Prospect – The “World basketball capital“It’s not just a slogan to Geno AuriemmaOr simply words to greet motorists crossing the state line. He takes his time and turns his counter to support basketball in all corners of Connecticut.
This is part of the reason he took his national champion Uconn basketball women’s team in Sacred Heart in Fairfield For a cabinet open last Sunday, part of the reason why he went to the outskirts of Waterbury to help collect funds for Division II programs in Southern Connecticut on Wednesday evening.
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“Let’s take the show on the road to people who would not generally appear in our way,” said Auriemma. “We are talking a lot about Connecticut being the” basketball capital in the world of basketball “and rightly so, and (Uconn) basketball has done as much as everything you could indicate to enhance the profile of our state and our state university. To attract all the attention, but there are other schools that do not play under the spotlights in which we play who are really, really good. “”
Uconn will play Southern in an exhibition match on October 26. About 500 came out on Wednesday, while The discourse on the lag of the hoops in the south must go directly to its male and female basketball programs In New Haven, potentially an important bump for their budgets.
The long love story of Constitution-Nutmeg Land of Stable clothes with basketball, especially female basketball, comes into play The forces align to take the WNBA franchise from Connecticut, the sun, elsewhere. Auriemma, to be clear, is not invested or involved in the efforts of $ 300 million to buy the Mohegan tribe team and keep it in the state, in Hartford, in the Casino in Uncasville or a combination there, but from the Saga’s Periphery Lynch, for the round table in Aria in Prospect.
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“I’m sure whatever you read, there is an underlying story,” said Auriemma. “Mohegan’s experience to bring a professional team to Connecticut has incredibly worked over the years. They had an incredible success. It did not lead to a world championship, but they got closer as you. The philosophy of the WNBA or the NBA is, I cannot speak, but it was a great experience, and it worked. »»
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How to interpret theAntipasto? You could count Auriemma as a supporter, but realistic. The WNBA and the NBA position themselves to block efforts to move the team to Hartford or Boston and maneuver it in Houston, or another western city which failed in the recent expansion offer. State political leaders are positioned for a Contestation of the potential tribunal based on anti-trust laws. Governor Ned Lamont works on a plan For the state to buy significant participation in the team using pension funds, despite the opposition.
Meanwhile, The Sun, after having made the playoffs six consecutive years, the final twice, lost all its starters after last season and Fallen at the bottom of the ranking in 2025. They sell season tickets for 2026 to Mohegan Sun Arena, but it could be a season of a gear. And the franchise has long been struggling to attract the best players on the free market, adding ammunition for those who want to move.
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“I also understand the challenges, they tried to attract players to come and stay,” said Auriemma. “And I talked a lot to (Sun’s president) Jen Rizzotti about what they can do, in terms of tickets, in terms of promotion, compared to some of the big city teams. So there are a lot of challenges there, but they made it work in one way or another, they certainly kept their promise.”
THE Mohegan tribe bought it French Orlando Failive for $ 10 million in 2003 And became the first WNBA team to make a profit from 2010. The values of the franchises have soaked in recent years, with the increased popularity of the League, but that it is the beginning of a long increase in value, which makes it a solid investment, or a bubble that has soon burst. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver seems determined to return to the original business model of the W, where the teams belong to the owners of the NBA and play in the NBA arenas. The idea that the League has exceeded Connecticut and the 8,000-seat arena in Mohegan is fashionable, even if women’s basketball has become fashionable here before most other places.
“There is a feeling, UCONN’s women’s basketball had a lot to do with Connecticut Sun becoming Connecticut Sun,” said Auriemma. “But these are two separate entities now. There is university basketball and there is professional basketball, so it’s complicated. And when things are complicated, it is not generally well – for one side, especially.”
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Meanwhile, Auriemma, who has just helped two of his former players, Sue Bird and Maya Moore, in the temple of reputation of the Naismith, Drilling on his 41st season in Uconn and the pursuit of a 13th national championship. He lost his star of a centerpiece, The recruit of the year of the WNBA Paige Bueckers, But has two others, Azzi Fudd And Sarah Strongand a deep support cast. The first training is on Monday, back to the business of the championships.
“We have five new players, we lost the national player of the year,” said Auriemma. “It is a lot to assemble. Over the days and that leaders are starting to emerge and people are starting to assert themselves, it will be fun to see how it develops. ”
