Geno Auriemma’s First UConn Star Changed Program Forever
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Before championships became routine in Storrs, before sold-out arenas and national expectations followed every season, the UConn Huskies needed proof that greatness was possible.
That proof arrived with Kerry Bascom, the first transformational player of Geno Auriemma’s tenure. Bascom did not inherit a powerhouse.
She helped invent one. Her scoring, consistency, and competitive edge gave credibility to a struggling program and reshaped its future. Long before banners and dynasties defined UConn, Bascom established the standard and changed the program's direction forever.
The player who made UConn believe
Bascom arrived at UConn in 1987 when the program had little national relevance and only one winning season in its Division I history.
As a freshman, she averaged 8.4 points and five rebounds while coming off the bench for a 17–11 team. The impact came quickly after that.
In her sophomore season, Bascom emerged as the conference’s dominant player, averaging 22.6 points per game while shooting 47.6 percent from three-point range. UConn swept its first Big East regular-season and tournament titles and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
Over her final three seasons as a full-time starter, Bascom averaged 21.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. She became the first player in program history to surpass 2,000 career points, finishing with 2,177 points and 915 rebounds.
Her career scoring average of 18.1 points per game remains the highest in UConn history. Bascom was also named conference Player of the Year three times, a distinction later matched only by Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart and Paige Bueckers.
Auriemma has never minimized her importance. “Nothing that has happened at Connecticut could have ever happened without her,” he said. “Everything that came after Kerry was made possible by her.”
A foundation that shaped a dynasty
Bascom’s senior season marked a turning point not just for her career but for the sport in Connecticut. She averaged 20 points and eight rebounds during the 1990–91 campaign as UConn won the Big East Tournament and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
After two early NCAA exits in prior years, the breakthrough finally came. Bascom delivered 39 points and 12 rebounds in an 81–80 win over Toledo, sealing the victory with a three-point play in the final seconds and pushing UConn into the Sweet 16.
That run continued with wins over NC State and Clemson, sending the Huskies to their first Final Four. UConn became the first northern program outside the traditional power structure to reach that stage.
Bascom was named the program’s first WBCA All-American, validating years of work that had rebuilt the team from the ground up.
Decades later, her influence was recognized again when she walked to center court at Mohegan Sun Arena as part of the Big East’s second class of women’s basketball Legends.
Bascom played before professional opportunities and national exposure were guaranteed. Her career was about creation, not celebration. Every title that followed was built on the foundation she helped lay, making her legacy inseparable from everything UConn women’s basketball became.
Aman Sharma is a sports writer who covers college, professional football, and basketball with an eye for detail and storytelling. With over two years of experience writing for outlets like The Sporting News, Pro Football & Sports Network, Sportskeeda, and College Football Network, he’s covered from the NFL and NBA to the NCAA and breakout athletes with a fan’s instinct and depth. Off the field, Aman is a gym and badminton enthusiast.