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“You don’t think so?” - When Diana Taurasi sought Geno Auriemma’s expertise on career choice after basketball
Diana Taurasi has spent two decades in the WNBA establishing herself as one of the best players to ever step foot on a WNBA court. She won three WNBA champions and two WNBA Finals MVP honors. However, her basketball brilliance began at UConn.
Diana Taurasi played three seasons (2000-04) for the UConn Huskies. She was under the guidance of Geno Auriemma, one of the best collegiate basketball coaches in the nation. So when Taurasi and Auriemma attended an interview together 16 years ago, she picked her coach's thoughts on her pursuing a career as a coach after professional basketball.
The interviewer asked Taurasi if she was interested in coaching after the WNBA, and the then-Huskies star had a ready response.
"I was a two-time champion in camp last year with my little kids. I really put the team together, I think I would like to coach," Taurasi said.
Taurasi then looked at Auriemmna and asked for his opinion.
"You don't think so?"(0:54)
The Huskies coach agreed with his player and named the one thing essential for coaching.
"I think you could because you have it pretty good," Auriemma said. "She keeps it fun all the time and that's what coaching is all about, teach you kids and keep it fun."
Taurasi then explained that pursuing a coaching career would be a great way for her to stay connected with the game after she is done as a player. However, Auriemma joked that she would be better off as a referee.
Diana Taurasi pays a heartfelt tribute to Geno Auriemma after record-breaking win
Last month, the UConn Huskies held a ceremony to honor Geno Auriemma for achieving a historic milestone. On Nov. 20, Auriemma became the only coach in NCAA history with 1,217 wins. The Huskies' coach sits at the top of all the NCAA coaches in history books.
The Huskies honored him with a custom jersey with No. "1217" on the back. UConn alums and players that Auriemma had coached in his career attended the ceremony and expressed their thoughts on the historic achievement. Diana Taurasi was one of the players who took the microphone and shared a piece of her mind.
"You told me all the things I needed to hear to make me a better person, a better teammate, a better basketball player," Taurasi said. (7:10) "All those little things, day by day, week by week, month by month, you start building this confidence that you could be a better person every single day."
Other players who expressed their thoughts included WNBA icons like Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Rebecca Lobo.
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