UConn already has a record for most top picks in the WNBA, developing players to an elite level, and also most championships – 12 at the NCAAW level. Coach Geno Auriemma is at the heart of this dominance and control. So it’s easy just to find positive results following his success formula, and Vanderbilt’s Shae Ralph is exactly doing the same.
While the Dallas Wings’ coach, Jose Fernandez, spills Auriemma’s secret to unlock Paige Bueckers’ potential at the WNBA, the Commodores’ coach is looking to inherit the entire system to make Vanderbilt a championship contender. Results in the 2025-26 season are astonishing, gaining fifth rank at the national level.
Shea Ralph Speaks On Geno Auriemma’s Influence On Her Coaching
Commenting on the UConn Huskies’ dominance in NCAAW, ESPN’s reporter Holly Rowe mentioned that the program is pushing other teams to get better. While she gave the Gamecocks’ example in her assessment, Vanderbilt could be another team benefiting from UConn.
In a recent podcast interview, the coach Ralph admitted the influence of Auriemma on her philosophy and said, “A lot. Most of it. I got to be inside for half my life. I was a player there, I was part of building what they have now. And then, as a coach, just to sustain that, seeing it from the other side. But what was cool about that whole experience for me was that it’s not magic. It’s not rocket science.”
"It's not magic, it's not rocket science" 🪄 @VandyWBB head coach Shea Ralph on Geno Auriemma's influence at UConn.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 25, 2026
(via Hoops 360) pic.twitter.com/H3htzonq1w
Ralph won the NCAA championship as a player for UConn in 2000, and then went on to win six more titles as an assistant coach between 2008 and 2021.
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Taking a page from Auriemma’s ideology, she said, “We’re going to do some really good things. We’re probably going to do some things that aren’t great, but the goal is to win the game. So continue to play with confidence and freedom in a structure, but not a system.”
While the Vanderbilt coach took inspiration from her former coach, the teacher, too, was happy with her progress.
Geno Auriemma With Huge Praise For Shea Ralph
Early in January, the Vanderbilt was the only team other than the Huskies to have an unbeaten season. They rose to fourth rank nationwide and started making a buzz for the championship. Watching them thrive on the court excited the veteran coach, who had nothing but praise for his student.
In a post-game interview, Auriemma said, “I enjoy watching them play. She’s not quite [Indiana Hoosiers coach] Curt Cignetti yet, but to go down there and do what she’s done in such a short period of time, I think, is really cool. I’m really happy for all of them. It’s not easy to do what she’s done. She’s so detail-oriented, so competitive in so many ways. [She’s] a great teacher.”
Geno Auriemma was asked on what's made Shea Ralph a successful head coach as Vanderbilt has remain undefeated
— UConn Women’s Basketball Videos (@SNYUConn) January 20, 2026
"I enjoy watching them play. To go down there and do what she's done in a short period of time I think is really cool" pic.twitter.com/jfOFQP7VMI
The side then faced heavy defeat against conference leaders South Carolina and had shocking, marginal defeats against Georgia and Ole Miss. Though the championship looks like a distant dream in the season, they are certainly becoming a better team season after season.