Remember when Geno Auriemma dropped a few takes about Caitlin Clark back in 2024? According to him, CC runs her mouth quite a bit on the court, which, in his view, explained why the WNBA seemed to be “beating up” on her during her rookie season. This came after he’d already claimed she was being “targeted.” And sure, he eventually circled back to say her trash talk might be the reason for all the extra heat, but since he didn’t open with that, a lot of fans felt like he was pushing the ‘victim’ narrative just a little too hard. Well, that whole ‘victim’ situation has come full circle…only this time, Geno’s on the receiving end. But don’t get anyone wrong, it is all in a wholesome and hilarious way.

The Indiana Fever are warming up for their regular season debut on May 17. But before they hit the hardwood, the squad’s been having a little off-court fun. Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, and DeWanna Bonner recently graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. To keep things spicy, SI dropped a video on May 15, featuring the Fever stars answering questions about each other. What started in a lighthearted manner turned into a playful roast session, specifically aimed at none other than legendary UConn coach.

When asked what kind of coaching vibe Kelsey Mitchell would bring, Clark gave her a sweet nod, saying she’d be “chill.” But Aliyah Boston wasn’t buying it. With a dramatic “Noooo,” she interrupted and went, “You might not Geno, but you don’t get up in their grill,” cheekily referencing Auriemma’s famously fiery style.

And then came Mitchell herself with, “Geno disciplines, but he has like a ‘uhh’… I don’t have a ‘uhh.’” The whole time, Bonner was just cracking up, clearly living for Boston’s take. Meanwhile, Clark quietly smiled in the corner, soaking it all in. Now, if you know Geno, you know these tracks. The ‘uhh’ Mitchell was talking about is probably his intensity.

He’s long been known for pushing his players to their limits – intense, loud, and unapologetically demanding. Even players from his first team recalled being frequently thrown out of practice, with one describing him as “brash, driven, and demanding.” Former Husky Napheesa Collier once said, “Before games, he would try to fire you up by saying, ‘You suck.’” So, his practices were all about mental toughness and razor-sharp execution.

Mitchell, with her relentless drive and fire on the court, gives off that same no-nonsense energy. So, it’s kind of easy to see why Boston thinks she’d bring that heat as a coach, too. Geno, to his credit, after 40 seasons, has had to adjust. He’s admitted to softening his approach to better connect with today’s athletes. 

“I’ve toned it down a lot,” he said recently, before adding with a grin, “but when I raise my voice… it’s a lot.” Still, the core of his coaching remains rooted in tough love. And his current players can vouch for that. KK Arnold called him a “tough love type of coach”- intense, yes, but always supportive. That mix has built champions. It’s why UConn is still the basketball factory, and why Geno remains the winningest coach in the game.

Even Clark could’ve gotten a taste of that world, too. But well… the basketball gods had other plans.

Caitlin Clark’s dream was open, but Geno didn’t call

Caitlin Clark really wanted to be recruited by the Huskies. “Honestly,” she said, “it was more I wanted them to recruit me to say I got recruited. I loved UConn. I think they’re the coolest place on Earth, and I wanted to say I got recruited by them.” But it just… didn’t happen. They rang her AAU coach a couple of times, sure. But there was never a conversation with her family. No home visit. No personal pitch from Geno. Clark waited, and nothing came. Eventually, her final two came down to Iowa and Notre Dame, with UConn notably missing in action.

It’s kind of wild because Clark was ESPN’s No. 4 player in the 2020 class. Why wouldn’t UConn want a generational scorer like her? Well, the answer might lie in the fact that they already had a commitment from another generational player – Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 recruit from that very same class. Bueckers committed to UConn in April 2019. Clark made her choice in November. So technically, UConn had locked in their floor general early. And Auriemma stood by that.

When asked about not recruiting Clark, he gave it to us straight. “There’s a lot of kids we didn’t recruit and there’s a lot of kids who don’t want to go to UConn,” he said. “I committed to Paige Bueckers very, very early and it would’ve been silly for me to say, ‘Hey listen, we’re going to put you in the backcourt and then I’m going to try really hard to recruit Caitlin Clark.’ I don’t do it that way.”

He did add that Caitlin is “obviously a tremendous player, a generational player.” But according to him, the Fever star was the one who didn’t pitch or call him. Still, in his mind, it was a clean break. “Neither of us lost out,” he added. Everything turned out in the best way possible, and both athletes are among the most accomplished in college basketball history.

But it’s hard not to dream up the alternate universe where Clark and Bueckers could have been teammates, right?