UConn women ready for March Madness 2023 after tough season

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — With confetti still on his shoulders, coach Geno Auriemma walked toward his UConn players huddled nearby in a semicircle and started to dance. The Huskies had just won their 10th consecutive and 28th overall conference tournament title, and with trophy in hand, Auriemma was attempting to do the Griddy, the viral dance trend. It was more of a shimmy as he bounced around and flailed his arms. But the Huskies joined in on the fun, egged him on with cheers and sprinkled more confetti over him, appearing pleasantly astounded at the totally relaxed behavior of their notoriously demanding coach.

Given the tumultuous season the Huskies have had, starting March with a championship meant even more than usual.

«For the next couple days, I think we're just going to take a deep breath and let it all come out,» said Auriemma, whose 11-time national champion Huskies seek their 15th consecutive Final Four. «We held a lot in.»

«Complicated» was Auriemma's word of choice last year when describing the 2021-22 season, when then-reigning national player of the year Paige Bueckers missed 19 games with a knee injury, former No. 1 overall recruit Azzi Fudd sat 11 with a foot issue and a slew of other players missed time for injuries or illnesses. Still, UConn managed to stay the course to advance to the national championship match, where it fell to South Carolina and Auriemma suffered his first loss in an NCAA title game.

This year? «I can't even find one word to describe it,» Auriemma said.

The best metaphor that comes to mind, for him, is a Shakespearean play. Each act contains its own epic story. This season has been eerily similar to last year, but it's a stretch no one was interested in reliving. And while familiar, it