"It's not just the same": Former UConn icons Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier look back at the unique Huskies culture

Former UConn women's basketball icons and Unrivaled partners Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier looked back at the unique culture they had during their time with the Huskies.

Former NCAA All-Americans Stewart and Collier shared their experiences in a short chat posted on Unrivaled Basketball's Instagram page on Sunday.

Stewart, who played for UConn from 2012-2016, recalled that she had to work harder during practice sessions to be a better player. Those hard practices developed her mental toughness when she played in the WNBA after college.

"As a UConn player, it's not just the same. We just like work, work harder than anyone else. We go to UConn to win but we go to learn how to be better. The mental toughness and working harder than anyone else, putting that here in our professional careers," Stewart said.

Collier, who had her stint with the Huskies from 2015-2019, echoed Stewart's sentiment. She experienced the hard journey of becoming a player for the Huskies and said she looks up to Stewart as the player she aspires to become.

"Obviously freshman year is crazy. Like it's hard for everybody especially at UConn. So for you being my senior like you're everything I wanted to be," Collier said.

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Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier clash in 2024 WNBA Finals

Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier are playing against each other in the WNBA Finals. Stewart plays for the New York Liberty while Collier represents the Minnesota Lynx.

The series is now tied at one apiece after the Liberty beat the Lynx 80-66 in Game 2 on Sunday.

Stewart paced New York, which is looking for its first-ever WNBA title, with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, seven steals and one block.

Collier led Minnesota with 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists and four steals.

The Liberty, which allowed the Lynx to score 95 points in Game 1, focused on defense, limiting their opponents to 66 points. They held onto the lead from the start of the game.

New York forced Minnesota to commit 20 turnovers, with Stewart setting the WNBA Finals record with seven steals.

Collier also had a great game defensively for the Lynx but Minnesota couldn't recover from a 17-point deficit. Game 3 is set at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Wednesday night.