The stage is set for the March Madness with familiar faces bidding for the championship, and a few new teams swoop in with their incredible season. Defending champions, led by Geno Auriemma, are once again favorites. But with three to four challengers, the championship is not confirmed.
While the UConn Huskies have been a dominant force for years, ESPN’s Holly Rowe credits the team for raising the bar of the competition, forcing other programs to match them on the floor. As the team is working on such high standards, the coach is also looking to raise the standard of the competition and has special suggestions.
Geno Auriemma Wants Only Top Teams In NCAAW Title Race
The March Madness games will bring in a lot of joy and unexpected results – which is why it’s ‘madness’. Will the 2025-26 edition be any different, considering the UConn Huskies’ consistency on the court? Fans will get to see that in a few days, but the coach has another idea for the tournament.
In the interview, Auriemma said, “We don’t need any 4-12 teams in their league to play in the NCAA Tournament. Otherwise, then, you should let every team play in the NCAA Tournament.”
"We don't need any 4-12 teams in their league to play in the NCAA Tournament. Otherwise, then, you should let every team play in the NCAA Tournament."
— UConn Women’s Basketball Videos (@SNYUConn) March 6, 2026
Geno Auriemma shares his thoughts on teams with sub-.500 conference records making the NCAA Tournament: pic.twitter.com/GUo4c1qZYg
The idea might feel like an injustice to other teams, but the coach compared the teams in the past and current, saying that they are the same names who are playing in the competition, making deep runs and challenging for the title.
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The coach is looking to get better from his players, and his request demands high standards from other programs, too. At the same time, the most decorated coach is not considering UConn at par with the 2025 championship team, and he also spoke about the impressive run.
Geno Auriemma Gets Real On Huskies’ Undefeated Season
There are multiple ways to see the undefeated run the Huskies had in the season. They controlled every game and won it with huge margins. Many would see it as a complete destruction of the league, but the coach sees it differently.
Auriemma mentioned that he is proud of the team and the amount of effort they have put in for the historic season. During the on-court interview, the coach gave insight into the success and said, “The amount of work that goes into it every day, a shootaround today, it’s as if we were playing the final four today, we try to treat every game with a lot of respect.”
Geno Auriemma's fresh thoughts on another perfect @UConnWBB regular season w/ @autumnjohnsontv 🙌
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) March 2, 2026
As they enter the postseason, he stresses that his squad treats "every game with a lot of respect." 🙏 pic.twitter.com/RZZb7exJwU
Though the scoreboard suggests otherwise, the side remained clinical and true to their aim on the floor, earning them victories they deserved.