Wherever in the world they grew up, where they’d been playing, UConn women’s basketball represents something different. The Huskies are on TV in March, every March.
Of course, there’s a curiosity and a desire too be part of all that. Now five newcomers, including two experienced transfers, have joined the Huskies for the quest for championship No.13. No getting around it, its different here.
“There is only one way to think about this place, it’s just greatness,” said Serah Williams, the senior power forward who transferred from Wisconsin.”You hear ‘UConn’ and you just think, ‘success.’ … The expectation to win, how to do everything, everything right, everything perfect. You have to exert more as now you’re playing to new standard.”
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Over the years, it has been shown that it is not for everyone. Long before “portal” became a household word, players who couldn’t handle all that Williams described transferred out. Those who stay make the adjustment to get what they came for.
“The expectation level that they have, ‘This is Connecticut, it’s going to be different,'” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “The expectations their teammates have for them. ‘Hey, coach thinks you’re good enough to play here, you better prove it every day.’ then the expectations that come wiht, ‘We’ve been watching you play on TV all the time, you’re the team everyone wants to beat and now I’m a part of that.’ That was an adjustment for a lot of kids.
“Every possession matters, every drill matters a lot, not that it doesn’t at other places, but the competition on the floor is different. If you don’t get it right, the next three are going to get it right. Everything is amplified.”
It takes time, Auriemma noted, to adjust to the place where every game is almost a one-game season, every loss seems like the end of the world in a place where there hasn’t b
No Silver mettle
if you missed it, NBC Connecticut’s Gabby Lucivero took on NBA Commissioner Adam silver this week at an event promoting the league’s new TV setup, a short, but telling exchange. Lucivero asked about the NBA/WNBA opposition to moving the Connecticut Sun to Hartford.
“You can choose to sell your team in your same market, you cannot choose to sell your team to a different market,” the commish began. “That’s where it stands right now.”
Lucivero, having none of it, said, “Hartford is in the market.”
Silver snapped: “No it’s not. (Wow, good comeback) … A marketing region is different. A team only has the right to play in the market they’re in. That would be like saying the Brooklyn Nets could move to Manhattan because it’s in the market.”
What? No one is proposing the Sun move into another team’s territory, that’s an utterly irrelevant analogy. Lucivero called this semantics. “No,that’s not semantics,” silver insisted. “I don’t think it’s semantics to say the Brooklyn Nets could not move to Manhattan.”
lucivero represented the frustration here in Connecticut over all this laughably flawed logic that’s threatening to whisk the team to Houston. You almost wish Silver would just say the quiet part out loud, that they want the franchise out of New England so they can fleece a future Boston buyer of their choosing for an expansion team several years from now. The Sun can’t play in Hartford … because Adam silver says they can’t.
“There’s some confusion,” Silver, by now a little tongue-tied, told Lucivero. “The territory in which a team can market itself is different from a team moving to a different area, and the Mohegan Sun does not have the right to move the team. No team has the right to move, WNBA or NBA, that’s a decision from their partners at the league. That’s not on the table right now, them moving the team.”
If they want to sell the team, but keep it at Mohegan Sun, that would be perfectly fine, he said. Sure, except that the reason they have been offered more than $300 million is as the new owners want to play in a bigger arena.
A signature performance,all in all,from the guy who said in September that, if fans can’t afford to watch NBA games on TV, they can just watch h
The Relentless Pursuit of Greatness: inside the Unique Culture of UConn Women’s Basketball
UConn women’s basketball is more than just a program; it’s a phenomenon.Wherever a player originates, their experience with the Huskies is uniquely defined by a relentless pursuit of excellence and a standard of success rarely seen in collegiate athletics. The program consistently graces national television during March Madness, captivating audiences with its dominance and inspiring both awe and a desire to be part of its legacy.As UConn prepares for the 2025-26 season, welcoming five newcomers – including experienced transfers – the quest for an unprecedented 13th national championship begins, steeped in a culture unlike any other.
A Standard of Perfection
The weight of expectation is palpable within the walls of the UConn program. For players, joining the Huskies means embracing a new paradigm, one where “good enough” simply isn’t. Serah Williams, a senior power forward transferring from Wisconsin, succinctly captures this sentiment: “There is only one way to think about this place, it’s just greatness. You hear ‘UConn’ and you just think, ‘success.’ … The expectation to win, how to do everything, everything right, everything perfect. You have to exert more as now you’re playing to a new standard.”
This isn’t a culture for the faint of heart. Historically, players unable to adapt to the demanding habitat have sought opportunities elsewhere, even before the widespread use of the transfer portal. Those who remain, though, thrive on the challenge, understanding that the rewards – championships, national recognition, and personal growth – are commensurate with the effort.
Amplified competition and Unwavering Focus
Head Coach Geno auriemma emphasizes the multifaceted nature of these expectations. “The expectation level that they have, ‘This is Connecticut, it’s going to be different,'” he explains.”The expectations their teammates have for them. ‘Hey,coach thinks you’re good enough to play here,you better prove it every day.’ Then the expectations that come with, ‘We’ve been watching you play on TV all the time, you’re the team everyone wants to beat and now I’m a part of that.'”
This pressure manifests in every facet of the program. Every possession, every drill, carries heightened meaning. While dedication is expected at all levels of college basketball, the intensity at UConn is amplified by the sheer depth of talent and the constant drive for advancement. Auriemma notes