The Guru NCAAW National Report: UConn Victory Puts Auriemma on the Doorstep of Coaching History; Upsets Abound; Big Stage Attraction Highlights

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

Upsets, major clashes, tributes, and an impending date with history one step closer.

The first Sunday ending the first week of the 2024-25 season had it all to the point as we’ll continue to do when appropriate, we split the report into local and national posts, the local one is sitting right behind this, so let’s get under way.

Hall of Fame Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma moved within one game of tying the all-time NCAA Division I record for wins held by either men’s or women’s mentors as the No. 2 Huskies kept their perfect record with South Florida intact with an 86-49 triumph in their campus Gampel Pavilion in Storrs.

That brought his total to 1,215, just one behind retired Hall of Fame Stanford women’s coach Tara VanDerveer, who stepped down after last season.

The matching date could come as early as Friday on the road when UConn (2-0) travels South to play No. 20 North Carolina on a neutral court in Greensboro, a ranking that will have changed later Monday off of reshuffling in the wake of the first Associated Press women’s poll of the regular season.

That same poll in which the Huskies were expected to stay right behind No. 1 South Carolina extended the record consecutive appearance streak across 31 seasons to 587 weeks – this is the poll’s 866th dating to November, 1976.

Auriemma, in his only head coaching job, and Chris Dailey, his associate, are celebrating their 40th season with the program.

The win over the Bulls (2-1) brought UConn’s record in the series to 34-0, the bulk of which came when the Huskies spent seven years with USF in the American Athletic Conference before returning to the Big East in 2020.

Their last meeting the Bulls, this year’s AAC favorite, came close losing by seven points when the two met in 2021 in the Battle 4 Atlantis tourney in the tropics.

In this one, all-American Paige Bueckers had 22 points, 19 occurring in the first half.

Ashlynn Shade had a third of the Huskies’ 30 points in the third quarter, finishing the game with 15, while freshman Ann Strong, the nation’s top recruit, totalled 13 points.

Two transfers led USF, which plays Vanderbilt, coached by former UConn star Shea Ralph, home in Tampa, Thursday. Mama Demeke from Missouri scored 12 points while Florida State transfer Sammie Puisis scored 10.

The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) announced last spring it’s women’s coach of the year award will begin bearing Auriemma’s name upon his retirement.

Meanwhile across the country Stanford, now in the ACC after the PAC-12 breakup, got revenge on WCC-favorite Gonzaga 89-58 for last season’s upset on a day the school honored its former coach, naming the Tara VanDerveer court in Maples Pavilion.

The court has two logos featuring VanDerveer’s handwriting.

The Cardinal (3-0) continued to use the three-pointer, adding 13 in this one, as a favorite weapon under Kate Paye, who had been a long-time assistant after her playing career on The Farm.

Nunu Agara led Stanford with 16 points and nine rebounds, both bests in the game, while Elena Bosgana and Jzaniya Harriel each scored 12 and Chloe Clardy scored 11.

Harriel was on target, 4-6 from long range, and Clardy was 3-5.

The Zags (1-1) were led by Allie Turner with 18 points, shooting 4-6 on attempts from deep, but WCC preseason player of the year Yvonne Ejim was held to 12 points.

Stanford hosts UC Davis Wednesday.

Upset City

Lehigh’s history-making win at Northwestern is chronicled in the local report but over here we start with the MEAC’s Norfolk State, which won 57-54 at Missouri, the program’s first ever triumph at an SEC school.

The triumph at Missouri Arena in Columbia was the first over a now Power Four (the minus PAC-12) school since 1979-80.

Diamond Johnson led the Spartans (3-0) with 17 points, four assists, and a pair of steals, while Kierra Wheeler and Nita Fields each scored 14 points over the Tigers (1-2).

It was the first meeting between the two programs.

The Spartans stay traveling in SEC waters traveling to No. 24 Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday.

As they say on election night, late returns from out in the Northwest show Oregon returned to the glory era of WNBA New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, the Ducks holding off a late rally from No. 12 Baylor to win 76-74 at home in Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene.

The Ducks (3-0) had cruised into the fourth quarter with a 16-point lead but were outscored 26-14 in the period by the Bears (1-1), who went ahead with a 17-2 run.

North Carolina transfer Deja Kelly tied it under the 90-second mark and then fed Elisa Mevius, whose only score was the winning shot with 22seconds remaining.

