Recent News Archive

HARTFORD — In some ways, Monday night’s nationally-televised showdown at the XL Center was decided about 5½ hours before UConn and Oklahoma took the court.

Knowing full well that the visiting Sooners can wreak havoc on any defense, even one as stingy as the Huskies, Auriemma felt it was necessary to stoke the competitive fires of the members of the nation’s second-ranked women’s basketball team when the Huskies gathered in the afternoon to go through final preparations for the final non-conference game of the season.

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — It became apparent early in the season that every day would present new challenges for this UConn team, some not as easy as the others.

Remember, the largest (80) and smallest (one) margins of victory during the Huskies' 90-game winning streak came in the first two games of this season against Holy Cross and Baylor.

"...the real difficult thing is to win when you can't get anything done, can't generate any offense."

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Tiffany Hayes was wobbling off the floor Saturday after sustaining a mild concussion in the first minute of the UConn women's victory over Louisville on Saturday.

"She took a lick and was a little out of it, but she was feeling better as soon as she walked off the court," Huskies athletic trainer Rosemary Ragle said. "Of course, she asked to come back into the game. She is an athlete."

STORRS -- Geno Auriemma has placed extraordinary faith in the judgment of his UConn assistants as they travel in search of players to sustain the program. What exactly they are looking for remains a house secret, sort of like the special ingredients a chef guards that make his sauce so special.

The coaches are not just looking for All-America clones. They are also looking for kids like Kelly Faris, the ones who possess skills that lie slightly below the surface.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — There was some doubt within each member of the UConn women's basketball team late in the second half Saturday. This is not the same team that finished unbeaten in each of the previous two seasons. This is a team still searching for its identity.

The second-ranked Huskies were unsure if they had the mental toughness and the fight to make the necessary plays in a close game. Yet, as it looked as though No. 13 Notre Dame would repel UConn, the Huskies refused to break.

STORRS — Not all of UConn's winning streaks ended last week at Stanford.

The Huskies' 81-35 victory over Villanova on Wednesday was their 70th straight home win, an NCAA Division I record for women's basketball.

"Where do you guys come up with this stuff?" coach Geno Auriemma said to reporters after the game. "Things like this just kind of sneak up on me. It just kind of happens. Believe me, I don't think there is one kid on my team that has any idea about what is happening."

STANFORD, Calif. — All good things must come to an end. Nothing lasts forever.

Then again, UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma has always known that.

From the day the longest winning streak in NCAA Division I college basketball history began on Nov. 16, 2008, against Georgia Tech, Auriemma knew it was just a matter of time before events conspired to end it.

Read Full Story on Courant.com

STOCKTON, Calif. — After UConn's 85-42 win over Pacific on Tuesday at the Spanos Center, coach Geno Auriemma said it was unlikely senior guard Lorin Dixon would play in Thursday's game against Stanford in Palo Alto.

Dixon sprained her left foot during practice Monday and watched guards Tiffany Hayes (32 minutes), Bria Hartley (35) and Kelly Faris (34) pick up her minutes.

Dixon's absence will be a huge loss for the Huskies.

SAN FRANCISCO — During the course of its historic winning streak, debate not only centered on the UConn women's team, but whether it was sacrilegious to mention Geno Aureimma's name in the same breath as John Wooden's.

But last week on ESPN radio's "Mike and Mike" morning show, Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight basically put everyone at ease by reiterating something he'd already told Auriemma privately.

HARTFORD — Somewhere in the midst of their history-making moment, the team that seemingly never loses celebrated like the champions that they are.

On more than a few occasions during their NCAA Division I basketball record 89-game winning streak, the members of the UConn women’s basketball program would make their way off the court with nary a shriek of joy to be heard and post-game reactions which could range somewhere between nonexistent and subdued.

STORRS - The character development is complete, the story line is defined and the suspense couldn't be thicker.

More significantly, the plot has reached its anticipated apex. But wait, the greatest show in women's basketball is taking a hiatus, leaving the fan base wanting for more.

