Sunday night’s national championship game didn’t pan out for Geno Auriemma an UConn, as the Huskies fell to South Carolina, dealing the 11-time NCAA champion coach his first loss ever in a title contest.
However, Auriemma has the utmost confidence that the program will be competitive once again next year, so long as it can avoid the hardships that came with this season.
“I like our chances, provided we don’t have to navigate a season like we did this season … I expect to be back here next year,” he said after UConn’s 64–49 loss on Sunday, per Daniel Connolly of the UConn Blog.
The Huskies battled untimely injuries throughout the 2021–22 season, dating back to when star guard Paige Bueckers suffered a lateral meniscus tear in December. Just recently, UConn lost graduate forward Dorka Juhász to a gruesome wrist injury in its Elite Eight matchup against NC State.
Despite the adversity that the program faced, the Huskies still managed to post a 30–6 record and secure a 12th trip to the national title game under Auriemma. UConn also extended its record of consecutive Final Four appearances to 14 this season, a mark that surely won’t be touched for some time.
As for next year, the Huskies should be well-positioned to compete for a national championship. With Bueckers and breakout freshman Azzi Fudd set to return, and with Auriemma back at the helm, UConn will be one of the early frontrunners to make next season’s Final Four in Dallas.
