The UConn Huskies marched to a dominating win against DePaul on Wednesday, extending their winning streak to 40. Auriemma’s team won the contest 86-40, on the back of their usual suspects, Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong, and KK Arnold. However, while the Huskies raised mayhem at the Wintrust Arena with their strong offense, Auriemma’s valuable assistant, Morgan Valley, was absent from the sidelines.

Valley’s absence from the Huskies’ entourage immediately raised eyebrows. Especially with all the other coaching staff members, including associate head coach Chris Dailey and other assistant coaches, present in Chicago, Valley’s absence seemed a bit odd in an away game. Head coach Auriemma gave a brief update on the assistant coach’s absence following the win.

According to reports, Valley’s leave was tied to her personal life rather than to her professional life. The UConn assistant coach had her second baby with her wife, Lauren, Auriemma confirmed, and it might be the main reason Valley left her team’s side during the DePaul game. Journalist Maggie Vanoni shared Auriemma’s statement on X. “Geno Auriemma says Morgan Valley missed today’s game because she and her wife welcomed a new baby, the post read.”

Notably, Morgan Valley and Lauren’s first son, JJ, was born in 2020, after the couple got married in 2018. Amid the delightful news, the UConn Huskies’ win was icing on the cake for her. Fudd’s 25 points, along with Strong’s 14 points and 6 rebounds, sealed the deal for the team, doubling Valley’s happiness, and didn’t let the absence of Valley affect their dominant display.

Ever since joining the Huskies camp as an assistant in 2021, Morgan Valley has been a valuable addition from the sidelines for UConn, helping the powerhouse win four Nattys. A former Husky, she played under Auriemma throughout her collegiate career and currently serves as the team’s guard coach.

Valley has helped UConn develop formidable guards, including Paige Bueckers and Nika Muhl, with her experience. These players have served the program immensely over time, and with Bueckers, the Huskies eventually clinched the National Championship, their first since 2016. This is a significant example of how important Valley is to the Huskies’ program and its long-term vision.

Why Morgan Valley Is So Important to UConn Women’s Basketball

Morgan Valley isn’t just your regular assistant coach. She inherits a very sharp basketball mind and is an able aide of head coach Geno Auriemma on the sidelines. While many judge Valley by her 4-37 head-coaching record at Hartford, her impact on the program is far more than the numbers.

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The first quality that Valley brings to the UConn table is her experience. Morgan has a clear perspective on the role of a guard, which she developed during her playing days at UConn. This helps her work with such players because she already knows what head coach Auriemma expects from these players. Be it offense from the perimeter or protecting the paint, Valley is the go-to for any UConn guard.

Thus, this element is very essential while working with the current young guards on the roster. Kelis Fisher, Allie Ziebell, and Ashlynn Shade are upcoming young prodigies and can develop immensely with Valley’s assistance. Besides, Valley has coaching experience with several programs outside UConn, including Arizona, Virginia Tech, and Washington. With this experience, Valley is a valuable source of input for Auriemma.

Another positive for UConn is Valley’s close bond with Auriemma. Their bond traces back to Valley’s playing days, thereby enabling a sustainable transfer of information and feedback. She shed light on how the assistant coaches work alongside Auriemma in a recent conversation.

“I think what coach does, that’s brilliant”, she said. “He takes what he has and works with that, and nothing’s the same. He sees every day that we’re pretty good, but he also sees we have a lot of deficiencies. So, those are the things that we’re constantly harping on. Those are the things we’re working on every day, trying to get better.”

All in all, with all these positives, Morgan Valley truly stands as the backbone of the UConn Huskies program. With a long stretch of upcoming games, the team would want her back on the sidelines as quickly as possible.