At least two more, to be precise.

Read Full Story on courant.com

STORRS - The UConn women's basketball team puts its winning streak on the line tonight when it hosts Marquette at Gampel Pavilion at 7:30 in its Big East Conference home opener.

The two-time defending national-champion Huskies defeated Sacred Heart, 86-32, on Sunday for their 86th consecutive win, leaving them two wins shy of tying UCLA's NCAA record of 88 straight set in the 1970s.

Read Full Story on theday.com

STORRS - Each and every time Bria Hartley steps inside of Gampel Pavilion, reminders of the exploits of the UConn women’s basketball program’s floor leaders are pretty much impossible to ignore.

STORRS - Stefanie Dolson finished practice Friday, finished lifting weights and was on her way to talk to reporters. She was dancing, actually, and singing a little song of her own creation about the media.

She is 6 feet 5, big enough to rip a basketball away from just about anyone. But it's hard to imagine someone so pleasant turning killer on the court.

HARTFORD - The early-season showdown with No. 2 Baylor Tuesday meant little when it comes to the big picture. UConn All-American Maya Moore was quick to point that out heading into the game.

But what Moore also pointed out was that because of the competitive nature in her and her teammates, winning the game certainly mattered.

Read Full Story on ctpost.com

STORRS, Conn. - The only time during all of this that UConn coach Geno Auriemma has mentioned The Streak to his team was during last season's national championship game, at which point the Huskies had 12 points, trailing Stanford after a non-existent offensive half of basketball.

"I said, 'I think the streak is getting to you guys,'" Auriemma said. "'You have to win 20 minutes. Don't worry about the streak.'"

STORRS, Conn. - During the last 24 to 48 hours leading up to the start of his 26th season at the helm of the UConn women’s basketball program, Geno Auriemma had serious reservations about giving freshmen Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley the start during Sunday’s season opener against Holy Cross.

Read Full Story on nhregister.com

STORRS, Conn. - The passage of time has brought great change and five freshmen to the UConn women's basketball program. But no one will have a more important role, certainly a more different role, than senior Maya Moore, the three-time All-American.

Read Full Story on Courant.com

STORRS, Conn. - Geno Auriemma started to cut himself off during his postgame game chat with the media last night. He knew his comment about 6-foot-1 freshman forward Samarie Walker would be one that would make the rounds on various media platforms today. But Geno being Geno, he didn’t alter his train of thought and veer in a different direction.

Read Full Story on CtPost.com

STORRS, Conn. - Geno Auriemma didn't pay attention to "one thing" Maya Moore and Tiffany Hayes did Thursday night at Gampel Pavilion. This exhibition game against Division II Franklin Pierce, a 112-41 victory, was more to see what the UConn women's basketball players with new roles could contribute.
Read Full Story on The Day.com

STORRS, Conn. - Geno Auriemma considered the long cast of characters who have walked through his life during an incredible run of seven national championships. He smiled about the time in November 2001 that he announced his program already had Eddie Haskell in Diana Taurasi and was adding Eddie Murphy in Barbara Turner.

Read Full Story on Courant.com

CAROLINE DOTY TO MISS ENTIRE 2010-11 SEASON
Will undergo surgery in coming weeks

STORRS, Conn. - University of Connecticut junior women's basketball guard Caroline Doty (Doylestown, Pa.) will miss the entire 2010-11 season as the result of a torn ACL injury in her left knee she suffered in late July.

Read Full Story on UConn Huskies.com

Moore Primed to Become First Three-Time Wade Winner as Preseason Watch List Is Announced

LOS ANGELES - Current University of Connecticut women's basketball standout Maya Moore (Lawrenceville, Ga.) and former Husky star Diana Taurasi both won ESPYs on Wednesday night at the annual ESPN awards show.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. - In front of a sold out crowd of 9,518 and an ESPN nationally televised audience, the 2010 USA Basketball Women's National Team struck first and never trailed en route to a 99-72 victory over a team comprised of WNBA stars.

