"Physically, she couldn't handle the day-to-day grind": When Geno Auriemma gave account of Breanna Stewart's initial struggles at UConn

Breanna Stewart led the UConn Huskies on a historic run during her four-year stay with the team from 2012 to 2016. The Huskies became the first women's college basketball team to win four straight NCAA championships and second overall after UCLA's seven-year winning streak.

In a YouTube clip from an ESPN documentary about the forward posted in 2022, coach Geno Auriemma spoke of Breanna Stewart's struggles when she first joined the team as a freshman.

"She had all the basketball skill level potential and all that. But physically, she just couldn't handle the day-to-day grind and the physicalness of the college game. Because of that, emotionally she was not prepared for her first taste of failure," Auriemma said. (1:12)

Breanna Stewart then shared that the point where it all changed for her was the 76-70 loss to the Baylor Bears. She struggled to make her shots and only played seven minutes, going scoreless. After the end of her college career, Stewart acknowledged in an interview with The New York Post that the game was a low point.

"It was the worst game I’ve ever played in my career, and I didn’t play for very long. I did nothing in the game, and I felt that if I was able to have some type of contribution, I thought that our team could have won. I took a lot of blame for that, because I didn’t show up."

When asked how it was a low point for her, Stewart explained:

"It’s kind of just like you didn’t know what to do. When things get really tough and you just seem to keep falling and that kind of stuff. You’re not sure which direction is up, and which way is right and which way is wrong. And my parents and my family being there and supporting me helped me really get through that."

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UConn Huskies are hoping to win their first NCAA title since the Breanna Stewart era

After Breanna Stewart's NCAA championship win in 2016, the UConn Huskies hit a rough period as they struggled with missed chances and injuries. This season, the Huskies are seemingly at their best with a strong team led by Paige Bueckers.

After an eight-game winning streak to start the season, UConn lost its first game against Notre Dame on Thursday. The Huskies will now look to get back to winning ways when they take on Georgetown on Sunday.