Despite his team cruising to a comfortable lead against Fairleigh Dickinson, UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma wasn’t letting his players off the hook. Known for keeping his squad grounded even during their best performances, the 70-year-old coach wasn’t exactly thrilled with their offensive execution. And while Azzi Fudd made her much-anticipated return to the court, the vibes around her comeback weren’t entirely brimming with confidence either.
“We could get way more aggressive,” he said during halftime. “Get in the passing lane more, speed up a little bit. We’re not shooting the ball great, but we’re getting a lot of open shots.” However, he expressed optimism that, eventually, they’ll fall right.
His sky-high expectations come as no surprise, given that every game adds to his legendary career. He is on the brink of becoming the coach with the most wins in NCAA history. And Azzi Fudd’s return couldn’t have come at a better time. After missing nearly an entire season due to an ACL injury, the former No. 1 recruit stepped back into action.
But along with the team’s offense, she also got the tough-love treatment. “It’s gonna be difficult…for her,” Auriemma admitted. “You know, how much rehab you do, how much practice you do…playing in a game is completely different.” He did strike a hope, though: “A couple of minutes here, a couple of minutes there—it’ll come back pretty quickly.”
Geno Auriemma gives his thoughts on the first half vs. FDU with @ChelseaSherrod pic.twitter.com/pu0qBvYZVT
— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) November 21, 2024
The post Tough Love From Geno Auriemma for Azzi Fudd as He Calls Out UConn’s Offense Despite Dominating Lead Against FDU appeared first on EssentiallySports.
