Olivia Vukosa is all set and gearing up to join the Huskies this year after it was publicly announced by the Huskies’ coach, Geno Auriemma, last year. The 6-foot-4, hailing from Whitestone, N.Y., was the No. 3-ranked player on ESPN’s SportsCenter NEXT 100 list and has an exceptional college record. But when it comes to the record books, all past achievement is simply a backstory, and what you do here at Storrs decides how you are judged here. WNBA legend Sue Bird knows that all too well and thus has a fair warning for Olivia Vukosa and others who hope to find a home at Connecticut.

While speaking on the ‘A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe‘ podcast, Sue Bird shared her thoughts on the current situation the UConn Huskies are in.

“I say it all the time, the kids that go to UConn now, I mean, that the pressure they are walking into is insane. If you don’t win a national championship. It was a bust of a season, and then even if you did, it’s like, did you go undefeated? I’m like blown away by it,” said the former UConn alumna.

Sue Bird’s statement tells us all we need to know about what is expected of a Husky player. No matter how good you are, there will always be someone better than you with a weighted statistic. Like it’s never enough to be just good, it’s being the best that gets your name up on the board.

For instance, the Husky squad that won in the last NCAA championship in 2010 would be considered “Goated” over the recent 2024-25  winning team that included Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Co, which lost three games en route to the championship. UConn has a history of highlighting players and their achievements during their tenure with the college, and sometimes even the most decorated players might feel insignificant looking at the historic records set, and that can be intimidating at times.

So that’s a harsh reality that the up-and-coming players find themselves in, and Vukosa’s situation won’t be any different. Although Vukosa’s school records give us an inkling that she will do fine, with her 19.4 PPG, 17.9 rebounds, 5.5 blocks, and 3.8 assists per game, it still doesn’t quite negate the fact that sometimes being surrounded by greatness can make you doubt yourself. That’s exactly where Geno Auriemma comes in, who will guide the youngster all along the way to balance between the expectations and realities.

Speaking of Geno Auriemma, the veteran coach recently had some fun teasing her old student Paige Bueckers.

Auriemma Teases Former Student Paige Bueckers

Geno Auriemma never misses out on a chance to poke fun at Paige Bueckers. No, it is never mean-spirited or has malicious intent, but just playful banter that Auriemma relishes. Remember when Geno said, “I confuse her more than I help her,” last year, taking a sly jab at her defensive abilities. Well, guess habits die hard.

This time around, Geno again couldn’t help but bring his former student into the mix. “This is the first time in years, not counting Paige thinking she should have won it three years in a row, we haven’t had anybody win that,” Auriemma said, pausing to give Bueckers the slight playful jab.

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The answer from Geno came when he was asked about the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award, for which Sarah Strong and KK Arnold are in consideration. Geno stated that Paige felt snubbed after being overlooked, even though she was excellent in defense. Paige’s 0.8 blocks, 2.1 steals, and 3.1 DRB do make a strong case for her, but she never got the formal acknowledgement for her toil.

While the present UConn team is looking unstoppable, given the margins by which they are beating their opponents, it does justify why KK Arnold and Sarah Strong’s names have come up on this list.

This is exactly why UConn is different. Where even the most stellar professionals find themselves second-guessing their abilities because the competition is tough. If a legend like Sue Bird feels this way, you can be assured that there is something true about it.