Highlights from The Bird and Taurasi Show
They include wide range of guests, discussion of UConn men’s run to the Final Four
UConn greats Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi were back hosting “The Bird and Taurasi Show” at the women’s Final Four in Dallas on Friday night.
The duo once again made waves with their popular alternate telecast, airing on ESPN2 for the second year in a row. They had plenty of famous guests, from rapper Lil Wayne and soccer star Alex Morgan to women’s basketball greats Seimone Augustus, Sheryl Swoopes and Lisa Leslie. And they even had current Huskies guards Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd on at one point.
“We have Wifi in Storrs now?” Taurasi quipped when Bueckers and Fudd joined the broadcast. “Boy things have changed.”
After an early exit from the NCAA Tournament in the Sweet 16, Taurasi asked Bueckers about how she navigates injuries, all of the expectations at UConn and being in the limelight.
“It’s definitely difficult,” Bueckers admitted. “Obviously my college career hasn’t gone how I thought it would, just with injuries and all the adversity that I’ve had to face, but it makes you never take the game of basketball for granted.
“I mean, we came here because we were pressing to play under these bright lights and the hard circumstances, so you kind of know what you’re walking into before you walk into it.”
Taurasi and Bird also asked the Huskies about their plans for the summer. The team is planning to go on a European trip to Croatia, Italy and Slovenia in August.
“If it’s up to Coach [Geno Auriemma] it’s going to always be Italy,” Bird said.
Bueckers and Fudd left the show to an enthusiastic call of “Huskies for life!” from Taurasi.
Bird and Taurasi then discussed how much they’re looking forward to seeing the pair play together for the Huskies next season. They have only played 15 games together in a UConn uniform.
“What a frustrating year for Paige and Azzi,” Taurasi said. “Such great promise. Two of the most, I think, complementary, dynamic guards.
“And we talk about this all of the time: When you have two really good guards, if they don’t take each other’s space on the floor, they work really well together, they just play on different quadrants of the court, and they do that so well.
“If they can get healthy, I mean there’s no reason why they’re not going to be in this game next year.”
“Yeah, definitely,” Bird agreed.
“You haven’t see Paige play in so long,” Taurasi said, “you forget how great she is.”
“And I’m sure she knows people have forgotten,” Bird emphasized.
Earlier in the evening,Bird and Taurasi discussed a huge weekend coming up for the UConn men, who faced Miami in the Final Four on Saturday night, with Leslie. But first the dynamic duo did the “UConn Huskies!” chant together.
“I mean, I think we got a chance,” Taurasi said.
“I think we got a legit chance,” Bird added.
“I was like, did they just swap [with the women] or what?” Leslie said. “They’ve probably been in y’all’s shadow.”
“They haven’t been in a while, but Dan [Hurley] has done a great job,” Taurasi chimed in. “Best men’s uniforms ever. They’re in the old-school uniforms I love.”
“I didn’t notice the uniforms,” Leslie said, “but they’ve been balling.”
Then, toward the end of the semifinal between South Carolina and Iowa, Hall of Fame broadcaster Doris Burke asked Bird a question many around the basketball world have been wondering: Does she have any aspirations to coach?
“I don’t know,” Bird said. “Truth, I recognize it is a very difficult job. I really recognize that. And I just don’t know if I want my next life to be what my other life was — the travel, the grind, living and dying with the wins and losses.
“Maybe I’ll miss it at some point, but right now I think I’m good.”
Caitlin Clark went off for 41 points, the most scored by any men’s or women’s player in a national semifinal game in NCAA Tournament history, along with eight assists and six rebounds to lead the Hawkeyes to an 77-73 upset over the top-seeded Gamecocks. It was South Carolina’s first loss all year after winning it all last season, complete with a victory over the Huskies in the title game.
Bird and Taurasi will again be live on the air with special guests during the national championship game between LSU and Iowa on Monday night.