Category Archives: Video

Video: Why Do Players Want to Play for the UConn Women?

When a recruit thinks about coming to the University of Connecticut to play for the UConn women’s basketball team, they are certainly not thinking about how awesome the weather is in Storrs, CT.

They are thinking about how good the coaching staff is, how good the players are there and what kind of players and people the alumni of the team have become or the bond/sisterhood that is there.

Oh heck, who am I kidding.

It’s all about the nine national championships, 15 Final Fours, five perfect seasons and the 39 conference titles (regular season and tournament). And let us not forget all the in-season tournament titles they’ve won as well. They all come for the bling associated with it (I kid, I kid).

Watch and/or listen below as Kiah Stokes, Breanna Stewart, Kia Nurse and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis talking about winning championships at UConn.

Video: What Sets The UConn Women Apart From Other Teams?

Everyone out there wants to know why the UConn women’s basketball team is so good.

Is it because of the talent they have? That’s a part of it.

Is it because of their head coach and his staff? That’s a part of it.

So why are they so good?

It’s because they play solid basketball for 40 minutes every game. It doesn’t matter which five are on the floor for the UConn Huskies. They are all going to give it their collective all.

It’s something that UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma has ingrained in their minds.

Watch and/or listen below as UConn’s Breanna Stewart, Kiah Stokes and Moriah Jefferson talk about why they work so hard when they are on the court.

Video: UConn Women Advance To Finals With 50 Point Rout of ECU

There’s many a reason why players choose to play for the UConn women’s basketball team. One of them is to win championships, whether it be a regular season title, in-season tournament title, conference tournament or the big one.

Well, the UConn Huskies will get a chance to play for their second straight American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament title after shellacking the East Carolina Pirates 106-56 in front of 6,531 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT on Sunday night.

Kaleena Mosqueda-LewisUConn (31-1) will play the South Florida Bulls in Monday night’s championship game. The Bulls defeated Tulane in the nightcap. East Carolina (21-10) will not wait until next Monday to find out whether they made the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 19 of her 21 points in the first half to pace the Huskies. Moriah Jefferson, who turned 21 on Sunday, gave herself a nice birthday present with 20 points and six assists. Breanna Stewart just missed a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds while blocking five shots.

Morgan Tuck and Gabby Williams each added 15 and 12 points respectively.

Kiah Stokes became the all-time single season leader in blocks with four in the game. She now has 132 this season which passed Rebecca Lobo’s record of 131.

I’Tiana Taylor led the Pirates with 17 points. Jada Payne added 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds while Abria Trice had 11 points.

UConn Huskies vs East Carolina Pirates 2015 AAC Women’s Basketball Tournament semifinal box score

Here are UConn’s postgame quotes.

Here are East Carolina’s postgame quotes.

Video: Geno Auriemma on Breanna Stewart’s Play in the Postseason

The UConn women’s basketball team begins defense of its American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament title from last season on Saturday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.

And if there is one thing that UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma can count on, it is the fact that junior Breanna Stewart will become a totally different player, in a good way of course.

As the season has gone, Stewart has stepped her game to another level. She gets her teammates involved all of the time. But when she wants to score, she can do that to.

If you look at the box scores as of late, you’ll notice that Stewie’s offensive numbers have gone up. And as the conference tournament starts and then the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, you’ll most likely see her at the top of the scoring charts for the UConn women’s basketball team.

Watch and/or listen below as Auriemma talks about Stewart’s game rising in the postseason.

Video: UConn Women Dominate American Athletic Conference Awards

Just like they have their fellow American Athletic Conference opponents, the UConn women’s basketball team dominated the conference awards ceremony on Friday afternoon at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.

UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma took home Coach of the Year honors while Breanna Stewart (Player of the Year) and Kia Nurse (Freshman of the Year) were honored as well.

Watch and or/listen below as the UConn women’s team is honored by the conference.

Video: UConn Men Flex Muscles In 81-73 Win Over SMU

UConn G Rodney Purvis (44) flexes his muscles after making layup and being fouled in the second half against the SMU Mustangs at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.

UConn G Rodney Purvis (44) flexes his muscles after making a layup and being fouled in the second half against the SMU Mustangs at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.

The UConn men’s basketball team has not beaten the SMU Mustangs since the two teams joined the American Athletic Conference. For whatever reason, the UConn Huskies don’t match up well with them.

The last time these two teams faced each other, the Huskies were embarrassed in Dallas, TX. This time, head coach Kevin Ollie came up with a different game plan.

It was executed to perfection by his charges.

Rodney Purvis, who played perhaps his finest game in an UConn uniform, paced the Huskies to an 81-73 win over No. 21 SMU in front of 15,564 at the XL Center in snowy Hartford, CT.

UConn improves to 17-11 (10-6 American) while SMU falls to 23-6 (14-3 American).

Purvis led the way with 28 points and the 46% foul shooter hit all seven of his attempts. Ryan Boatright added 23 points and five assists while Daniel Hamilton had 14 of his 16 points in the second half. Hamilton also led the team with seven rebounds.

Markus Kennedy was the high scorer for the Mustangs with 18 points and had a game-high nine rebounds. Yanick Moreira had 14 points while Sterling Brown had 13 points.

The UConn men’s basketball team is back in action on Thursday night when they’ll host the Memphis Tigers on Senior Night at Gampel Pavilion. Tip is scheduled for 9 p.m.

SMU Mustangs @ UConn Huskies 3/1/15 box score

Here are the postgame quotes.

Here are UConn’s postgame notes.

photo credit:  ©2015 Ian Bethune

Photos-WBB: UConn Huskies vs Memphis Tigers – 2/28/15

Here is a photo gallery from the UConn women’s basketball game versus the Memphis Tigers at Gampel Pavilion on February 28, 2015. The UConn Huskies won the game easily, 87-24.

To see full size picture or slide show, please click on image
(mobile/tablet users: to scroll through photos, you can swipe left or right; to remove caption, tap photo.)

photo credits: ©2015 Ian Bethune

Video: UConn Women Rout Memphis 87-24 on Senior Day

Senior Day is always an emotional time for the UConn women’s basketball team. It’s the end of a particular era for members of the senior class. And it’s the last regular season game they’ll ever play at Gampel Pavilion.

One thing you have to watch out for is a letdown. It has happened before. But not this time.

Kaleena Mosqueda-LewisKaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Breanna Stewart combined for 38 first half points to make sure there was no setback on Senior Day in the UConn Huskies 87-24 win over the Memphis Tigers in front of a sold-out crowd on campus in Storrs, CT.

The win also clinched the regular season American Athletic Conference Championship, UConn’s (28-1, 17-0 American) second in a row. Memphis falls to 13-15 (7-10 American).

KML led the way with 21 points, including five three pointers. She also scored the 2,000th point of her career early in the game. Stewart added 20 points and eight rebounds. Moriah Jefferson chipped in with 12 points and six assists while Gabby Williams had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Kiah Stokes, who blocked her 300th career shot in the game, got the start and had four points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks.

Ariel Hearn was the high scorer and rebounds for Memphis with seven points and five rebounds. Asia Fuqua-Bey, Mooriah Rowser and Courtney Powell all contributed four points.

There’s no rest for UConn as they’ll head to sunny, warm Florida on Sunday for a matchup with the USF Bulls on Monday night at 7 p.m.

Memphis Tigers @ UConn Huskies 2/28/15 box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Geno Auriemma.

Video: UConn Men Hold Off Tulane For 67-60 Win

The UConn men’s basketball team has been on one heck of a roller coaster ride all season. There’s been so many ups and downs, it’s surprising no one has gotten stomach sick.

With conference tournament play looming, the UConn Huskies are looking to smooth things out and get the ride going in the right direction yet again.

Amida BrimahThey got it off to a good start again as the Huskies held off a fight from the Tulane Green Wave in a 67-60 win in front of 9,212 at Gampel Pavilion on Sunday afternoon.

UConn improves to 14-11 (8-6 American) while Tulane falls to 14-11 (5-9 American).

Amida Brimah paced the Huskies with 19 points on 8-for-8 shooting. He also had five rebounds and four blocked shots. Ryan Boatright added 16 points while Omar Calhoun came off the bench to score 12 points.

Daniel Hamilton continued his great all-around play with seven points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

Louis Dabney led Tulane with 19 points while Dylan Osetkowski had 12 points. Jay Hook had a team-high eight rebounds to go along with eight points for the Green Wave.

UConn looks to improve their seeding in conference play when they head to Greenville, NC on Wednesday night for a matchup with the East Carolina Pirates. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Tulane Green Wave @ UConn Huskies 2/22/15 box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Kevin Ollie.

Here are UConn’s postgame notes.

photo credit: ©2015 Ian Bethune