Legendary UConn coach Geno Auriemma issued a stern warning for anyone questioning the postseason potential of a Breanna Stewart-led team.
“Don’t bet on anybody else other than her,” Auriemma said Thursday at Big East Media Day. “It’s been like that since she was 15 years old when I first saw her play.”
When the stakes get raised and the lights get brighter, a beast within Stewart awakens. Doubting her team’s capabilities only fuels her.
Stewart said as much Friday when asked about being overlooked by outsiders.
“Honestly, I know that I’m the best, and I feel that every time I step on the court,” Stewart said. “Nobody can do what I do, and just being confident … I’m detaching from judgement.”
The proof is in her trophy case that’s bursting at the seams.
“When you do look at her career, you look back and you realize there’s a regular-season Breanna Stewart and then there’s a postseason Breanna Stewart,” Auriemma said. “And Breanna Stewart probably plays in the playoffs as good as anybody I’ve ever seen, except maybe [Diana Taurasi] in terms of winning when you have to win, winning in knockout games.”
Auriemma is obviously biased. Stewart led UConn during one of the most dominant stretches in college basketball. With Stewart, the Huskies posted two undefeated seasons and won four consecutive NCAA Tournament championships.
Stewart, one of women’s basketball’s most decorated stars, went a perfect 23-0 in March Madness contests.
She’s won three WNBA championships and four World Cup titles. She’s also a three-time EuroLeague champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist.
Stewart is on one of the most impressive winning stretches in basketball history. She captured an Unrivaled championship in March, a EuroLeague championship in April, WNBA Commissioner’s Cup in June and the FIBA Women’s World Cup title in September.
Auriemma shares in the Liberty’s opinion that New York is not a traditional No. 8 seed. There’s truth in that, of course, because entering the final two games of the regular season, New York had the potential to finish as high as the fourth seed.
“So when they got the eighth seed, I thought, ‘I don’t think that’s right,’ ” Auriemma said. “All [of Stewart’s] success has prepared her for what she’s doing now. And you saw it at the Olympics when everybody started questioning, ‘Well, maybe this is the year France is going to get them. Blah, blah, blah.’ And I thought to myself, ‘You can’t question that kid during the playoffs when there’s a medal or there’s a trophy that goes to the winner.’ ”
Auriemma believes the Liberty have a legitimate shot at heading to their third WNBA Finals in four years, though he also acknowledged the path there only gets more challenging as the playoffs go on.
“Now that they won and it’s going to be three-out-of-five … there’s more opportunities to go,” he said. “This past time, it’s just boom, boom. But I am definitely going to get a chance to see them play, 100 percent.”
Unprompted, Auriemma also offered his ideal finals matchup: “Maybe it’ll be them and Golden State, so maybe I get a chance to see a lot of my guys play.”
Stewart is the lone Husky on New York’s side, and the Valkyries have Gabby Williams, Kiah Stokes, Tiffany Hayes and Kaitlyn Chen.
Asked who he thinks would win that series, Auriemma paused and smiled.
“I have to think on that one,” he said.
