Elite company
Geno ties Wooden as Huskies win title
TAMPA, Fla.— Geno Auriemma and his UConn Huskies are a perfect 10.
The Hall of Fame coach joined some elite company in UCLA’s John Wooden after tying the Wizard of Westwood with his 10th NCAA Tournament title.
“Obviously it’s a very significant number because that’s the number that’s been out there and peoplewant to talk about it. I’ll be the first to say I’m not John Wooden and I got a bunch of friends who’d tell you I’m right, I’m not” Wooden, Auriemma said. “As I said the other day, I just think what we’ve done here in the last 20 years is pretty remarkable in its own right.
“I’ll let the people who write the history decide where I fit in.”
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Moriah Jefferson each scored 15 points Tuesday night to lead the Huskies to a 6353 victory over Notre Dame. It was UConn’s third straight title; Auriemma and the Huskies have won all 10 of their trips to the national championship game.
“Each day after January 1, this team just kept proving over and over again,” Auriemma said. “You wouldn’t notice this by the scores. Every day this team kept working, they deserve everything they have.”
Breanna Stewart added 15 rebounds and eight points for UConn ( 381). The twotime AP Player of the Year has saved her best games for the brightest lights.
She earned most outstanding player of the Final Four honors for the third time, making her the first woman ever to achieve that. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the only men’s player to do it when he played for Wooden’s Bruins.
“We had to work hard in this one,” Stewart said with tears streaming down her face. “This is one of the hardest things we’ve had to do since I’ve been here.”
Auriemma took Stewart out with about 30 seconds to play and gave her a big hug. The 6foot4 star is the latest in a long line of outstanding UConn players that Auriemma has coached, including Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Maya Moore.