Candace Parker admitted her relationship with Geno Auriemma isn’t the best, but the legendary WNBA player gave the UConn coach his flowers for the Huskies players’ success in the pros. Auriemma’s program has produced seven No. 1 picks, including Breanna Stewart, who was a guest on Parker and Aliyah Boston’s podcast, “Post Moves,” on Wednesday.
Parker, a Tennessee Lady Vols icon, and Stewart discussed why UConn has been great at churning out prospects over the years. Stewart said that the program prepared the players in their junior years for the pros. Parker, who played for Auriemma on Team USA Women’s Basketball’s 2012 Olympic team, also shared how the legendary NCAA coach’s attention to detail helped her.
“This is really hard for me to give credit because you know my history with your coach, but at the end of the day, I respect the hell out of people that love teaching the things that will make you successful in the game of basketball and the little advantages,” Parker said (41:28 onwards).
“And to be honest with you, on defense, I remember, like, the drills that we would run in other places and with other coaches and you didn’t have to really get your head under the rim when you were help side and they had a coach there, so you had to slap their hand to get your head directly under on help side. … I remember we were kind of running, you know, an offense off of reads, which made us extremely hard to guard internationally.”
Parker referenced these examples to suggest that UConn players are not just thriving off superior athletic ability and talent but also the coaching they have received in Auriemma’s program.
Stewart joked about clipping Parker’s comments on Auriemma. Parker reiterated that she loves giving credit where it’s due and admitted that she didn’t get along with Auriemma, but still admires the knowledge-sharing aspect.
“I do like giving credit to people who are very knowledgeable about the game of basketball. And we did butt heads, and we did not get along, and I didn’t respect all of the things that he did. But I think in terms of, like, the practices, in terms of those things, like, I can see why you guys have SEVEN No. 1 picks.”
Why Candace Parker and Geno Auriemma dislike each other
Candace Parker and Geno Auriemma’s dislike for each other dates to their days as a player-coach duo on Team USA. Auriemma coached the women’s team in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Parker was a key player in the 2012 gold medal win but was surprisingly left off the 2016 team.
She publicly said that Auriemma may have been responsible for it.
“To have a situation where I went to a camp, had a triple double at the camp, was first or second in scoring, it wasn’t on the court,” Parker said in 2021 during an interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks. “So, if it is me as an individual, as a person, I’m spending time away from my daughter to come and do these camps that I am not being judged off of how I am playing.
“I don’t think I personally fit, I don’t think Geno Auriemma wanted me on the team. I think it is one of those things where it’s like cool, like just tell me and then don’t beat around the bush.”
On June 25, Parker said she doesn’t like Auriemma when asked if they had connected to discuss the 2016 Olympics snub.
“Nah,” Parker said in an interview with Complex Sports. “It’s not beef. It’s just that we don’t like each other.”
Candace Parker also played for Tennessee, which was UConn’s greatest rival. Parker had an unbeaten 3-0 record against Geno Auriemma’s Huskies during their most intense rivalry era.
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