Geno Auriemma Blasts Critics of UConn’s National Championship Drought

Tom Dierberger | Apr 6, 2024

Connecticut Huskies coach Geno Auriemma reacts after a play against Iowa. / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The UConn women's basketball team fell short in the Final Four on Friday night, losing 71–69 to the Iowa Hawkeyes at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The game ended in controversial fashion with a questionable offensive foul call on UConn in the closing seconds. Bad call or not, the Huskies haven't won a national championship since Breanna Steward guided the program to four straight titles from 2013 to '16.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma, however, doesn't want to hear about his team's recent shortcomings.

"What pisses me off is that the minute we don't win a national championship for a couple years, people think that our program now is less worthy of some others that have done it twice, or gone to the Final Four three out of the last four years," he said Friday night.

"It's more rewarding on my end—not just to win a national championship, obviously we want to win a national championship every year—but people should talk about their own accomplishments instead of talking about what we're not accomplishing.

"That seems to be the big story."

Over their last seven NCAA tournament appearances, the Huskies have lost in the semifinal five times, the championship once (2022) and the Elite Eight once (’23).

The eight-year gap between rings is the longest championship drought since Auriemma won his first national title with UConn in 2000.

"We might not win a national championship but we're right there when it's usually being decided," Auriemma said.

UConn will have a great chance to get back to college basketball's biggest stage next season. Standout guard Paige Bueckers is returning for her fifth collegiate season, and the nation's top incoming recruit Sarah Strong just committed to UConn on Saturday.