Is Tonya Cardoza returning to UConn?

Welcome to the UConn WBB Weekly, a recap of everything that happened in the world of UConn women’s basketball over the past week from the team that runs The UConn Blog.

Sign up to get the Weekly in your inbox every Thursday or subscribe to get our premium newsletter which includes film breakdowns, analysis, recruiting coverage, and more!

Headlines

• Top 2026 post player takes second visit to UConn

Last week’s Weekly:

• Aaliyah Edwards confident she'll still improve with Canadian national team this summer: 'I'm staying true to who I am as a player'

Elsewhere:

• Gabby Williams re-signs with the Seattle Storm (WNBA)

Is Tonya Cardoza primed to return to UConn?

UConn women’s basketball will have an additional assistant coach for the 2023-24 season thanks to a rule change by the NCAA. Teams can hire two additional coaches, though the new staffers are not allowed to do any off-campus recruiting.

Last week, the Huskies officially posted the opening. Based on the qualifications, it looks like they have one person in mind: Tonya Cardoza.

An assistant on Geno Auriemma’s staff from 1994-2008, Cardoza helped UConn win five national championships. She left to take the head job at Temple in 2008 and held that position through the 2022 season, where she amassed a 251-188 record to become the winningest coach in program history.

The job listing describes Cardoza’s coaching career almost exactly. Emphasis is added.

While there are plenty of coaches who could qualify (Kim Mulkey, Dawn Staley, Geno himself), Cardoza is the only one who’s currently a realistic free agent — unless Muffet McGraw plans to come out of retirement.

This isn’t the only time the Huskies have tailor-made a job posting for a new assistant coach. After Shea Ralph left to take over at Vanderbilt in 2021, UConn had specific requirements for its next coach — which Auriemma himself didn’t even meet.

• Five years of coaching experience working within a women’s collegiate Division I basketball program

• Coaching experience at two or more universities that are members of Power 5 conferences

• Division I head coaching experience

• Coaching experience on team(s) that have advanced to at least the regional round of the NCAA D I WBB Championship

• Demonstrated experience coaching players who have achieved conference and/or national honors

• Former playing experience at the Division I collegiate level

The Huskies ended up hiring Valley, who worked as an assistant at Virginia Tech, Washington, and Arizona (all Power Five members) before taking over at Hartford (Division I head coaching experience). During her time at Washington, the other Huskies reached the Final Four in 2016 (well past the regional round) and she coached Kelsey Plum, who swept the national player of the year awards in 2017 (national honors). Valley also played at UConn from 2000-04, giving her the necessary playing experience at the Division I level.

The job posting for the new assistant closed on Wednesday, July 5, so the hire should be announced soon.

Assuming it is Cardoza, UConn will have one of the most experienced coaching staffs in the nation. Associate head coach Chris Dailey has been by Auriemma’s side since he was hired to lead the Huskies in 1985 and is 17-0 as acting head coach. Assistant coaches Jamelle Elliott (Cincinnati) and Valley (Hartford) have both been head coaches and both played at UConn.

Best of social media

Basketball and jazz:

No such thing as too much Jonathan content:

A couple of former Huskies featured:

Napheesa’s an All-Star again: