UConn alum played a pivotal role in JuJu Watkins' USC overcoming Geno Auriemma's Huskies 

Geno Auriemma's UConn Huskies suffered their second loss of the season at the hands of JuJu Watkins' USC Trojans 72-70 in a tight clash on Saturday. Watkins finished the game with 25 points, six rebounds, five assists and three blocks.

At the heart of the Trojan victory was the impact of USC assistant coach Willnett Crockett, a former UConn star player, who played a vital role in her team's scouting and preparation for the matchup.

"Oh my God, it's truly a blessing to be back home with my family," Crockett said Saturday via CTInsider.com. "I never thought I'd come back ... I'm fortunate to be back home doing what I love.

"It feels great. This was my scout so you always feel more invested, more interested because you're watching all of the film, you're telling the players and what to do and going over everything. For our players to come out and execute the game plan, I'm really proud of them," she added.

Crockett played under Geno Auriemma at Connecticut for four years from 2002-06, winning two national championships in 2003 and 2004. Her stat line in the UConn record books includes career totals of 602 points and 583 rebounds in 131 games.

After her playing career ended, Crockett became a coach, starting at Temple University in 2009, where she served as an assistant under UConn's current assistant coach, Tonya Cardoza, for 13 seasons before joining Lindsay Gottlieb's staff at USC in 2023.

Geno Auriemma proud of Willnett Crockett’s journey and life

USC's victory was a homecoming for Crockett, who spent her entire college playing career at UConn. She met with her former coach Geno Auriemma before and after the game.

The Huskies' Hall of Fame coach had nothing but praise for Crockett and her coaching journey, expressing his admiration for the path she has taken.

"I'm so proud of her, so happy for her that she's back home and enjoying life," Auriemma said. "She's such a great kid, a great human being. I'm thrilled for her.

"She said that she had to educate some of the players on her team Friday because it's the first time they had ever seen snow. They were so excited and so happy and then she said, 'Not if you have to live here,'" he added.

The Trojans narrowly edged past the Huskies 72-70 in the end. They will play Providence next on Sunday as they look to further dominate Big East play.