When it comes to winning, UConn WBB head coach Geno Auriemma has proven that he really knows how, as he is the winningest coach in NCAA basketball, for both men’s and women’s. In 2019, he was part of ‘What Drives Winning’s series, where they talked about being a winner. Auriemma, already considered a WBB legend at that time, talked about women’s sports and said that its quality should never be lowered.
“I think that when we play, like in games or anything else, it’s meant to be played a certain way, right? This idea that girls should play differently than guys—you would never expect that from a guy. You would never tolerate that in a guy. So why would you tolerate it in girls’ basketball?” he commented (3:00)
“Whatever you expect from that guy is what you should expect from that girl, and that’s how we do it. And that’s not going to change as long as I’m the coach there. I think too many coaches coach girls like they’re girls, so they end up playing like girls,” he added.
Geno Auriemma would go on to win 12 championships, with the latest one being just last April, with UConn still being seen as one of the favorites to win it all again and maybe get the legendary coach’s 13th national title.
Auriemma has also become a beloved figure in women’s sports, building lasting relationships with his former players, from Diana Taurasi to Paige Bueckers.
Dallas Wings Head Coach Chris Koclanes Asked Geno Auriemma About Paige Bueckers
As Auriemma enters this year’s campaign, he will be without his biggest star during last season’s championship run, Paige Bueckers. Bueckers was already a senior and had to leave, and when she did, she was drafted No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings. Soon after this, head coach Chris Koclanes approached Auriemma and asked what to expect from Bueckers.
“Pretend that everything’s okay,” he told Koclanes. “Be ready for her to challenge you, and you should challenge her. She’s going to be a risk taker and you’re going to have to live with some of the risks, because most times they actually pay off. At the end of the day, she wants to win as much as you do and she’ll spend more time in the gym than you do. It’s a home run of them.”
Even though her team, the Dallas Wings, were struggling, Paige Bueckers would be named a WNBA All-Star just on her rookie year. She has had a breakout year so far, even competing with veterans of the game.
Related: Paige Bueckers Reacts as ‘Girlfriend’ Azzi Fudd Turns Heads With Elegant ESPYs Outfit
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