Geno Auriemma can't remember how many emails he received after Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. That's when one of his former Union University players missed a free throw, sending the game into overtime, and another made a jumper with eight seconds left for the win. However, many messages were received. It contained similar sentiments.
His cell phone buzzed with predictions that Brianna Stewart would win Game 2. “Because that's who she is.”
Auriemma first met Stewart while recruiting her. The only time he saw her play badly at a high-stakes stage was in Game 4 of the 2023 Finals, when the Aces clinched the title.
So Auriemma knew Stewart's missed free throws wouldn't last long.
As the chess match between Lynx and 2015-16 UW teammate Nafeesa Collier continued, he knew she would bounce back.
“She plays her best basketball in the playoffs,” Auriemma told the Post before Game 3. “And I wouldn't be surprised if anything happens in Game 2.”
Auriemma has a unique perspective on this WNBA Finals.
Stewart and Collier, second and third in the 2024 MVP voting, are the most established players in the series.
The two-way stars are tasked with protecting each other.
They are also a link to the Huskies' most recent national championship in 2016.
“When they were here, we knew they were good defenders,” Auriemma said. “We know they're great defenders, but we don't know at that point how that's going to impact the league. … They can score 30 points a night, but they don't have the ball in their hands. I love how they impact the game when they don’t.”
During the finals, Collier thrived in the lane, using his footwork to create space for fadeaways.
Auriemma said if he catches the ball near the restricted area, “you know you're in trouble.”
Stewart can shoot 3-pointers and attack from the perimeter, Auriemma added, and if that happens, Collier “has a job that's perfect for her.”
“They're the best defenders on their respective teams and two of the best defenders in the league,” Auriemma said. It's a kind of competitive problem where they don't necessarily have to play against each other. ”
Two days after Collier's clutch goal in overtime gave the Lynx a 1-0 advantage, Stewart finished with 21 points as Auriemma sat courtside at Barclays Center. She recorded seven stolen bases.
She moved on from Game 1 and then joked with Auriemma, playing with the “joy and fun” Auriemma had seen her and Collier watch at UConn.
And this ensures that the showdown between the former stars will include at least two more matches.
