Geno Auriemma's 12 biggest coaching wins at UConn

It speaks everything about UConn's Geno Auriemma; a list of his finest achievements would just include national championship events. More than any other Division I women's or men's basketball coach, he has won eleven NCAA titles.

On Wednesday, Auriemma might rank highest among most victories, period. Auiemma will pass retired Stanford women's coach Tara VanDerveer with his 1,217th victory after defeating Fairleigh Dickinson at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut. In January Van Derveer eclipsed Duke men's coach Mike Krzyzewski (1,202 victories).

The Huskies had only one winning season, at 16-14, in 11-year history before Auriemma became charge in 1985. For the women, the NCAA tournament had just been around for four years. The sport was hardly visible at all.

Auriemma reached his first Final Four in 1991 after six years of travel; he won his first championship in 1995 after ten years of travel. Auriemma's career mark in Storrs, his 40th season is 1,216-162. Six flawless seasons and twenty-three Final Four appearances with his Huskies

First with Tennessee, then Notre Dame and currently South Carolina, his teams have been part of the most intense rivalries in women's basketball throughout the previous 30 years. Team USA has under Auriemma's direction two Olympic gold medals. In the WNBA and the Olympics, his previous players have set standards. April's league top pick is expected to be current Huskies star Paige Bueckers.

Indeed, only NCAA title games might make up a list of Auriemma's UConn's top triumphs. Along the road, though, other victories have also had particular significance; some of them have been program breakthrough events. The twelve biggest are listed here.

Consistent excellence backwards and forwards

March 6, 2010: 53–47 over Stanford

Though the game was not beautiful at the Alamodome in San Antonio, the Huskies produced a fantastic final outcome. Leading by Tina Charles and Maya Moore, UConn defeated the Cardinal in the national championship game to end an unheard-of second consecutive perfect season in NCAA women's basketball.

From a dismal 20-12 halftime hole, the Huskies rallied; 53 is the lowest point total of all of UConn's championship game triumphs. (In their one loss to South Carolina in the NCAA final, the Huskies scored 49 points.) The Huskies discovered a means of winning at last.

"We got Diana"

April 6, 2003: 71-69 over Texas

To mark Auriemma's 500th career triumph, the Huskies rallied powerfully in the NCAA playoffs. Though the Huskies still possessed Diana Taurasi, UConn had lost four senior stars to the WNBA from the previous season's flawless club. With 12½ minutes left, the Longhorns led by nine points; then, Taurasi's 3-pointer with just over two minutes left gave UConn the lead for sure. She ended with 26 points; the Huskies then defeated Tennessee 73-68 in the last game. And it was the March that Ariemma devised six words to capture 2002–03: "We got Diana and you don't."

Knoxville party busters

January 06, 1996: 59-53 over Tennessee

The Huskies won the first two the previous season at home in Storrs and on a neutral court in Minneapolis; this game was the third meeting in the series with Tennessee. This time, defending national champions, they entered hostile territory and cut off the Lady Vols' 69-game home winning run. With defense, UConn prevailed, keeping Tennessee scoreless during a six-minute run close to the finish of the game, which included 21 lead changes.

9. Bueckers has the answers

March 28, 2022: 91-87 over NC State, 2OT

Guard Paige Bueckers' hometown, Minneapolis hosted the 2022 Final Four. She and the Huskies had to outlast the Wolfpack, the top seed in the regional final, in a double overtime instant classic. Although UConn was the second seed, its advantage was playing in Bridgeport, Connecticut. To win, Bueckers scored 27 points on 10-of- 15 shooting plus 21 from Christyn Williams and 19 from Azzi Fudd.

8. Hometown championship celebration

April 2, 2000: 71-52 over Tennessee

This triumph came in Philadelphia, the hometown of Auriemma and awarded UConn their second NCAA title. Though the rivalry with Tennessee had become red-hot, the Lady Vols had six NCAA titles to UConn's one before they entered this matchup. Under juniors Shea Ralph and Svetlana Abrosimova and sophomores Sue Bird, Swin Cash and Asjha Jones, UConn was almost flawless in 1999-2000. The Huskies lost just Tennessee 72-71 on February 2, 2000, in Storrs. UConn returned the favor in Philadelphia.

