Geno Auriemma Calls Out 'Dumb' UConn Play After Sloppy Performance

Geno Auriemma was not content after the UConn Huskies' most recent big win.

Dec 7, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma watches from the sideline as they take on the DePaul Blue Demons at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

It has been smooth sailing for Geno Auriemma's UConn Huskies women's basketball team so far in this 2025-26 NCAA season.

The defending national champions have cruised to an undefeated 14-0 record heading into 2026, and only two of these victories were by less than 10 points. In fact, Auriemma's squad's closest game in the past six weeks was their 26-point win over the Iowa Hawkeyes on December 20.

But this isn't out of the norm for UConn, especially within conference play. And because Auriemma knows better than anyone what it takes to produce a championship-caliber team, he doesn't always rate his team based on their win-loss record or what the box score suggests.

A great case of this came after the Huskies' dominant 90-53 win over Providence on December 31. While this content was never in question for UConn, the bottom line is that it was a sloppy performance from the defending champions.

Dec 31, 2025; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; UConn Huskies guard Blanca Quinonez (4) can't keep the ball inbounds during the second half against the Providence Friars at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Geno Auriemma Rips 'Dumb' Mistakes After UConn's Win vs. Providence

UConn had 21 turnovers in the win, which is a staggering amount for one of the most disciplined teams in the country. It didn't hurt them because Providence had 30 turnovers, but that doesn't mean Geno Auriemma would be content with his team's lack of valuing the ball.

Auriemma made this clear when speaking with the media after that Wednesday night game.

"So we just vacillated between how dumb we are and how lazy we were in passing the ball, and so that means 21 times we crossed half court and didn't get a shot at the basket," Auriemma said, per a YouTube video from Storrs Central. "So the question that was asked, 'Why did we suck in the second and third quarter? Because we threw the ball to the other team more than we threw it to our team. And that happens."

"You know, tomorrow's a new year. And we'll figure out different ways to be dumb. But we won't be dumb like this. We'll find another way tomorrow," he added. About a minute later, Auriemma continued, "The other turnovers were, again, a lack of concentration, probably. You get mentally, just, I don't know. You play bad basketball for a while. And some of the turnovers were just dumb. You know, they go out of bounds."

UConn will need to play better if the Huskies want to keep up their dominant winning ways when they face Notre Dame later this month. Until then, they can probably keep getting away with sloppy play and still produce victories. Not that Auriemma will want to admit that.