Geno Auriemma has been with the UConn Huskies since 1985 and has built the program to be the 'Basketball Capital of the World.' He is the winningest coach in NCAA history with 1,224 victories and 11 national championships.
Through these 40 years, Auriemma has built the reputation of nurturing some of the legendary players in women's basketball with Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore once calling Storrs their home. Geno's wife, Kathy, spoke of this winning culture in a YouTube special “Geno & CD: 40 Years of Excellence” for SNY on Tuesday.
"Once you build a culture, you know, who belongs in it," she said (2:00). "And I think they understand that it's not fair bringing a kid in where you're really, not sure that it's going to be the right place for that."
Geno Auriemma and the Huskies last won their championship in 2016, which also marked the end of Stewart's incredible run at UConn, winning an NCAA title for four years straight. After a long gap, a Paige Bueckers-led UConn is attempting to win a national championship this season.
In episode 2 of the special, former UConn player Tina Charles recalled her time playing for the legendary coach. She spent four years, from 2006 to 2010 with the Huskies, winning two national championships.
"I don't think it's hard to play for Coach Auriemma," Tina said. "He just wants you to work hard all the time, and at the age of 17 to 21, you don’t know what that looks like."
"You don't know how to replicate that day in and day out — the mental process, the maturity that you have to have. But he doesn't give up on you, especially when he knows who you want to be and how you want to reflect."
Geno Auriemma's UConn Huskies bounce back from high-profile loss
One of the most anticipated clashes of this season was UConn vs USC on Dec. 21. Last season, the Trojans lost to the Huskies in the Elite Eight round, sending them home. The attention was at an all-time high and the tip-off was the most-watched college basketball broadcast this season, peaking at 3.76 million viewers.
Paige Bueckers and UConn lost 72-70, marking their second defeat against a top-10-ranked team this season. However, the Huskies have since bounced with a 67-41 win over Providence on Sunday. With a championship as the goal, Geno Auriemma and his players must try to find their consistency for a promising post-season run.
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