7. Season of firsts, Part 1

Feb. 18, 1989: 70-65 over Providence

For the Huskies, winning a conference title used to spark joy rather than a given outcome. With this triumph in a season of firsts, UConn grabbed its first Big East regular-season title.

Two weeks later, the Huskies defeated the Friars once more for their first Big East tournament championship, therefore qualifying UConn for an NCAA tournament. Along with the first season the Huskies won at least 20 games (24-6) and the first time the program featured a Big East player of the year (Kerry Bascom).

6. Stewie's legend begins

April 7, 2013: 83-65 over Notre Dame

Arriving at UConn, Breanna Stewart declared her aim to take home four titles. She did it, although the first was most difficult since Notre Dame had defeated UConn three times that season—a semifinal opponent. Auriemma promised his demoralized squad he would show them how to win the NCAA title after losing to the Irish in the Big East tournament final. Stewart, a rookie, then had 29 points and four blocked shots against Notre Dame before UConn claimed the title in New Orleans with a 33-point blowout of Louisville.

5. Season of firsts, Part 2

March 23, 1991: 60-57 over Clemson

December of that season saw the Huskies defeat a ranked team; subsequently, they won their first NCAA tournament game in March. They rode that momentum all through to their first Final Four. It accompanied this triumph against Clemson in Philadelphia. In the last 1:09 of the game Bascom scored 22 points and made 7 of 8 free throws. With six seconds left, Clemson sliced the Huskies' advantage to 59-57; Meghan Pattyson's free throw gave UConn a three-point edge. The Tigers then missed a desperation 3-pointer.

4. Stewie seals her legacy

April 5, 2016: 82-51 over Syracuse

Clobbering the Orange in the NCAA championship in Indianapolis, the Huskies crushed their way to a flawless season. For the fourth time Stewart took home the most outstanding player trophy at the Final Four. UConn's record 111-game winning run included the team's 38-0 mark, which started in 2014 and concluded in the 2017 national semifinal.

3. Greatest team ever?

March 31, 2002: 82-70 over Oklahoma

Against the Sooners, the Huskies polished a 39-0 season at the Alamodome to earn Auriemma's third NCAA title. Selected in the first round of the 2002 WNBA draft, Seniors Bird, Cash, Jones and Tamika Williams joined then-sophomore Taurasi on what many consider to be the finest starting five in women's collegiate basketball history.

2. The rivalry begins

Jan. 16, 1995: 77-66 over Tennessee

Held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and broadcast nationally on Monday afternoon, this game marked the first gathering in what would come to be a legendary rivalry in collegiate sports. Usually done on Sunday night, the Associated Press postponed their poll voting for one day to consider the outcome of the game. The Huskies ranked No. 2 and the Lady Vols, 16-0, No. 1.

At halftime UConn led 41-33 and never let Tennessee get closer than four points in the second half. Kara Wolters had a team-high eighteen points; Jennifer Rizzotti had seventeen; Rebecca Lobo thirteen; eight rebounds, four assists, and five blocked shots. When Gampel Pavilion closed, the UConn supporters refused to go elsewhere.

1. We are the champions

April 2, 1995: 70-64 over Tennessee

With their first championship, the Huskies completed a 35-0 season, therefore launching Auriemma's dynasty formally. UConn's second-closest game that season was their final in Minneapolis; the closest had been in the regional final, 67-63 over Virginia. In the national semifinal, UConn crushed Stanford; Tennessee did the same to Georgia. It set up a rematch of the highly watched January confrontation.

There was less preparation time for the final since this was the last season the women's Final Four games were scheduled on consecutive days. Tennessee led six at halftime as Lobo battled foul trouble in the first half. She got 11 of her 17 points in the second half, though Rizzotti added 15. The title transformed UConn into a fully realized phenomenon still active almost thirty years later.