Geno Auriemma has turned the NCAA championships into his playground as the UConn Huskies strolled past Notre Dame (70-52) in the Elite Eight game. Celebrating the 25th Final Four of his team, Geno had his own celebration, which certainly made headlines.

Putting on a cowboy hat and tucking in his suit, Geno was all smiles as he was captured walking across the glass floor of the Dickies Arena with a swagger that only a few can pull off. He was seen dancing with the team as he was getting drenched in confetti, making it quite the celebration.

And why won’t he? After training one of the most elite programs in women’s basketball that he built from scratch, he is now collecting his dues.

Auriemma is simply reveling in the glory of his hard work now. With this win, he has now earned a direct flight to the Final Four for a record 25th time, something no other women’s program has done prior.

Geno’s first Final Four appearance came in 1991 during his sixth year as coach, and over the years, he has turned it into a regulation affair. The Final Four has mostly been the stepping stone for something bigger, and that has usually ended with a championship win for the Huskies. Out of their 25 Final Four appearances, UConn has won a national title in 12 of them. That’s just consistency at its peak.

UConn played Notre Dame for the 9th time in the NCAA Tournament, but this was the first time when the stakes were at their highest. While Notre Dame was better prepared than in their 38-point loss to UConn earlier this season, they couldn’t overcome a balanced Huskies attack led by Sarah Strong (21 points) and Blanca Quinonez (20 points), who neutralized a 22-point effort from the Irish’s Hannah Hidalgo

Waiting for the winner of the TCU-South Carolina game, Auriemma could soon find himself crossing paths with a familair foe once again.

Auriemma and Staley Can Cross Paths Again This Year in the Final Four

It seems Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma’s fates have somehow intertwined as they both find themselves in each other’s crosshairs. This time again, another showdown beckons if Staley can outwork the Horned Frogs.

Geno defeated the Gamecocks last year (82-59) to win their 12th title, and now they might just meet a little earlier. The history between the two programs is enough to understand how much clout it’s going to generate.

The Gamecocks, with their 34-3 record, going up against the Huskies, with their 38-0 record, always looked like the game that was going to happen once the bracket was drawn up. But all that depends on how South Carolina plays their part because the Huskies have already done their work.

With the Gamecocks being favored by 14 points over the Horned Frogs in their Elite Eight matchup, every fan is salivating at the opportunity to see these two (Staley and Auriemma) stalwarts tussle again for supremacy.

This time, however, UConn will be without Paige Bueckers, who transitioned to the WNBA. But Sarah Strong, Azzi Fudd, Blanca Quinonez, and co. have shown themselves to be more than capable of getting the desired result.

But keep in mind that Joyce Edwards, Ta’Niya Latson, and the rest of the South Carolina group are no pushovers either. So whatever the final result, the game is bound to be a thriller as Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley would again look to outwit one another.