Geno Auriemma’s UConn Huskies won the Big East tournament by defeating the Villanova Wildcats 90-51. This was Auriemma’s 24th Big East title and sixth one in a row. The Huskies dominated the Wildcats across four quarters.
By halftime, the Huskies were up 49-23, and the Wildcats couldn’t recover from the onslaught till the final buzzer. Azzi Fudd led the team in scoring, dropping 19 points on 8 of 13 shooting from the field and 3 of 7 from behind the arc.
Sarah Strong and Kamorea Arnold also made valuable contributions and helped the Huskies secure another title. The Huskies have been on an unbeaten run this season, winning 34 games and keeping a perfect record.
Fudd has made an immense contribution to the team’s dominant run this season. After the game, Auriemma heaped praise on his star player. He said that Fudd doesn’t talk much, but she makes all the difference on the court with her presence.
“She doesn’t say much. She doesn’t. She never has. But her being around and what she says – it matters. The impact has been, maybe, more on the court for the first time this year,” Auriemma said, as per Jake McCreven.
Auriemma believes that the silence has a lot to do with her age and maturity. Fudd is on the brink of making history and heading to the WNBA. The program will now belong to the younger players on the roster.
“There’s an assertiveness of, ‘I’m at that age now, and there’s no one around that I need to defer to.’ I think that’s been the biggest impact that she’s had on these kids,” Auriemma added.
Fudd is averaging 17.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.5 steals per game while shooting over 48% from the field, 44.7% from the three-point line, and 95.1% from the charity stripe.
Geno Auriemma Revealed His Motivation Behind Winning Titles
Auriemma has won everything a coach could ever dream of. 12 NCAA Division I tournaments, 24 NCAA Division I regional – Final Four, 24 Big East tournaments, and so much more. So, what is it that’s motivating him to win more this year?
At the post-game press conference, Auriemma was asked this question, and he had a funny answer for it.
“I think Paige is still in the picture today, because I think they would be really, really pi**ed if we didn’t win this thing, and the threat of her saying, ‘I knew you couldn’t do it without me,’” Auriemma said.
Using what Paige Bueckers might say if they lose as motivation to win more titles is a brilliant strategy. So far, it’s been working well for Auriemma and his team.
Read More:
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UConn’s Sarah Strong Makes Her Feelings Clear on Comparisons With Nikola Jokic And Maya Moore
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