Napheesa Collier hilariously reveals Coach Geno’s damning take on her defense. (Photos: IMAGN)
Reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier recounted what UConn coach Geno Auriemma once said about her defense on Wednesday. Collier played under Auriemma from 2015 to 2019, winning an NCAA championship in 2016. However, it seems Auriemma was not always a fan of her defense.
Speaking to ESPN during UConn’s game against Farleigh Dickinson on Wednesday night, Collier shared her favorite Coach Geno moment. She remembered being criticized for her defense at practice.
“I think my favorite Coach Geno moment, I think would be in practice when he said there’s a cone on the floor and the cone defended better than I could defend,” Collier said. “That was a humbling experience.”
Napheesa Collier evidently learned from the experience since she turned into one of the best defensive players later in her college career at UConn. Collier was the AAC Defensive Player of the Year in her final season with the Huskies in 2019.
It translated to the WNBA when she was named to the All-Defensive Second Team as a second-year player in 2020. She received another All-Defensive Second Team nod in 2023 and took home the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.
Collier was in attendance on Wednesday night to witness coach Geno Auriemma become the winningest NCAA coach in history with 1,217 wins. Auriemma broke the tie with Tara VanDerveer following an impressive 85-41 win over the Farleigh Dickinson Knights at the jam-packed Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.
In addition to the Minnesota Lynx star, Tiffany Hayes of the Las Vegas Aces was also present in the crowd. ESPN asked her about her favorite Coach Geno moment, and this was her answer:
“One of my favorite Coach Geno moments was (when) coach found out that I needed contacts and my eyes are not like even. So he was like, ‘No wonder you missed so many shots because you can’t really see that well.'”
Hayes was in UConn from 2008 to 2012, winning two NCAA championships in 2009 and 2010. Some of her teammates in those teams include Maya Moore, Tina Charles, Renee Montgomery and Kalana Greene.
Napheesa Collier praises coach Geno Auriemma and assistant Chris Dailey
Napheesa Collier praises coach Geno Auriemma and assistant Chris Dailey. (Photo: GETTY)
Napheesa Collier spoke during SNY’s broadcast and praised both Auriemma and Dailey for their contributions to her game.
“It’s so cool to see just the love that they’ve been given, that the culture that they’ve been able to bring up in all these years, and to see how many people come back to support them as a testament to who they are,” Collier said.
Auriemma is looking to bring UConn their first NCAA championship in 2016. He has a shot with players such as Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd on his roster this season.