The 64 teams are set for the NCAA Division I women's basketball championship. But as USA TODAY's Christine Brennan said on Morning Edition today, the tournament might better be called the "U-Conn Invitational" because this year's team from the University of Connecticut may be the best women's basketball team "we've ever seen."

HARTFORD (The Hartford Courant) — This wasn't about the number, unless the one you want to discuss is 32, worn by the UConn women's senior citizen, Kalana Greene.

After spending the past two seasons amassing the NCAA Division I record for consecutive victories, the Huskies were thrilled to see the attention shift to the real business at hand.

At UConn, that business entails winning three annual championships.

"We have many miniature goals during the entire season," Greene said. "Every championship that's thrown at us, we want to win it."

Two down, one to go.

HARTFORD (The New Haven Register) — Of all the words used to describe the UConn women’s basketball team during its NCAA Division I-record 72-game winning streak, “blue collar” would not exactly be near the top of the list.

But those were the prevailing words that West Virginia coach Mike Carey used after his Mountaineers set a Big East championship game-record for offensive futility, with plenty of help from the Huskies.

CHICAGO (The Hartford Courant) — It turns out that a shutdown defense isn't just a state of mind, it's a matter of perception for some. And not even 62 consecutive victories can easily alter it.

No one in women's college basketball plays better defense than No.1 UConn. The eyes confirm it, the numbers support it, the opponents attest to it.

The latest: Louisville coach Jeff Walz.

STORRS (The New Haven Register) — Maya Moore will, on occasion, allow those outside of her circle to peak into her basketball soul, offer a snippet of the competitive fires that burn so fiercely.

One such occasion came on the night when Moore moved into 10th place on UConn’s career scoring list. Rather than pondering not only the achievement but rapid pace in which she ascended into such select company, she was more concerned with the fact that she had more turnovers than assists.

STORRS (The Hartford Courant) — Maya Moore scored 25 points, 15 in the first half, and Tina Charles added 17 points on 8 of 9 shooting to lead No. 1 UConn to an 83-51 victory over Cincinnati before 7,530 Thursday night at Gampel Pavilion.

UConn (14-0, 3-0 Big East) extended its winning streak to 53, one shy of Louisiana Tech's 54-game run -- the second longest in NCAA Division I women's basketball history.

UConn's next game is against No. 7 North Carolina Saturday at Gampel.

STORRS (The Connecticut Post) — The UConn women's basketball team closed out the decade with a 78-59 victory at No. 12 Florida State Monday. It was the 50th straight win for the Huskies, and it's the second time they have had a streak this long in the last 10 seasons. Of course, they set an NCAA record by winning 70 straight games from Nov. 9, 2001 through March 11, 2003.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma has a difficult time fathoming his program's amazing accomplishments since the turn of this century.

STORRS (The New Haven Register) — There are times when Geno Auriemma sounds more like a proud father than the Hall of Fame coach of the six-time national champion UConn women’s basketball team when the subject turns to his team’s only true freshman.

HARTFORD (The Hartford Courant) — Human nature is to blame for society's inclination to look for blemishes where none exists. Sports fanatics are no different.

Let's face it, the No.1 UConn women have none. The Huskies are the best team in women's college basketball. They were last season with Renee Montgomery at the point, and they have been this season without her.

"It wasn't all about Renee Montgomery," Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said.

STORRS (The New Haven Register) — Kelly Faris was the first reserve, protective facial mask and all, summoned by a dissatisfied UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma. A couple minutes later, Meghan Gardler was inserted into the game with the hope of infusing a little energy into the uncharacteristically lethargic Huskies.

Auriemma and the 6,418 fans at Gampel Pavilion on Sunday night didn’t have to wait long for Faris and Gardler to make their impact felt and turn what was a competitive game into yet another UConn runaway.

HARTFORD (The Hartford Courant) — For the past six years, Hartford has dutifully reported to the XL Center in December to observe a master lecture on women's basketball from UConn.

