HARTFORD, Conn. — Geno Auriemma gathered his players this week and tried to explain the history behind what is about to happen. When UConn and Tennessee play in women’s basketball, it is a tradition like no other.
Or, at least, it once was.
“I just gave them a background,” Auriemma said. ‘”This is the history of the rivalry, this is how it started, this is what it meant, this is what it evolved into and it was probably the first and only classic women’s basketball rivalry on the level of North Carolina and Duke [in men’s basketball]’. It became something special, but these kids don’t know anything about that. There were so many years when we didn’t play while these kids were growing up.”
