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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Meghan L. Hall

Geno Auriemma takes not-so-subtle shot at NIL era athletes in pointed rant about recruiting challenges

UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma is in hot water after sharing his thoughts on how NIL deals have impacted the college landscape.

For many years, there has been much chatter about whether college athletes should be compensated for using their name, image and likeness (NIL). Universities nationwide have profited from stellar athletes (like Caitlin Clark) who draw attention and dollars to sports programs. That has prompted those same athletes to argue that they should see part of the money, spurring a massive culture-shifting movement for the foreseeable future.

However, some coaches don’t see it that way and are struggling to adjust to the impact NIL deals have made on their jobs, especially when it comes to recruiting and maintaining talent. Uconn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma recently shared what he feels are challenges in this new era.

Many fans quickly pieced together that he was seemingly taking a swipe at Lauren Park-Lane of Mississippi State when he mentioned Seton Hall during a press conference on January 13. She transferred from Seton Hall to Mississippi State after her 2022-23 season. The dig at Park-Lane prompted a response from the player herself.

As Auriemma’s words went through basketball circles, Park-Lane’s strength and conditioning coach and LSU star Angel Reese also responded, jumping in to defend the senior guard.

To be clear, Geno Auriemma is not wrong for sharing his thoughts, but coaches will never be able to have a nuanced conversation about the NIL era if they single out players or make sweeping assumptions about why a player may transfer.

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