UConn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma recently weighed in on the biggest task for a team after winning the championship. On Tuesday, Oct. 21, coach Auriemma, as captured through a video uploaded by the ‘Storrs Central’ YouTube channel, had his preseason media availability with the Big East conference.
Auriemma was asked how he reasserts the focus of his team towards a national title defense, given that they won last season but have lost a couple of key cogs, such as Paige Bueckers and Kaitlyn Chen. Auriemma highlighted not getting complacent and coping with the loss of star players.
“I have found over the years that the hardest thing for a team post-championship is having a balance between two things. One, because we’ve done it already, let’s be bored during the season and wait for the NCAA tournament, because that’s the most fun, and they forget what a road it was to get to that point, and what a struggle that is to get to that point. So, you got to remind them of that and not be too cocky going into the season but confident,” Auriemma shared (1:06).
“The other thing that happens is they look around and a couple of the people that really got them over the hump, in some ways, are not there, and they start to look at themselves and go, ‘Do I have it? Can I replicate what some of the guys who left were doing?’ Those two things have to be balanced out, and I think as time goes on, it does,” he continued.
UConn won its 12th national championship after defeating the defending national champions, the South Carolina Gamecocks, by 23 points, 82-59, in the NCAA title game. They finished the year with an overall record of 37-3 (18-0 Big East). Along with winning their first national title since 2016, UConn won the 2025 Big East conference regular season title and conference tournament championship.
Also Read: “You Feel Bad for the Kid”: When Geno Auriemma Pointed Out the Difference Between Supportive and “Crazy” Parents
Geno Auriemma And UConn Huskies Are Pursuing A 13th National Title In The 2025-26 Campaign
In the upcoming 2025-26 campaign, coach Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies will hope for a successful national title defense, as this will entail the program’s 13th national championship.
A win will extend the Huskies’ clear-cut lead of most championships in women’s basketball, as they hold the current record with a total of 12 victories. Tennessee is second with eight titles.
Read More: “It’s the Worst Generation of All Time”: When Geno Auriemma Didn’t Hold Back on the Root Cause of Youth Sports Issues
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