MINNEAPOLIS – The University of Connecticut and Stanford have met on the biggest stage in women’s college basketball many times over the past 27 years.
The rivalry between the two storied programs led by Hall of Fame coaches Geno Auriemma and Tara VanDerveer will resume Friday night in the Final Four, five years after their most recent meeting. The winner advances to Sunday night’s championship game against either Louisville or South Carolina, who play in Friday’s first semifinal at 7 p.m. Both of the semifinals will be televised by ESPN.
VanDerveer and Auriemma are 1-2 on the all-time coaching wins list in women’s basketball, with their combined total more than 2,300. They have played in the Final Four or national championship game against each other five times, with Auriemma’s Huskies winning four of the meetings.
“We’ve been competing against each other for a long time, playing against each other,” VanDerveer said. “I like him and think we get along really well. I’ve never felt that we were adversaries in a negative way, but more competitors in a good way.”
UConn (29-5) is the lone No. 2 seed in this year’s Final Four among three top seeds, with the Huskies having won the Bridgeport Regional after some regular-season struggles – by their lofty standards – as they battled injuries. Stanford (32-3) won the Spokane Regional as it tries to repeat as national champion and win its fourth NCAA title overall.