Hartford coach Jen Rizzotti, one of the greatest players in the history of the UConn program, once delivered the keynote address at these events.

That's why she is able to deal with this from the opposite side with a positive mind-set.

"It's fun in many respects," Rizzotti said. "The looks on the faces of my freshmen each season are priceless; not after the game, before."

STORRS, Conn. (uconnhuskies.com) - Senior Tina Charles (Jamaica, N.Y.) led all players with 26 points and 13 rebounds as the No. 1/1 University of Connecticut women's basketball team opened the 2009-10 regular season with a decisive 105-35 victory over Northeastern on Saturday afternoon in Gampel Pavilion.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The University of Connecticut, the defending NCAA Champion and the three-time defending conference champion, was picked unanimously to win the 2009-10 BIG EAST women’s basketball regular-season title. The undisputed selection was made by the league’s 16 head coaches, who were not permitted to select their own teams. Connecticut has claimed 15 league championships, 17 regular-season titles and has won both titles in the same season 13 times, all during the past 28 years of BIG EAST women’s basketball. Notre Dame earned the other first-place vote.

The rumors began to surface last this spring that Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had committed to play college basketball at UConn. At the time they proved to be just rumors.

Mosqueda-Lewis, a 6-foot junior wing from Anaheim, Calif., told the Connecticut Post in June that she was going to take her time during the recruiting process and would not make a decision until next year. All of that changed during her unofficial visit to UConn this weekend when Mosqueda-Lewis made an oral commitment to play for the Huskies, according to her Tennessee Flight Silver AAU coach Tom Insell.

STORRS - — How many times can one be divided by three? The answer is more complicated than it appears.

It will be the most vexing problem facing the UConn women early in the season as they attempt to repeat as national champions.

The plan calls for a combination of three guards — junior Lorin Dixon and sophomores Caroline Doty and Tiffany Hayes — to fill the void left by All-American Renee Montgomery. And some help might come down the road from freshman Kelly Faris.

You know what, I should be charged with an technical foul for this, perhaps even benched for the St. Rose preseason game, but I don't know I missed one of the great story lines of the USA's win over Ekaterinburg on Sunday in the finals of the exhibition tour.

Did you see who was playing for Ekaterinburg against Geno's team?

Svetlana Abrosimova

Sandrine Gruda, the Connecticut Sun center

Ann Wauters, the San Antonio Silver Stars center

and Asjha Jones, who played the first two games for the USA before being sent over to the other side for Sunday's game.

Before leaving to begin his part-time job as coach of the U.S. women's basketball team, Geno Auriemma reminded Husky Nation that he does not view this UConn season as an attempt to defend the national championship.

"We're not defending anything," UConn's coach said. "No one is going to break in and steal it from us."

So along the way, here are some things to watch:

Tell me how many college kids, even those remarkably grounded, would choose a week of classes over the chance to go to Russia for a week with great friends and two of her all-time favorite coaches?

Any guesses?

Yep, right. UConn's Maya Moore.

Monday evening, a 13-player contingent chosen by USA Basketball will leave for Russia for a three-game exhibition series.

Junior Lorin Dixon spent the summer working out with assistant coach Shea Ralph on campus and she attended Pont Guard College in Maryland in August. She said earlier this week that she fully believes that she has finally put everything together both mentally and physically after two unfulfilling seasons.
With the Huskies’ most glaring hole existing at point guard with the graduation of All-American Renee Montgomery, Dixon will challenge sophomores Caroline Doty and Tiffany Hayes for the starting role this season.

UConn senior center Tina Chalres is expected to be one of the 13 players named to the USA senior national team tomorrow that will play in a three-game exhibition series in Russia.

There are only 14 players eligible to make the team and UConn junior Maya Moore has already said she will return to school Monday night to resume classes.

So if the selection committee carries 13 players, no one will be cut.

