“I would’ve felt like I got away with murder”: Geno Auriemma recalls his “horrendous” decision vs Caitlin Clark’s Iowa

While highlighting the importance of good decision-making in an interview with "What Drives Winning," Geno Auriemma reflected on a few questionable on-court instances by his players. However, the coach also held himself accountable for the same mistake as he reflected on the Final Four game against Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes in April.

Auriemma claimed that he gave his players the green light to run a play despite realizing the season-ending consequences it could yield. He was talking about the illegal screen Aaliyah Edwards set on Gabbie Marshall on the wing in the final six seconds of the one-possession game.

However, due to his approach, Geno Auriemma said that he would have been caught by guilt had referees overlooked that call.

"Last year you watched the last game we played against Iowa, they called the foul and all the referees said they shouldn't have called that foul and you know they say let the players decide," Auriemma said (20:44). "Well, the players did decide - the kid set an illegal screen. So, whenever you hear let the players decide, the players decided."

"So, when I set that play up, I said it with my fingers crossed going 'Sh*t', so when it happened you didn't see me say a word to the official. I didn't lose my, I just turned around and put my head down that was all on me. That was a horrendous decision by me. Even if we'd have made that shot I would have felt like I got away with murder."

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Geno Auriemma's recipe to establish winning habits

Geno Auriemma believes that surrounding his system with professionals, on and off the court, leads to establishing winning habits and a winning culture. He claims that an ideal method to spot a professional is by how fluently they can fulfill the easy and tough aspects of their responsibility.

"What's a pro mean? That guy is proficient at what they do, that means they make things that are hard look easy and they make things that are easy look easy," Auriemma said (23:20). What do amateurs do? They make things that are hard look hard and they make things that are easy look hard."

With that, Geno Auriemma praised the professionalism of her current associate head coach Chris Dailey and former player Jamelle Elliott. He claimed that their approach to their roles influences winning habits in his players, who watch them on a daily basis.