A thousand reasons to smile
UNCASVILLE, Connecticut — Geno Auriemma won his 1,000th game as topranked UConn beat Oklahoma 88-64 on Tuesday night in the Hall of Fame women’s Holiday Showcase.
Auriemma became the fourth women’s coach to reach the 1,000-win mark, joining Pat Summitt, Tara VanDerveer and Sylvia Hatchell, who earned her milestone victory earlier on Tuesday. Mike Krzyzewski is the only men’s coach to have won 1,000 games.
He is the fastest to achieve the mark, doing so in his 1,135th game. The Hall of Fame coach has gone 500-36 since winning his 500th game in 2003. That includes winning 100 of his last 101 contests.
Sitting by Auriemma’s side for the 1,000 wins has been associate head coach Chris Dailey. She’s been with Auriemma since he took over at UConn in 1985. Dailey led the Huskies to seven of those victories while filling in as head coach. Auriemma was suspended for four games in 1989 for playing an extra game that season. That year, the Huskies won their first Big East tournament title with Dailey at the helm.
She also coached three games when Auriemma’s father died in 1997. All seven of those wins are credited to Auriemma.
As the final buzzer sounded, the Huskies dumped Gatorade buckets full of confetti on Auriemma and Dailey.
Players from Auriemma’s first team in 1985 that beat Iona for win No 1 were in attendance and introduced to the sellout crowd. Fans held up signs they were given that said “GEN1000 career wins.”
Auriemma was presented with his Hall of Fame jacket and a cake from the Mohegan Sun where the game was played. A video was played that included tributes from former players like Breanna Stewart, who won 151 games at UConn — second most of all time.
“Wow coach, 1,000 wins !!!! You have created and are continuing to create an untouchable legacy in the world of sports, let alone basketball,” Stewart told Associated Press in a text. “We set the bar high at UConn and you have continued to do that. I’m so happy to say that I am a part of your 1,000 wins!”