. She was part of the 2015-16 team that won the NCAA championship — Auriemma's record-breaking 11th title. Auriemma is also the all-time winningest college basketball coach. Several WNBA legends were UConn's products, including Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Maya Moore.
Collier and Stewart also have successful professional careers so far. They also co-founded the trailblazing 3-on-3 professional women's basketball league, Unrivaled. During last season's WNBA finals, the stars faced each other, with Stewart's New York Liberty winning the title.
Napheesa Collier sets eyes on the WNBA championship
Napheesa Collier has established herself as one of the top WNBA players, but the 28-year-old has set her eyes on a goal: winning a WNBA championship in 2025.
In ESPN's "NBA Today" on Feb. 19, Collier told host Chiney Ogwumike that she aims to get a ring this year and is preparing through Unrivaled.
"I'm using Unrivaled for exactly why it was created, to better my game," Collier said. "I want to come into the W season using all the things that I've gotten better at here. And a championship is always the goal. So I'm hoping to get one of those this year."
Collier had found success in Unrivaled. She was crowned champion of the 1-on-1 tournament. Her team, Lunar Owls BC, has dominated the inaugural season and has clinched the top spot with a 12-1 record. They most recently won against the second-placed Rose BC on Friday.
Further, Napheesa Collier is the league's top scorer at 25.5 points per game. Collier hopes that her success in the 3-on-3 league translates to the upcoming 2025 WNBA season.
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