Auriemma, 71, says winning title made it 'all worthwhile' - ESPN

TAMPA, Fla. — UConn coach Geno Auriemma joked about being the oldest coach to win a Division I basketball title, women's or men's, after the Huskies got the program's 12th on Sunday.

«Well, all those other coaches had the good sense to not stick around until they were 71,» Auriemma said after an 82-59 win over South Carolina at Amalie Arena.

He also won his 10th championship in this venue, in 2015. Then, the Huskies won again in 2016 in Indianapolis for a fourth straight title, ending Breanna Stewart's amazing UConn career.

«There was a big part of my inner circle of people that I trust that were hoping that after the Stewie fourth in a row that I should have called it a day back then,» Auriemma said. «That would have been apropos, I guess — ride off into the sunset.

»But… you make the decision you're not finished yet, and then three, four years go by, and people start telling you that UConn is not UConn anymore and it's somebody else's turn. And then five years go by, and six years go by, and seven years go by."

In all, eight years and seven NCAA tournaments passed (the 2020 tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic) between the end of Stewart's reign and Sunday's championship. During that time, UConn still got to the Final Four every year but one (2023, when Paige Bueckers was out because of a knee injury) but the championships went to South Carolina (3), Notre Dame, Baylor, Stanford and LSU.

Along with Bueckers' injury in 2022-23, guard Azzi Fudd missed all but two games last season because of a knee injury, and the Huskies dealt with several other serious injuries to key players. UConn was not at full strength for the past three postseasons.

«For us, it always seemed like, if we ever got a chance to