Showing posts with label womens college basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label womens college basketball. Show all posts

Friday, December 31, 2010

All Streaks Come to an End

TAMPA, FL - APRIL 06:  Head coach Geno Auriemma of the UCONN Huskies reacts in the second half against the Stanford Cardinal during their National Semifinal Game of the 2008 NCAA Women's Final Four at St. Pete Times Forum April 6, 2008 in Tampa, Florida. Stanford won 82-73.  (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
Geno during UConn's last loss...
in 2008 semis against Stanford
90 straight games. 998 days since their last loss. The same team that defeated them last was the one that stopped the streak.

The Stanford Cardinal put a halt to the UConn women's hoops team streak of 90 consecutive wins last evening. A streak that may never be duplicated in the basketball record books.

I find it refreshing that after taking the loss, UConn coach Geno Auriemma not only took the time to converse with ESPN's Jimmy Dykes, but Auriemma also voiced a couple of astute facts.
"At some point reality had to set in, and today reality set in," Auriemma said. "I'm not destroyed about it. Winning that many games in a row, it's unheard of..."

"...When you see what happens tonight and how it happened, I think you can appreciate it even more what it took to get to that point and how many things can go wrong and how you can have bad nights," Auriemma said.
It really is difficult to appreciate a feat so excellent when you're caught up in it. Now that it's over, Auriemma will go back to the drawing board and embark his squad on another streak.

And that's what Geno does best. He's constantly motivating his young team. Being top dog for so long should serve as a motivating tool in itself. You get every team's best shot night in, night out. After a while, the mental aspect of the game should become a grind. Not to Auriemma. That's when he coaches his best.