Geno Auriemma embraced Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell and shared a few words with her before their teams squared off Thursday.
The longtime UConn coach wanted to remind Caldwell, who’s in her first year leading the historic Tennessee program, that he had been paying attention to her team since they first met in December at an event before the Women’s Champions Classic.
“I think stepping into a situation like this, stepping into this program when you’re a young coach that’s never coached (at this level) can’t be the easiest thing in the world,” Auriemma said. “And I just wanted to remind her that, watching from afar, I can see the difference, and I can see the impact that she’s had. And I just wanted to let her know that I noticed that.”
“And she should have stayed home to care for her baby,” he quipped as he left the podium.
Caldwell and her No. 19 Lady Vols upset No. 6 UConn 80-76 in front of a 16,215-strong crowd. It was Tennessee’s largest crowd for a women’s basketball game since Feb. 26, 2012 when 18,563 fans attended the Lady Vols’ win over Florida.
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Auriemma has now faced four coaches in the longstanding series. The rivalry was canceled in 2007 under the legendary Pat Summitt and was renewed during former Lady Vols coach Kellie Harper’s first season. UConn led the rivalry 13-9 when Summitt canceled it – and the Huskies won every matchup since the series was renewed in 2020.
Auriemma can see the difference in Thursday’s matchup than the last four meetings. He was treated to a chess match in coaching similar to the glory days of the rivalry.
Caldwell has a different approach, and her Lady Vols are “in great physical conditioning” and “they play hard.” Auriemma also said Tennessee’s depth played a role – the Lady Vols go 10 deep, and there wasn’t a huge gap between the starters and the eighth and ninth players in the rotation.
“I think a lot of people were probably surprised when they saw that hire, but a lot of times that’s what’s needed, to go outside and get a different point of view, different style,” Auriemma said Tuesday at his midweek press conference. “Their athletic director (Danny White) has made a lot of great hires, and this looks like it’s going to turn out to be a really good one as well.”
There was a time when this rivalry “meant a lot to a lot of people.” It was a catalyst for the growth of women’s basketball. Every matchup was No. 1 vs. No. 2 or a national championship game – every game meant something.
CALDWELL:Kim Caldwell after Lady Vols upset UConn: Her dad, Pat Summitt ‘having a cold one’ to celebrate
The rest of the game has caught up. There are a lot of other big-name teams and rivalries, Auriemma said – as it should be – and the Tennessee-UConn rivalry laid the groundwork.
“Can this still be one of them? I don’t see why not,” Auriemma said. “I would think that those people that enjoy watching good basketball are going to – if all the games are like this, with a different ending, I think people will really enjoy watching these games.”
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