The win snapped Oregon’s 14-game losing streak to ranked teams -the last triumph in February 2023 over then PAC-12 rival Arizona.

“The goal was just to get a good look,” Kelly said of the go-ahead possession “I drove baseline, I knew that we were going to have our two guards on the opposite side and Elisa made a great play herself.

Kelly had 20 points with nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals. She got 13 off 5-9 from the field in the second half. Alexis Whitfield had 16 and Nani Falatea scored 12.

Jada Walker had 24 for Baylor, Darianna Littlepage-buggs had 19 points and 10 boards, and  Sarah Andrews scored 13.

“I couldn't be more thrilled,” Oregon head coach Kelly Graves said. “We played so, so well for a good portion of that game and lost that big lead, but to come back and make the plays down the stretch like we did, shows a lot of character. Just really proud of our team.”

Whether this is an upset or not depends on whose viewpoint but Quinnipiac at home avenged a beat-down at Harvard (2-1) last season beating the Crimson 76-53 three-days removed from the Ivy power pulling an upset at No. 25 Indiana.

The Bobcats, who started the season winning at Patriot League champion Holy Cross, got a career day from Jackie Grisdale scoring 33 points off 12-16 from the field with a near-perfect 7-8 3-pointers.

Gal Raviv had 10 points, while Anna Foley had nine points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.

Coach Trish Sacca-Fabbri’s team, which led by as many as 29, evened the series as a D-1 squad with Harvard 4-4.

 

Alayna Rocco was the sole Harvard player in double figures with 13 points.

Next up the Ivy champs Princeton visit Saturday.

If the Bobcats continue at this pace grab some popcorn when the MAAC showdowns with Fairfield come after the arrival of 2025.

The Big Stage

The reunion from last season’s national semifinal between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 9 NC State in the opener of the Ally Tipoff in Charlotte showed more of the same – the NCAA champion Gamecocks winning 71-57 to move to 2-0 on the season.

Te-Hina Paopao had 23 points for Dawn Staley’s bunch, while reserve MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 18.

The Wolfpack (1-1) got 16 points from Zamareya Jones and 13 from Aziaha James.

In the second game, roster and coaching changes on both sides that took each team out of the rankings across the summer, Iowa still topped Virginia Tech, this time 71-52.

Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen scored 20 for the Hawkeyes (2-0) now coached by longtime aide Jan Jensen after Lisa Bluder retired.

Addison o’Grady added 18 points, while Hannah Stuelke scored 16.

Kenny Brooks has moved on to Kentucky with Marquette’s Megan Duffy coming aboard Virginia Tech (1-1), which was led by Carleigh Wenzel with 14 points, while Rose Micheaux scored 12.

A slew of Maryland alums such as WNBA Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Harris were at their alma mater in College Park to see the No. 18 Terrapins down No. 11 Duke 85-80 in their XFINITY Center, the same outcome when the one-time ACC rivals went into overtime in the NCAA championşhip in 2006 in Boston.

By ranking also call this one an upset, especially with Maryland longtime coach Brenda Frese having to redo the roster courtesy of the portal to battle in the Big Ten.

Rutgers transfer Kaylene Smikle had 23 points; veteran Shyanne Sellers had 17 while Villanova transfer Christina Dalce had a double-double of 12 points and 14 boards before fouling out.

Reserve Bri McDaniel added 15 to the total for the winners (3-0) who had answers every time the Blue Devils (2-1) got close.

Toby Fournier off the bench had 15 and nine boards for the visitors, who also got 13 points from Reigan Richardson,12 points and ten boards from Jadyn Donovan, and 11 points from Ashlon Jackson.

No. 6 Notre Dame, which will be at Lafayette Sunday, continued a longtime series at Purdue and cruised to a 102-58 win over the Boilermakers (1-1), sophomore sensation Hannah Hidalgo from Haddonfield leading the Irish (2-0) with 28 points.

Pitt transfer Liatu King had 15 points and 14 boards for the winners, Olivia Miles scored 17, and Sonia Citron had 14 points.

Looking Ahead

There’s no locals Monday night, Temple after an eight-day layoff is at Delaware Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., and Rider visits Long Island U. at 7 p.m.

However, Columbia hosts Fla. Gulf Coast at 7 p.m. (ESPN+), and Drake is at Creighton the same time on FloHoops.