When it comes to the WNBA, Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky star Angel Reese have been dominating the news lately. For iconic UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, though, their popularity has a deeper effect on other players in the league.
Auriemma is an acclaimed American college basketball coach who led the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team since 1985. Under his guidance, UConn has achieved remarkable success, winning 11 NCAA Division I national championships – the most in women’s college basketball history.
He has been named the Naismith College Coach of the Year eight times and has led the U.S. women’s national basketball team to gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, as well as World Championship titles in 2010 and 2014.
Prior to his tenure at UConn, Auriemma gained experience as an assistant coach at various institutions, including Saint Joseph’s University and the University of Virginia. He is known for his innovative coaching strategies, strong player development, and the ability to build championship-caliber teams.
Auriemma’s record at UConn stands at an impressive 1,213-162, and he has led the Huskies to 17 undefeated conference seasons, including eight consecutive. His numerous accolades and achievements cement his legacy as one of the greatest coaches in the history of women’s basketball.
Legendary College Coach Geno Auriemma Drops Honest Take on WNBA Popularity of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese
Just recently, Auriemma appeared before the Aspen Ideas Festival to talk about women’s basketball at the collegiate level. In a video shared by Vanshay Murdock on X, the UConn coach spoke about the popularity of Clark and Reese, and the effect on other WNBA players.
“[Caitlin] and Angel Reese are not the two best players in the WNBA, but they’re the two most talked about players in the WNBA right now. If you’re some of the players… you can moan and groan about why weren’t they talking about me when I was here… or you can just appreciate… pic.twitter.com/bl199sJ9lz
— Vanshay Murdock 🎥🎥 (@VanshayM) June 27, 2024
During the past few months, Clark has been instrumental in the increase of crowd attendance and interest in WNBA games. For her part, Reese has been very vocal about different issues, including the emerging rivalry between Chicago and Indiana.
It remains to be seen what the short and long-term effect of Clark and Reese’s popularity has on other players in the league. In any case, their presence on the court has been key to generating hype for the WNBA.
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