University of Connecticut Athletics
Quotes: UConn 96, Cincinnati 36
2/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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UConn Head Coach Geno Auriemma
On reaching his900th win
"Whenever you reach a certain level of success, you think back on all the people that were there and made it: possible. Sometimes, when you're going along this path, you get caught up in what you're doing, what you have to do next, and as a result you forget where you come from, how it all started, and who was there along the way. That's the big thing for me, is the chance to reflect on it. There's no what does it mean or what does it do for you personally. I tell my players during the NCAA Tournament that when I wake up tomorrow morning, my life won't change that much. But having the opportunity to see how it impacted others, that's pretty cool"
On how special it was to have a player he coached on the sidelines for Cincinnati tonight:
"It's unfortunate that one of your great players that means a lot to myself and my family is on the other sideline, and yet the opportunity for her to be her meant a lot to her, and it meant a lot to me to see her. I look across the way and Meagan is doing television, Debbie is doing radio, Kara is down in New York, Sue is working down here tonight. A lot of good things have happened to some really good people who have come through this program. It makes me feel like I've done a really great job helping them get to where they are. I'm thrilled we have had some impact on that."
On which video on the scoreboard impacted Geno the most:
"We restricted Barbara and her ability to express herself, and I guess that was a message to me. That one made me chuckle a little bit. Also, Angel Mccoughtry said we should have recruited her, that might have been the highlight of the night. We definitely would have not reached 900 wins if I had recruited her. There were some chuckles along the way, especially those two things. The people who have played here before I arrived, when they are asked where they went to college, and they say UConn and they played college basketball here, all of a sudden, people's perception of them changes completely, and I can feel that coming from people I had never coached. It was nice to see we impacted a lot of people in an indirect way."
Cincinnati Head Coach Jamelle Elliott:
On being a part of Coach Auriemma's 900th victory tonight
"Well I don't think any team wants to be that team that they play for a milestone like this, but obviously this is a special circumstance. The best part of tonight was the fact that I got the chance to spend some time with him, congratulating him on his milestone. I talk to him most of the time not about basketball stuff, just talking about enjoyment. He never enjoys any of this stuff. He never takes a break and just sits back and realizes the accomplishments. I just find myself constantly reminding him of that. If people didn't do that, he would never acknowledge those types of things. The best part was that I was able to be here and spend this moment with him."
On what Coach Auriemma has meant to her
"He's worn a lot of hats in my life. Obviously he's been my college coach, he's been my boss, he's been my mentor. He's been a competitor of mine, but most importantly he's been my friend. He's been someone that when I call he always answers. He always asks me how I'm doing. It's not about how my team is doing, it's more that he cares about me as a person. Those are things that go unnoticed. People always talk about basketball, about recruiting a nd the players he's coached. People fail to understand that he's just a genuinely good person and that's what I appreciate the most about him."
On UConn as a team
"I've been around a lot of his championship teams as a coach and as a competitor now. I think this team is more of a team this year based on their scoring output. It's not just that one guy. Obviously Stewie (Breanna Stewart) is that guy, but this year she's doing other things. She's sharing the ball, she's playing better defense. As for the best team, I think my team is the best team. Overall I think that sharing the ball, not having one main star, they do a good job of gelling."
Sophomore Guard Saniya Chong
On what it means to be a part of Geno's 900th win:
"It's remarkable. Even though I wasn't here throughout his entire career, to be a part of his 900th win feels fantastic."
On how he's been able to accomplish this feat:
"He's very special, and he works hard for what he gets. When we're at practice, he sets a goal, and we just have to achieve it. We have to do everything we're supposed to and be playing our role. He works us hard, and it shows in games."
Junior Guard Moriah Jefferson
On Geno's "pressure versus pleasure" mentality:
"I think you have to try to come into every game with the same mindset. Sometimes when you're in these situations, there's so much that's expected of you, and it's easy to look past what you're doing. For the most part, it's not about pressure, but making it fun and going out there to play as hard as you can."
On if it was meaningful to be part of Geno's 900th win:
"Definitely. It's something where you grow up watching things like this happen on TV, and now you're on the court being a part of it. We're really excited for coach, and I'm just happy I was a part of the 900th win."
