When $18 million worth Geno Auriemma recalled Diana Taurasi’s “bitching” after Sue Bird “kicked her a**”

Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird are two of Geno Auriemma's most well-known players, having had historic careers at UConn before becoming WNBA superstars. The two shared the court at college for two years, from 2000 to 2002, and were known to butt heads at times.

During an Instagram Live in May 2020, Auriemma, who has a net worth of $18 million (per Celebrity Net Worth), recalled an incident at a training camp in Las Vegas when Taurasi's team was defeated by Bird's.

"I remember D picking her team, swearing she had the best team. Then when your team kicked her a**, bitching that they weren't coached well," the UConn coach said. (54:30)

Sue Bird then shared her memory from the day, saying:

"I remember her this, okay. What you just said but the last thing I remember is like, 'Well we know we reset the quarters every quarter and so if you were to do the lump sum of the scores.' I was like, 'yeah.'"

When Geno Auriemma shared a pivotal moment in Sue Bird's UConn career

After winning the NCAA championship in 2000, Sue Bird and the UConn Huskies came short as they lost in the Final Four to Notre Dame. With all the built-up pressure, the guard broke down in her senior season.

During an interview with Graham Bensinger in Nov. 2017, Auriemma shared that Bird was someone who always had a facade but behaved that nothing got to her.

"Late in her senior year, at the appropriate time, it all came out and she got mad about an assignment that she missed," Auriemma said. "Kids scored and she didn't have her hand up. I questioned the wrong and I got on her about and naturally, she's never wrong.

"So she came back at me with it and I let her have it and she broke down. I'm like, 'Good, she finally realized she's not perfect. Now we can move on.' And then, obviously, she was the best player in the NCAA when we won the national championship."

Sue Bird wrapped her senior year with her second championship and was picked No. 1 by the Seattle Storm. She won four WNBA championships before retiring in 2022.