Is It Jealousy Or Is It Because They Are Really Good?

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Is it Jealousy or Is It because they are Really Good?

For years UCONN has been the face of women’s college basketball. Winning 11 national championships, with six undefeated seasons in the last 20 years, sending 40 players to the WNBA since its start in 1996, 13 consecutive years in the final 4, and an overall record of 1,116-147 since coach Geno Auriemma took over. So it only makes sense that others in the game have become jealous of Geno Auriemma and the dynasty he has built at the University of Connecticut.

Most recently, it has been former Notre Dame coach and national championship winner Muffet McGraw. When asked if she thought that the Huskies have an “outsized” influence on women’s basketball. She took a hit at UCONN saying “UConn has done great things, and they’ve won way more than anybody else, except Tennessee. What they’ve done has been amazing. I think people measure their team by them.”But I think it goes over the top with ESPN. That is Connecticut’s network. Notre Dame has NBC. Connecticut has ESPN. That is absolutely complete bias there.” 

The question is, is this bias, or is it just because they have done more than any college team, and have been the reason why women’s basketball has become such a big thing around the country? Is it biased or is Muffet McGraw just jealous that she was not able to accomplish all that Geno Auriemma has? 

What’s my take? I believe that this is not biased, it is simply facts. The fact of the matter is UCONN has done so much for Women’s basketball, has worked hard to get where they are, and deserve all the ESPN time that they get. Here’s another fact to think about: Notre Dame Women’s Basketball was on ESPN the other day and lost by 26.

What did Geno Auriemma have to say about this? In a press conference when asked about McGraw’s words he said, “Notre Dame has their own network; our network is SNY, I don’t know why anybody would think ESPN is our network. I’m just glad we don’t go 30 years between winning championships. So maybe NBC ought to help them a little more.” Coach Auriemma did not mince words adding, “I do want to thank the people at ESPN for helping us win those 111 [games] in a row. If it wasn’t for them, there’s no way we could have done it,” he said. “Hopefully, there’s some people there that can take some credit for that… There are a lot of other schools within proximity to ESPN.”

So what is my point in writing this article? Simply to bring awareness to the fact that UCONN deserves all they have gotten. No other team has been able to accomplish what they have. People want to watch the really good teams, and UCONN is a really good team. They deserve everything they get, although people may be jealous of it. Without a program like UCONN, Women’s Basketball would not be where it is today. And, in the end, that should be what all coaches, players, and fans of the NCAAW should be thankful for. 

Oh, and here’s a little fact, just a few days ago ESPN hired former UCONN women’s basketball writer Alexa Philippou. Not because she used to report for UCONN, but because of “Her versatility in handling news, features, game coverage, and larger projects on a demanding beat encompassing both women’s college basketball and the WNBA. ESPN says Alexa’s addition to their talented group is great news for ESPN readers, especially with the NCAA Tournament just weeks away.”