Geno Auriemma Clarifies ‘Load Management’ After Sarah Strong UConn Rest Questions
UConn Huskies superstar sophomore Sarah Strong didn't play in her team's February 7 game against Butler (which UConn ultimately won by a score of 80-48) because of what was designated as "rest pregame.
This designation raised eyebrows among some members of the basketball community, given that the thought of a 20-year-old player who has about two games per week to play in is questionable if she isn't dealing with any injuries.
Fans who feel this way are equating Strong's sitting out to what is typically called "load management", which is common in the NBA for veteran players, especially when they're playing in back-to-back games.
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Huskies head coach Geno Auriemm addressed this idea as it pertained to Strong when speaking to the media postgame by saying, "just trying to make sure that whatever tightness she feels goes any further. And if she had to play today, she would have played. I mean, that's not the problem. But we've got a long way ahead of us," per a YouTube video from UConn.
"It's the college version, I guess, of load management," Auriemma added with a smile. "They didn't have that when they weren't getting paid. Now they have load management."
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Geno Auriemma Explains 'Load Management' Philosophy Amid Rest Discussion
Auriemma spoke with the media after his team's February 10 practice and clarified his stance on load management for college players.
When asked how he manages the line between wanting players to be in shape versus load managing at this time in the year, Auriemma said, "Yeah, yeah. I mean, I use that word 'load management' because that seems to be the average fan out there goes, 'Oh, they're resting them because it's time to rest.' Obviously, we don't do that. Obviously, the kids don't want to do that," per an X post from UConn.
"This is more, 'I'm sore'. So, let's take a day off. How do you manage it? I think our athletic trainers and our strength & conditioning people do a good job of making sure they keep their wind," Auriemma added. "I mean, there's nothing like playing, don't get me wrong. But the last couple of days in practice, we kind of do just enough to try to maintain that, and then go from there."
"I use that word 'load management' because that seems to be, the average fan out there goes, 'oh, they're resting them because it's time to rest.' Obviously, we don't do that. Obviously, the kids don't want to do that."
— UConn Women’s Basketball Videos (@SNYUConn) February 10, 2026
Geno Auriemma talks about keeping his players healthy: pic.twitter.com/YEAtLoNdB6
In short, Auriemma is explaining that his team's version of "load management" doesn't quite equate to rest, which should ease some fan frustration.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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