Winning is part of UConn’s DNA. For four decades, Geno Auriemma has turned UConn into a program where winning is simply the norm. Their win over Creighton in the Big East semifinals sent UConn to its 22nd consecutive conference championship game. A testament to the culture Auriemma has built. Yet even with all the success, the legendary coach isn’t satisfied with one thing in particular.

“I complain all the time that we don’t play one-on-one basketball enough. You know, I complain that we don’t attack the basket enough,” Auriemma said in the postgame press conference. “You saw Sara today be more aggressive, putting the ball on the floor and playing because, in the end, basketball is a game of one-on-one. I catch it, you’re guarding me, and now I have to make a decision. Do I shoot it? Do I drive it? Do I pass it?”

Auriemma is right. For basketball purists, you will often hear them say that one-on-one basketball is the real deal. We even saw it recently in Unrivaled’s one-on-one tournament and how big of a hit it was among fans. But UConn didn’t become the most successful program in the sport by focusing only on isolation play. They are an unselfish team that brings the best out of everyone on the floor and uses each player’s strengths to their advantage.

Auriemma continued, “I think teams that just pass, pass, pass, end up having problems, and teams that can’t pass have problems. So I’ve always thought that in order to get a good one-on-one situation, you have to be a great passing team. We’ve spent, from the time I first got the job here at Connecticut, an inordinate amount of time passing and catching the ball, moving without the ball. I take great pride in how our teams have been consistently one of the leading assist teams in the country year after year after year.”

Of course, it goes without saying that in a team sport, one-on-one play isn’t going to take you very far. You have to create space for your players to shoot and design plays that help them get to the basket more frequently. And that is exactly the kind of system coach Auriemma has built over the years at UConn.

The Lady Huskies are currently averaging 23.9 assists per game and have accumulated 765 assists. Those numbers comfortably place them at No. 1 in the country, showing just how well-oiled this team really is. On top of that, it certainly helps that coach Auriemma has the luxury of players who can change a game on their own.

We are talking about the likes of Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, who are currently averaging a combined 36 points per game and have been key contributors to making UConn the second-best scoring team in the country. The Huskies also rank second nationally in turnover margin, which further highlights how well they take care of the ball.

In the game against Creighton, both these superstars were in full flow. Sarah Strong made history, becoming the first NCAA Division I women’s basketball player in the last 25 seasons to record at least 500 points, 200 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals, 50 three-pointers, and 50 blocked shots in a single season. She had a stat line of 23 points, seven rebounds, and six steals in the 100-51 win over Creighton.

Azzi Fudd, meanwhile, had 16 points and ended up hitting her 100th three-pointer of the season in the first half, and joined the likes of Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Katie Lou Samuelson as the only UConn women’s basketball players with at least 100 assists and 100 three-pointers in the same season.

With the big win over the Bluejays, the Lady Huskies will now be looking to capture another Big East tournament title. But who will they be facing next? Let’s find out.

One Final Hurdle Before March Madness for Geno Auriemma and UConn

For UConn, winning the Big East regular-season trophy and the tournament is the bare minimum every season. The Lady Huskies are currently on a run of 38 consecutive tournament wins. It’s almost as if we’ve forgotten what it’s like for UConn to even lose a game. In case you forgot, Geno Auriemma’s side is currently on a 49-game win streak as well.

The Lady Huskies will be eyeing their 13th straight conference title, and they will face Villanova in the championship game. The Wildcats beat Seton Hall in the semifinals to set up a rematch of last season’s tournament semifinal. Of course, this is a game UConn is expected to win as well. ESPN gives them a 98.2% chance of victory, and it’s not hard to see why.

The last time these two teams faced each other, the Lady Huskies secured a 14-point win over the Wildcats, and the head-to-head record also favors Geno Auriemma’s side. All signs point toward the Huskies securing their 31st conference tournament title and 24th as members of the Big East.

Tune in at 7 p.m. this Monday to find out who walks out of Mohegan Sun Arena as the Big East tournament champions and heads to the Big Dance ready to create some madness of their own.