Geno Auriemma has been in the game long enough to recognize when a player is being overlooked. Last season, that player was Jada Eads. Asked about her then, Auriemma didn’t hesitate to place her in elite company, guards who don’t always dominate headlines but quietly dictate outcomes.
“It’s unfortunate,” Auriemma said. “Last year, her and Basco from Villanova—I thought they were two of the best young guards in the country. We were fortunate to have them in our league.”
Eads’ absence has reshaped Seton Hall’s season. When healthy, she is the type of guard every defense must account for, she's able to shoot, distribute, defend, and generate offense not just for herself but for everyone around her. Without her, the Pirates are simply different.
Finishing Strong Without Your Star
Savannah Cadillac has carried the torch in Eads’ absence, stepping into a backcourt role that demands consistency and composure. But losing a player like Eads leaves little margin for error.
“They’re not the same team without her,” Auriemma said. “You’ve got to guard her. She can shoot. She can distribute. She plays good defense.”
Still, Auriemma believes Seton Hall’s NCAA tournament hopes remain alive. The formula is simple, if unforgiving: beat the teams they’re supposed to beat, handle business in league play, and finish the season with purpose.
“They’re real close right now,” he said. “They just need to finish.”
It’s a familiar concept for a coach whose program has been built on closing seasons the right way.
Looking Up at the Banners
When the conversation shifts from the present to legacy, Auriemma’s voice carries a different weight. Recently, UConn reunited its 2015 and 2016 championship teams a moment that forced reflection even for someone who rarely looks back.
“It was the same guys, pretty much,” he said. “And they were looking up in the rafters.”
One comment stayed with him. Napheesa Collier, standing beneath the banners, captured the surreal passage of time.
“I can’t believe it’s been ten years,” she said. “And how much has happened.”
In a decade, UConn players live entire basketball lifetimes—arriving as high school recruits and leaving as champions with careers that stretch far beyond Storrs.
A Legacy That Touches Every Corner of the Game
UConn’s impact doesn’t end with championships. Its former players populate every layer of women’s basketball.
“They go from high school players to college players to national champions at UConn,” Auriemma said. “WNBA championships. Olympic gold medals.”
Then they keep building.
They start new leagues. Serve on executive boards. Help shape collective bargaining agreements. Move into media. Influence the game from boardrooms as much as from the court.
"They’re everywhere,” Auriemma said. “They touch every part of the game.”
For Auriemma, that’s the true definition of legacy, not dominance for a moment, but relevance across generations. He’s seen other programs rise quickly and fade just as fast. UConn has endured.
“We’ve been doing this a long time,” he said. “And we’re still doing it.”
From evaluating an underrated Big East guard to watching former players reshape the sport on a global scale, Auriemma understands that greatness isn’t preserved by nostalgia. It’s sustained by standards—by finishing seasons, careers, and eras the right way.
And at UConn, finishing has always meant something more.
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