UConn coach Geno Auriemma complained Friday in regards to the ladies’s NCAA Match format that when once more has despatched the Huskies throughout the nation. And presumably again once more.
UConn is enjoying within the Spokane Area, dealing with Oklahoma within the Sweet 16 on Saturday night. If the Huskies can win the area, they will journey throughout the nation to Tampa, Florida, for the Remaining 4.
It is the third season that the 4 ladies’s regionals have been consolidated into two websites. This 12 months, video games are being performed in Spokane and Birmingham, Alabama.
Auriemma, who has led UConn to a report 11 nationwide titles, was not completely satisfied in regards to the congested format with eight groups all needing court docket time along with the video games.
It was additionally UConn’s third straight match enjoying its regional video games on the West Coast. The Huskies wound up in Seattle in 2023 and Portland, Oregon, final 12 months.
[More: 2025 Women’s March Madness Schedule: Dates, locations, channels, how to watch]
“In a standard world, run by regular individuals, there would solely be 4 groups right here,” Auriemma mentioned. “Which implies there can be no video games immediately, the video games can be tomorrow. Which implies we wouldn’t should stand up at 6 a.m. to have an 8 o’clock follow right here this morning for an hour.”
UConn’s half-hour shootaround on the ground at Spokane Area on Saturday was scheduled for 7:30 a.m. native time. Auriemma mentioned it takes longer for the gamers to get by means of safety than they get on the court docket.
“God bless whoever wins Monday night time, OK, and they have to fly cross-country, which is all day Tuesday, then they’ve two days, Wednesday and Thursday, to play the largest sport of their life,” Auriemma mentioned.
In distinction, he famous, the lads’s groups have 5 days between video games.
“So whoever got here up with this tremendous regional stuff, and I do know who they’re, ruined the sport. They did. They ruined the sport. Half the nation has no probability to get to a sport in particular person,” Auriemma mentioned. “However you’re making billions off of TV. Nicely, truly you’re not, that might be the lads’s match. So, yeah, there’s plenty of points that they should repair.”
Reporting by The Related Press.
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