"I'm still shocked": Geno Auriemma jokes about being "underdogs" as UConn beat a handicapped USC in JuJu Watkins' absence

UConn coach Geno Auriemma humorously addressed his team's "underdog" status following its victory against the one-seed USC Trojans, who were missing their star player JuJu Watkins due to injury. The game, in Spokane, Washington, saw the Huskies capitalize on Watkins' absence with a 78-64 win to advance to the Final Four.

Auriemma spoke with Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter, who playfully referred to the Huskies as the "pesky underdogs," as they are the only two-seed team to be in the Final Four.

"I'm still shocked over the word 'underdogs' and UConn coming out of your mouth," Geno Auriemma responded with a touch of sarcasm (0:45).

"I'm joking, Geno, I'm joking. You know me better than that," Van Pelt quickly clarified his statement.

"I know you are. I just don't hear that, which is funny," Auriemma added.

Geno Auriemma went on to praise his team's resilience and the way they have learned to compensate for their weaknesses by playing together.

"They've learned to trust each other," he continued (1:11). "We've got guys that make big plays exactly when we need them. We've been undersized the whole year, and today was a real challenge, playing against a team that obviously was missing a great, great, great player, JuJu."

Watkins' absence had some influence on the outcome of the game, as she was a dominant force for the Trojans all season. She scored 25 points when USC beat UConn earlier this season.

She suffered a terrible knee injury during a second-round March Madness game against Mississippi State, which ended her season.

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Geno Auriemma says Sarah Strong plays like a veteran despite being freshman

UConn freshman forward Sarah Strong had another solid outing on Monday night, recording 22 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, completing her third double-double of the tournament, helping her team beat USC.

Geno Auriemma praised Strong's composure and maturity on the court, telling Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter.

"If you asked anybody to pick out the freshman out there, no one would have thought that it was her because Sarah has played like a veteran from day one," Auriemma said (3:00).

"For her to come into this environment for the first time ever as a college player and to be able to do exactly what the team needs — every aspect of the game she impacts. There aren't very many like her in the country."

Strong's career points reached 611 following the game, making her only the second UConn freshman to surpass 600 points.