UConn Head Coach Geno Auriemma Reflects on Victory Over South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. – After UConn’s dominant 87-58 win over South Carolina, head coach Geno Auriemma shared his thoughts on the team’s impressive performance, highlighting key takeaways and what lies ahead.
On Whether UConn Played a “Perfect Game” Auriemma dismissed the idea of a “perfect game.” He explained, “Perfection is a misleading term. We’ve aimed for perfect seasons before, but what matters is decision-making and staying connected on the court. Tonight, our rebounding, transition defense, and offense were as close to perfect as we’ve been this year.”
On the Difference Between “Great” and “Elite” Teams Auriemma discussed the evolving landscape of women’s college basketball, particularly the influence of NIL and the transfer portal. “There have always been top-tier programs, but now there’s a larger group of really good teams. While we may not see as many ‘super teams,’ the depth of talent makes the NCAA Tournament more exciting.”
On UConn’s Rebounding Success Auriemma emphasized that rebounding is about attitude. “It’s not just about effort—it’s about playing to win, not playing to avoid losing,” he said. “Tonight, we attacked the glass aggressively, but we could easily get outworked at Seton Hall on Wednesday. That’s the unpredictability of the game.”
On Jana El Alfy’s Breakout Performance Auriemma praised Jana El Alfy for setting the tone early in the paint, noting, “We’ve talked about adding an inside presence to complement our three-point shooting. Tonight, she played her best game since joining UConn.”
On the UConn-South Carolina Rivalry “This rivalry has history,” Auriemma reflected. “We’ve faced off in regular-season games and NCAA Tournaments, both home and away. South Carolina truly made it a rivalry when they started winning, and that’s what makes it so special.”
On Carrying Momentum Forward Auriemma highlighted the challenge of maintaining this level of play, saying, “You can’t bottle up a performance like this. The goal is to take parts of it and make it part of our identity. If we can keep this intensity in practice, we’ll be a formidable team in March.”
On Azzi Fudd’s Resilience “Azzi Fudd missed some early shots but didn’t let it affect her,” Auriemma noted. “She’s a perfectionist, and in the past, struggles might have carried over. But tonight, she stayed focused, and it paid off.”
On Whether UConn Deserves a No. 1 Seed “I don’t focus too much on that,” Auriemma admitted. “We’ve made Final Fours as a No. 1, No. 2, and even No. 3 seed. What really matters is how we perform in March.”
On Paige Bueckers’ Impact Auriemma praised Paige Bueckers for controlling the game without needing to score a high number of points, saying, “There’s unfair pressure on her to perform every night, but games like this show her value goes far beyond the stats.”
Final Thoughts Auriemma also acknowledged the passionate South Carolina fan base, remarking, “It’s tough to play here. I remember coming years ago when the crowd didn’t know how to react to big games. Now, they’re one of the most knowledgeable fan bases in the country. It speaks to what Dawn Staley and the program have built.”
UConn aims to build on this momentum against Seton Hall next, while South Carolina will look to bounce back when they face Arkansas on Thursday.
Leave a Reply