Latest news with #GenoAuriemma
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paige Bueckers Gets Major Boost Before Golden State Valkyries Game
Paige Bueckers Gets Major Boost Before Golden State Valkyries Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Dallas Wings return to action Tuesday night as they host the Golden State Valkyries. The Wings are desperate to snap a seven-game losing streak, including five straight losses at home. Advertisement Dallas is coming off a tough 88-84 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Friday night. The Wings, who have yet to beat a Western Conference opponent this season, are clearly in need of a spark. Paige Bueckers, in her first WNBA season, has been one of the bright spots for Dallas. Although she has missed four of the team's 12 games, she leads the Wings in scoring at 17.4 points per game. Dallas hopes a special boost on Tuesday night can help her and the team secure a second win of the season. On Monday, UConn coaching legend Geno Auriemma had a noteworthy announcement made about his presence: "Geno Auriemma says he'll be in Dallas tomorrow night for the Golden State-Wings game." It'll be the first time the 71-year-old head coach has attended one of Bueckers' professional games. Auriemma, who has guided the UConn Huskies to 12 NCAA tournament titles, coached Bueckers throughout her collegiate career. Advertisement His first championship came in 1995, and his most recent was earlier this year in 2025, the Huskies' first since their run of four straight titles from 2013 to 2016. Auriemma boasts 1,250 career wins as a head coach. He has been named Naismith Coach of the Year eight times and AP Coach of the Year nine times. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers.© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Bueckers played at UConn from 2020 to 2025. She earned several major awards in 2021, including AP Player of the Year, the Naismith Award, the USBWA Award and the John R. Wooden Award. During UConn's championship run in 2025, Bueckers appeared in 38 games and averaged 19.9 points per game, slightly down from the 21.9 she posted in the 2023–24 season. Advertisement The Wings host the Valkyries at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday. Related: Caitlin Clark's Former Teammate Lands New Team After 0 Minutes with Indiana Fever Related: WNBA's Historic Announcement Means Bad News for Indiana Fever Star This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA Reacts to Geno Auriemma's Move for Paige Bueckers Game
WNBA Reacts to Geno Auriemma's Move for Paige Bueckers Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Before Paige Bueckers broke into the WNBA as a rookie this season, she was a big-time star at UConn. She led the school to the women's NCAA championship just a couple of months ago and won a slew of individual awards during her time there. Advertisement While there, Bueckers was coached by Geno Auriemma, who has been at the helm of UConn women's basketball since 1985. During his time there, he has become one of the more decorated coaches in the history of the sport. On Tuesday, when Bueckers' Dallas Wings took on the Golden State Valkyries, Auriemma took some time during the NCAA offseason to show up and show his support for not only Bueckers but also Kaitlyn Chen, who is a member of Golden State's roster. In his time as the Huskies' coach, Auriemma has won a record 12 national championships. Nineteen times, they have gone undefeated in conference play with him in charge, and he has also guided them to a perfect season six times. Advertisement He also coached Team USA women's basketball to two Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016. Connecticut Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma hugs guard Paige Bueckers (5).Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Bueckers averaged 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.1 steals a game while shooting 53.1% from the field and 42.3% from 3-point range during her time at UConn. She missed all of the 2022-23 season because of a torn ACL, but she came back and continued to play at a high level. On Tuesday, she dropped 20 points and made half of her 18 field-goal attempts while adding four steals and two blocks. On the season, she's averaging 17.4 points and 6.1 assists per contest while shooting 46.8% overall. Related: Brittney Griner's Pregame Exchange With Former WNBA Teammate Catches Attention This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UConn's Geno Auriemma Makes Azzi Fudd Statement on Monday
UConn's Geno Auriemma Makes Azzi Fudd Statement on Monday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. On Monday, UConn basketball coach Geno Auriemma spoke to the press about how his team is doing during the offseason and summer training. Advertisement According to Auriemma, the team took a break during April and May after the season was over, but they have been back in summer training since June 1. Auriemma had especially high praise for 22-year-old athlete Azzi Fudd during recent offseason workouts these past two weeks, highlighting a level of intensity and engagement he says he's never seen from her before. Speaking to reporters, Auriemma remarked, 'I've never seen Azzi [Fudd] this aggressive, this engaged, or wanting to do a lot. That's probably stood out more than anything.' Fudd, who has dealt with injuries in past seasons, seems determined to make her mark heading into the upcoming year. Known for her elite shooting and basketball IQ, her renewed focus could be a game-changer for a Huskies squad hungry for a national title. Advertisement The guard declined the 2025 WNBA draft to return for another season, aiming to lead the Huskies to back-to-back championships. Meanwhile, her previous teammate Paige Bueckers was the No. 1 pick during the 2025 WNBA draft and was drafted by the Dallas Wings. UConn Huskies guard Azzi FuddDavid Butler II-Imagn Images UConn closed the 2024‑25 season with a dominant 37‑3 record, going undefeated (18‑0) in Big East play and winning their 12th NCAA title, which was their first since 2016. Fudd, who returned from an ACL injury, averaged 13.