Geno Auriemma and his UConn Huskies are such heavy favorites to win another women’s national title that they’ve already been penciled in as the inevitable champs. So it seems all they need to do is just roll out the ball to hoist the trophy.
Don’t count the Hall of Fame coach among those who believe the top-seeded Huskies are a lock to three-peat.
“The fact that everybody thinks it’s a done deal, that we’re going to win the whole thing,” Auriemma said, “are probably people who have never coached, or haven’t coached in a Final Four or have won a national championship.”
Maybe, but it’s hard to envision UConn not cutting down the nets on April 7 in Tampa, Florida. The top overall seed in the women’s NCAA Tournament has already handily beaten No. 1 seeds South Carolina and Notre Dame this season.
“They’ve been at the top of their game for over a decade and no one’s been able to dethrone them year in and year out,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “If they’re the best our game has, you do have to talk about them. But I do think there is a little bit more parity than there’s been in a long time.”