According to UConn’s senior guard Nika Muhl, she felt shocked and mournful as injuries sidelined her UConn teammates during the season.
Despite the challenges, the No. 3 Huskies made it to the Final Four once again and will face top-seeded Iowa in the national semifinal Friday at 9:30 p.m. at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Muhl expressed that they realized the choice to either mourn forever or step up and play for their sidelined teammates. She mentioned the privilege of being able to play and how it made them tougher.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma had initially felt confident about his team's chances, but as injuries piled up, his confidence waned.
Auriemma had previously anticipated a potential matchup with South Carolina in the NCAA championship game, but as injuries mounted, his confidence diminished.
Auriemma highlighted the uncertainties surrounding the upcoming game and the need for his team to adapt to unforeseen challenges.
Auriemma emphasized the high expectations and challenges of playing for UConn, acknowledging the difficulty of meeting such demands.
Auriemma admitted to having plans for the weekend, which did not involve facing the current situation.
Bueckers and Edwards Become WBCA All-Americans
UConn seniors Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards were named to the WBCA All-America team Friday afternoon in Cleveland. UConn was the only team with multiple players and Bueckers received her second All-American recognition, following her 2021 honor. Both UConn players were also chosen for the Wooden Award All-American team on Tuesday.
NC State in first Final Four since 1998
NC State reached its initial Final Four since 1998 when the Wolfpack defeated UConn 60-52 in the regional final in Dayton. It was the first and only Final Four appearance for the late coach Kay Yow.
NC State coach Wes Moore became emotional when discussing what Yow meant to him and how she would feel about the Wolfpack making it to the Final Four again. NC State will confront undefeated South Carolina in the national semifinal game Friday at 7 p.m. at Rocket Mortgage Arena. Yow, who had breast cancer, passed away in 2009.
North Carolina State’s coach Kay Yow acknowledges the applause as she leaves the court at the Save Mart Center after her team lost to UConn in the Fresno Regional semifinal game in March 2007.
“You know, just hard to describe what she means in the state of North Carolina,” Moore said Thursday. “It was more than basketball. And even now, in her passing, look at what she’s doing. I mean, the Kay Yow Foundation is doing so much for cancer research and treatment and helping people.
“She was such an unbelievable person. And that, of course, sometimes is hard to take because I know I’m not near the person she was. Very special in North Carolina. She’s a legend. It’s awesome to be here and follow her … it’s her program.”
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, whose Virginia teams faced Yow’s teams many times back in her playing days in the ACC, recalled Yow fondly.
“Kay Yow is iconic, and I know that she probably has a hand on NC State being here,” Staley said. “They’ve got an angel up in heaven that’s still coaching them. Spiritually, maybe some of these players know of her legacy or not, but anytime that someone that’s coached Olympic teams, that’s a legend in coaching, they’ll always have a spirit about their program.
“I hope she’s truly happy with Wes Moore and their Wolfpack team being here in the Final Four, and I mean it’s a really happy time for, especially when you haven’t been here in a long time.”
UConn’s improvement since NC State loss
After an opening night win over Dayton, UConn went to NC State on Nov. 12 and gave up 92 points, the most the Huskies have allowed all season, in a 92-81 loss to the then-unranked Wolfpack.
And on that day, they had a fairly full complement of players – Azzi Fudd, Aubrey Griffin and Carolina Ducharme all played in that game before injuries ended their seasons.
That weekend, UConn wasn’t particularly looking like a Final Four team. And yet here the Huskies are – UConn with an injury-riddled pared down roster that is meaner and leaner than it was at the start of the season.
“I think this is Geno’s best coaching job,” Moore said. “To think about who all he lost along the way and how he’s still in the Final Four. I mean, come on.”
South Carolina undefeated, overshadowed
The focus Thursday was all about Friday night’s second semifinal game: UConn vs. Iowa, Paige vs. Caitlin. Meanwhile, undefeated South Carolina, which will play NC State in the first semifinal, was not getting quite as much attention.
“I feel like we’ve noticed that we might not get as much coverage,” South Carolina junior guard Bree Hall said. “But we’re just so focused on us and want to win every game. We just approach every game – we want to go out there and perform and execute and play for each other.
“We acknowledge it, but we're not discussing it in the locker room at all, not even a little bit.”