The first step in the long process of putting together our next national women's basketball team is slowly coming to an end in Washington.
At some point between Saturday night and Sunday night, USA Basketball's selection committee will sift through its evidence and pick its team from those with able bodies and no academic requirements back home.
But one thing is certain. The coaching staff, led by head coach Geno Auriemma, has had a blast working with some of the best players in the world.

According to a recruiting source, six of the high school seniors on UConn's recruiting radar will be on campus for the "First Night" festivities on Oct. 16 and the Huskies' first official practice on the 17th.

Leading the list of visitors will be the four players who have already committed to UConn:
Stephanie Dolson, a 6-foot-5 center at Minisink Valley High in Slate Hill, N.Y.
Lauren Engeln, a 5-foot-11 guard at Laguna Hills (Calif.) High
Michala Johnson, a 6-foot-2 forward at Montini Catholic High of Lombard, Ill.

In the midst of my telephone interview with Renee Montgomery this afternoon, the former UConn star had a hard time holding in the laughter. It was not from my latest line of questioning but some good-natured ribbing from former Maryland star Crystal Langhorne.

Langhorne was one of the non-UConn products having some fun at the expense of Montgomery, one of six former or current Huskies at the first U.S. national team training camp being run by UConn coach Geno Auriemma.

It's hard to imagine anyone more comfortable working a captive audience than Geno Auriemma, the master of spontaneity.

Still, there was something different about the group he addressed Tuesday night in Washington.

Auriemma, the winner of six national championships at UConn, has always wanted to coach the United States Olympic women's basketball team.

Well, his time arrived Tuesday. How to inform? How to inspire?

Connecticut Sun forward Asjha Jones hasn't been in a UConn uniform since the 2002 national championship game, but her ties to the Huskies remain strong.

That's one of the reasons she's enjoying her week at USA Basketball's senior national team tryout in Washington; one of the six former UConn players trying to make a second impression on Geno Auriemma, USA's coach.

But the fun really starts after pracrtice.

The 2009 adidas All-Rookie Team was announced today by the WNBA, headlined by Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry and Phoenix Mercury guard/forward DeWanna Bonner. They are joined on the team by Detroit Shock guard Shavonte Zellous, Minnesota Lynx guard Renee Montgomery and Washington Mystics guard Marissa Coleman.

The voting panel consisted of the WNBA's 13 head coaches, who were asked to select five players regardless of position. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players on their own team.

Phoenix Mercury teammates Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter headline the 2009 All-WNBA First Team, it was announced today by the WNBA. Taurasi led all vote-getters with 201 points while Pondexter, who garnered her first All-WNBA selection, received 151 points. Two-time WNBA MVP and Seattle Storm forward/center Lauren Jackson finished second among all players with 179 points.

STORRS, Conn. - The University of Connecticut women's basketball team will enter the 2009-10 season just as it finished its previous campaign, according to the 2009-10 Athlon Women's College Basketball Preseason Poll, which has the Huskies slotted at No. 1.

Almost as soon as we posted the news about Willnett Crockett's appointment as Temple's newest assistant coach, the emails started flooding in asking what happened to the coach she replaced, Brittany Hunter.

It is clear that UConn fans do not forget about anyone or anything.

So I asked Brittany Tuesday night what she's up to and she just sent me back this email, which I am sure will satisfy everyone's curiosity.

Says Britany....

Montgomery named as one of 10 finalists for Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year

STORRS, Conn. - Recently graduated University of Connecticut women's basketball standout Renee Montgomery (St. Albans, W. Va.) has been named as one of 10 finalists for the Women's Sports Foundation's Sportswoman of the Year award.

Maya Moore, Tina Charles and Tiffany Hayes named to 25-player list

STORRS, Conn. - Three members of the University of Connecticut women's basketball team have been named among the 25 players on the 2009-10 State Farm Wade Trophy "Watch" List, which was released on Thursday.

UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma is No. 42 on Sporting News’ list of sports’ 50 greatest coaches of all-time, as selected by a panel of 118 Hall of Famers, championship coaches and other experts. The 14-page feature is part of the new Sporting News Magazine, which hits newsstands this week.