The Weekly: Why UConn's 2016 national title was 'the most difficult run' of Geno's career

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Dominant second quarter carries UConn past Creighton

After a slow start, UConn exploded for a 17-0 run to start the second quarter and ultimately out-scored the hosts 33-7 in the frame en route to a 94-54 win at Creighton on Sunday. The young Bluejays squad melted under the Huskies’ press defense, which forced 13 turnovers on the first 18 possessions of the period.

Return of Morgan Cheli, Ice Brady not looking good

Geno Auriemma delivered some bad news on the injury front on Wednesday. The coach said he’s not confident Morgan Cheli (ankle/foot) or Ice Brady (knee) will return to play this season.

“If they are (back), I’ll be pleasantly surprised,” Auriemma said.

Cheli has been out 11 months since undergoing ankle surgery in late February and has yet to appear in a game this season. Brady played in UConn’s first two contests before sitting out the last 15 with knee inflammation.

UConn set to host Villanova, honor 2015 and 2016 national championship teams

On Thursday (later today), UConn will square off with Villanova — the second-best team in the Big East (and the only other one currently inside the NCAA Tournament field) — and celebrate two of the best teams in program history: The 2015 and 2016 national championship squads.

The Huskies of Honor ceremony will take place at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET while tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. 10 players from those teams will be in attendance: Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson, Morgan Tuck, Kia Nurse, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Napheesa Collier, Katie Lou Samuelson, Kiah Stokes, Briana Pulido and Tierney Lawlor.

Why UConn's 2016 national title was 'the most difficult run' of Geno's career

Out of UConn’s 12 national titles, none felt more inevitable than 2016. The Huskies were coming off three straight championships and only lost a single game over the previous two seasons. Breanna Stewart, who set a goal of raising four banners before she even played a game, returned for her senior year to lead a ridiculous roster that also featured Moriah Jefferson, Morgan Tuck, Kia Nurse, Gabby Williams, Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson.

Geno Auriemma didn’t view it that way, though. As UConn marched towards destiny, the coach agonized over the prospect of failure.

“I would say the 2016 season, and specifically the 2016 postseason, was probably the most difficult run through an NCAA Tournament, personally, that I've ever had,” Auriemma said. “The feeling of ‘This is something that's really, really, really meaningful and significant and huge for this group of players’ — I felt that. I carried that with me everywhere I went.”

UConn ultimately rolled through everybody, beating every team it played by double-digits. The Huskies were especially dominant in the NCAA Tournament, winning by an average of 41.2 points and setting a record for the highest margin of victory in Final Four history at +60. Nothing was going to stop them.

Once the job was finished, the stress and anxiety caught up with Auriemma. He missed the team’s championship parade and other celebrations due to health issues. 11 days after the title game, Auriemma took himself off a plane after feeling unwell and went to the hospital, where he was admitted for three days.

The championship took a toll.

“After it was over, I was completely wiped. I had nothing left,” he said. “I missed, like, a week of life. I was home and I couldn't move… I have no idea. I just know that I've never felt like that after a season ever in my life.”

In case you missed it

Transfer window changes: The NCAA announced the transfer portal will open for women’s basketball for 15 days beginning the day following the national championship game — April 6-20 this season. Last year, players had 30 days to enter the portal following the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Aaliyah Edwards’ Huskies of Honor induction changed: UConn has moved the date of Aaliyah Edwards’ induction into the Huskies of Honor to Jan. 28 against Xavier. The ceremony was initially scheduled for Jan. 19 against Notre Dame before a conflict with Edwards’ Unrivaled schedule came up.

Last week’s Weekly

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Rankings and awards

AP Poll: UConn is now the unanimous No. 1 team in the country after Texas, who previously owned four first-place votes, fell to LSU this past week.

Big East weekly honors: The Huskies swept the conference honors on Monday. Sarah Strong earned Big East Player of the Week for the fourth time while Blanca Quiñonez picked up her sixth Big East Freshman of the Week award. Strong averaged 21.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 5.5 steals per game on 72.0 percent shooting while Quiñonez put up 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists as UConn went 2-0 with wins over St. John’s and Creighton.

Play of the week

Social media recap

10/10, no notes:

Some fun memories:

Is this good?

Elsewhere in the world of UConn WBB

In Unrivaled, Aaliyah Edwards dropped 38 points for the Lunar Owls on Monday. She’s also notched three straight double-doubles.

Meanwhile, Paige Bueckers drilled a game-winner:

Poll question

Apologies to 2003, 2004 and 2013, but UConn has more banners than the poll allows.

The week ahead

Thursday: UConn vs. Villanova (7pm, FS1)

Monday: UConn vs. Notre Dame (5pm, FOX)