"More nerve-racking each year": Geno Auriemma makes his feelings known as UConn HC enters 13th national championship game

Geno Auriemma and his No. 2-seeded UConn Huskies started the national championship game against the No. 1-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday. He's one of the most experienced coaches in college basketball, having been in 12 national championship games before, winning 11 of them.

Before the start of the game, Auriemma spoke about how he was feeling heading into the gam:

"I think each year that you get into one of these, it's different. I think it's more nerve-racking each year, more uncertain each year. Maybe because you've seen all the good and seen all the bad, but I know our team's excited to play.

"I know those kids are really pumped up, and they've been like that the last three games actually to play in both games. I feel good, I trust them and we'll see where it goes."

The last time Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies were in the national championship game was in 2022. They played the South Carolina Gamecocks that time as well but came out on the losing side. Their most recent win came in 2016 when they won their fourth straight national championship.

Geno Auriemma reflects on UConn's win over South Carolina earlier in the season

UConn coach Auriemma and the Huskies played the South Carolina Gamecocks once before earlier in the season. The matchup took place on Feb. 16, with the Huskies winning 87-58.

Auriemma was asked if there was anything his team could take from that game and bring into the national championship game.

"You can take some of the things that we did that worked exceptionally well," Auriemma said. "Some things we looked at that didn't work so great. Things they did that didn't work because they missed shots, not because they didn't have opportunities.

"Throw away the final score and you realize, the intensity level of this game will be way different than it was in Columbia."

So, despite the lopsided margin of the first matchup, Geno Auriemma is making sure his team doesn't take South Carolina lightly.

Heading into the national championship game, both teams played two days prior in the Final Four. UConn defeated No. 1 UCLA 85-51, and the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated No. 1 Texas 74-57 to set up the matchup.