The UConn Huskies had been one of the title contenders right from the start of the season and the side lived up to the expectations. When the time required, Sarah Strong delivered a double-double performance, helping UConn extend its unbeatable streak. Coach Geno Auriemma, though, is not happy with the team’s recent outing.
The most decorated coach in women’s college basketball had been very particular about small stats and errors in the games. That’s the reason he led the side to 12 NCAA Championships. So even with his team’s recent dominant win over Providence, he pointed out areas his side needs to improve on.
Geno Auriemma Cautions UConn Huskies
Early in November, UConn surpassed LSU to take over the No. 1 spot in the latest NCAA Women’s Basketball NET rankings. The team continued its form and is currently 15-0 in the season.
In a recent matchup, the side recorded a 37-point win over Providence. Even though the win was impressive, coach Geno was not happy with one particular stat, which he mentioned in the press conference. He said, “So we just vacillated between how dumb we are and how lazy we were in passing the ball, and so that means 21 times we crossed half court and didn’t get a shot at the basket.”
He highlighted that the team struggled in the second and third quarters and pointed out the ‘turnovers’ as mistakes for the same. Taking a sarcastic jab at the team’s performance, he added that the team would find a new way to be dumb on the floor.
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Even though the coach was not happy with the team’s ‘lazy’ plays, he is looking at one particular player to carry them through, even in future seasons, and that’s Sarah Strong. The coach lauded her performances and had nice words for the forward.
Geno Auriemma Heaps Praise On Sarah Strong
Even in Paige Bueckers’ final season, two players who stole the show were Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong. The first became the MVP of the Final Four, while the latter recorded the first performance with 15+ rebounds and 15+ points in the NCAA Final.
In the 2025-26 season, both players are once again key to UConn’s success, and the coach singled out his sophomore for her consistency.
On SNY TV, he said, “The last three games, she’s had a lot of opportunities, and she’s taken advantage of them.She’s really aggressively hunting down those shots. There were times in the [early] games where she’d be constantly looking to get a better shot.”
Geno Auriemma talks about Sarah Strong taking more open looks on the perimeter:
— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) January 3, 2026
"She's just got to get rid of that, 'if I miss, I'm hurting my team.' No, if you pass it, you're hurting our team the last three games… sucker" 😭 pic.twitter.com/juhmUYGLo9
While the player made adjustments to her game for the new roster and season, it’s certainly helping the side to control the proceedings and dominate the game, giving the opposition little chance of a comeback. After Fudd, Strong would be the face of the program, and Auriemma is already putting more responsibility on her.