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, shooting 47.4% overall and 43.6% from three. Related: Former UConn Star Suffers Unfortunate Setback Before WNBA Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UConn's Geno Auriemma Makes Kaitlyn Chen Statement on Monday
UConn's Geno Auriemma Makes Kaitlyn Chen Statement on Monday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. On Sunday morning, the Golden State Valkyries announced that they are re-signing guard Kaitlyn Chen, and she is set to play against the Dallas Wings on Tuesday. Advertisement Chen signed a training camp contract, which allowed her to train and play with the Valkyries during preseason, but was ultimately cut before the regular season started. In addition, the Valkyries re-signed Chloe Bibby, an Australian forward who went undrafted out of Maryland in 2022. Bibby also signed a training camp contract with the team last month, but was waived prior to the regular season. This move came because several Valkyries players, including guard Julie Vanloo and center Temi Fagbenle, have left the team to compete in the FIBA EuroBasket tournament. The tournament begins this week and runs through the end of the month. Kaitlyn Chen poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected with the No. 30 overall pick by the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA Draft in New York on April 14, Carchietta-Imagn Images Chen played and graduated from UConn and played alongside Wings' star rookie Paige Bueckers and was coached by Geno Auriemma. Advertisement In a press conference that took place on Monday, Auriemma updated reporters on UConn's summer training and mentioned how proud he is of Chen and that she "deserves to be in the league." 'Her competitiveness and her drive. She deserves to be in the league. She deserves to be playing professional basketball. So, I'm thrilled for her," the UConn head coach said. Chen transferred from Princeton to UConn for the 2024–25 season, starting all 40 games. She averaged 6.9 points, 3.4 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game, shooting 51.4% from the field. Plus, she played a key bench role in UConn's national championship victory. Geno Auriemma and the UConn women's basketball team celebrating being the 2025 NCAA Champions.© Scott Rausenberger-Imagn Images According to reports, Auriemma will be flying over to Dallas to watch the Wings and the Valkyries play against each other on Tuesday at College Park Center. The Huskies will also be at Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday night to watch the Wings take on the Connecticut Sun. Related: UConn's Geno Auriemma Makes Azzi Fudd Statement on Monday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dave Portnoy Calls out UConn Coach Geno Auriemma as Critical Caitlin Clark Take Resurfaces
Dave Portnoy Calls out UConn Coach Geno Auriemma as Critical Caitlin Clark Take Resurfaces originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The college basketball world watched Caitlin Clark rack up 3,951 points during her Iowa Hawkeyes basketball career, ranking first all-time among college players. Advertisement Clark was selected first overall in the 2024 WNBA draft before turning in an impressive rookie season with the Indiana Fever. Clark put the WNBA world on notice with a 32-point, eight rebound, nine assist game in a 102-88 win over the defending WNBA champion New York Liberty on Saturday, her first game since returning from a left quadriceps strain that sidelined her for five games. Clark's performance appeared to prompt Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy's recent reaction, which included a provocative question about legendary NCAA coach Geno Auriemma based on his prior Clark comments. Geno Auriemma at UConn's national title celebration in April 2025. © Scott Rausenberger-Imagn Images "Did Geno Auriemma have the worst take in the history of sports?" Portnoy asked on Sunday as he called out the UConn women's coach. Advertisement "The delusional fanbase that follows her disrespected the WNBA players by saying she's gonna go in that league and tear it apart," Auriemma says in the clip posted by Portnoy. "These people are so disrespectful and so unknowledgeable and so stupid that it gives women's basketball a bad name," Auriemma added in the clip that was recorded prior to Clark's recent successes. "Geno Auriemma so salty that Caitlin Clark didn't play for UConn," one fan said. "Very obvious." "Anyone who doesn't think CC changed the WNBA doesn't know what they're talking about," another fan added. "He's just salty that the best WNBA player didn't come from Storrs," another fan added. Advertisement Related: Caitlin Clark Turns Heads With Post After Indiana Fever Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
