Geno Auriemma and the Connecticut Huskies' dominant season came to a sudden halt Friday night. The top-seeded Huskies fell 62–48 to Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. After going undefeated in the regular season and rolling through the tournament’s early rounds, the Huskies were unable to maintain their momentum on the big stage.
UConn, who leaned heavily on sophomore forward Sarah Strong and senior guard Azzi Fudd throughout the season, struggled offensively in the semifinal. The duo combined to shoot just 7-of-31 from the field (22.5%). South Carolina was led by senior guard Ta’Niya Latson, who recorded 16 points and 11 rebounds.
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Auriemma is one of the biggest names in women's college basketball. With 12 national championships, six undefeated seasons (with no other program having more than one), eight Naismith Coach of the Year awards, he has turned Connecticut into a powerhouse. As a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame since 2006, his legacy is already cemented.
Despite his cachet, Auriemma and his Huskies have been in the spotlight for atypical reasons as of late. Although he has been a model of dominance and consistency in women's college basketball, his recent losses have garnered attention.
The loss to South Carolina in the Final Four was one thing, but the midcourt incident between Staley and Auriemma at the end of the game was an even larger loss. Auriemma and Staley both made public statements following the clash, with Geno admitting in a public apology that "I’ve lost more games in the Final Four than any coach in history. But Friday, I lost something more important. I lost myself."
Auriemma will have to deal with yet another loss, as On3 reported on Wednesday that junior guard Isuneh Brady will enter the transfer portal. Brady arrived at Storrs as the No. 5 overall-ranked recruit in the 2022 class out of San Diego, California. She had her best season with the Huskies her freshman year, appearing in 39 games and averaging 4.5 points per game and 3.3 rebounds per game in 17.4 minutes per game.
Brady has been unable to build on her freshman-year success. Nicknamed "Ice", the 6-foot-3 guard was seemingly iced out by coach Auriemma, playing fewer minutes per game each consecutive season with the Huskies. Brady appeared in only two games in 2025-26 for Connecticut before suffering from knee inflammation in an 85-31 win against Loyola Chicago on Nov. 12. She underwent successful knee surgery in February and will look to heal before the start of the 2026-27 season.
"BREAKING: UConn’s Ice Brady plans to enter the transfer portal," On3's Talia Goodman wrote on X. "Her representative at @koyersport told @On3 . The 6-3 junior averaged 2.5 ppg this season in two games and averaged 3.6 ppg last year."
Auriemma currently has the No. 9 overall-ranked 2026 recruiting class, headlined by Olivia Vukosa.
