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Photo: John Carl D'Annibale
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma peels an orange as he speaks with reporters during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
lessUConn head coach Geno Auriemma peels an orange as he speaks with reporters during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl
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UConn's Crystal Dangerfield takes a shot during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
UConn's Crystal Dangerfield takes a shot during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
Photo: John Carl D'Annibale
UConn's Katie Lou Samuelson on the court during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
UConn's Katie Lou Samuelson on the court during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
Photo: John Carl D'Annibale
UConn's Napheesa Collier, left, and Azur Stevens during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
UConn's Napheesa Collier, left, and Azur Stevens during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
Photo: John Carl D'Annibale
Buffalo head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, left, and players during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
lessBuffalo head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, left, and players during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times
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Buffalo's #3 Liisa Ups, right, takes a shot during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
Buffalo's #3 Liisa Ups, right, takes a shot during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
Photo: John Carl D'Annibale
Buffalo head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, left, works with #30 Marissa Hamilton during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
lessBuffalo head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, left, works with #30 Marissa Hamilton during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl
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Buffalo's #31 Cassie Oursler, center, takes a shot during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
Buffalo's #31 Cassie Oursler, center, takes a shot during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
Photo: John Carl D'Annibale
UConn's Gabby Williams and team mates warm up during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
UConn's Gabby Williams and team mates warm up during their NCAA Women's Basketball regional practice at the Times Union Center Friday March 23, 2018 in Albany, NY. (John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
Photo: John Carl D'Annibale
Duke the next team to try to solve the UConn mystique
Albany
Instead of being known as coach of the most dominant women's basketball program in NCAA history, Geno Auriemma tried to become the next Bill Murray or Steven Wright.
Auriemma, who has led the University of Connecticut to 25 consecutive Sweet 16 appearances, was asked about the streak Friday during a 15-minute media session heading into the NCAA regional at Times Union Center.
"After all," he deadpanned, "we have the best players. Every All-American that's ever played high school basketball has come to Connecticut. They don't go play anywhere else.
"So we're just fortunate there is no competition out there for us. Sometimes we just feel like we should skip the first two rounds and go right to the regionals. It's so easy, right?"
More Information
NCAA Women's Regional
(Times Union Center, Albany)
Saturday's games
11:30 a.m.: 2-South Carolina (28-6) vs. 11-Buffalo (29-5)
2 p.m.: 1-Connecticut (34-0) vs. 5-Duke (24-8)
TV: ESPN (Adam Amin, Kara Lawson, Rebecca Lobo, Holly Rowe)
Spectator information
Tickets: All-session $55 (adult), $35 (youth, senior); individual session $27 (adult Saturday), $20 (youth, senior Saturday), $19 (adult Monday), $10 (youth, senior Monday), available at Times Union Center box office, select Ticketmaster outlets, http:/ticketmaster-.com, or charge by phone (800-745-3000).
Well, the Huskies (34-0) have won six of the past nine national championships and 11 overall, so there is a faction that feels that way. They are the nation's only unbeaten team as they head into a regional semifinal matchup Saturday against Duke (24-8) at the Times Union Center.
"That's incredibly impressive," Duke coach Joanne McCallie said. "Not really surprising, but very impressive just because their success has been so extraordinary. It's excellent for women's basketball."
The Blue Devils, who advanced to their 17th Sweet 16 with a 66-40 rout of Georgia in Athens, don't have the resume of UConn, or the Duke men's team, for that matter. They do have familiarity with one the Huskies. Azura Stevens, a 6-foot-6 forward, played two seasons at Duke before transferring north.
"We know her game really well," senior Rebecca Greenwell said, "so that will play into our favor a little. We know her tendencies, but we don't have any bad blood. I'm excited about the opportunity to play her."
At the coaching level, any perceived issues between Auriemma and McCallie over Stevens' transfer in the summer of 2016 were quickly extinguished.
In a July 1, 2016, story, the Duke student newspaper reported that McCallie was critical of UConn for taking transfers. "I can't even understand it because he's such a good coach and it's such a great program," she was quoted as saying.
McCallie's response Friday told a different story.
"I did not make those remarks," she said. "That's what the media wrote."
Auriemma has been diplomatic in his reaction to McCallie's perceived comments.
"I don't think the comments were in any form derogatory or anti-Connecticut or anti-Azura," he said. "I never took them that way. She was saying it's unusual for a team like Connecticut to have someone transfer in, and it's true. I thought of it as that's the changing world we live in."
On the court, this will be a difficult task for Duke. Stevens doesn't even start for the Huskies, but she is their third-leading scorer and was selected Sixth Player of the Year in the American Athletic Conference.
The Blue Devils, other than their two NCAA victories to get to this point, don't have a lot going for them. Three players are out for the season because of injury: Kyra Lambert (knee), Mikayla Boykin (hip) and Haley Gorecki (knee). Duke, which lost in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, is 0-8 against UConn in McCallie's 11 seasons as coach.
And, because of Albany's proximity to the Storrs campus (140 miles), this will have the feel of a UConn home game.
"Eventually that would be the next step, our tournament being more neutral where we play," McCallie said. "We've been trying to grow that, and that hasn't totally happened yet.
"There's no question (what UConn is doing) is great for women's basketball. The better you are, the better things are, the more challenge there is, the more competition, the more you're trying to aspire to the higher level. Yeah, that's better. It's something you welcome."
pdougherty@timesunion.com • 518-454-5416 • @Pete_Dougherty
