UConnCat
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Carl writes a great story. http://snyuconn.com/uconn/uconn-nd-take-rivalry-to-new-level/
“Yeah, I think there was definitely tension in the room,” said McGraw, who was seen on video not clapping when Stewart accepted her honor. “I think, for us, we wanted Kayla McBride to win the Player of the Year award. So I think it was a little bit of that. And certainly the rivalry has gone a little away from the civility it was when we were in the league together.”
The civility isn’t totally dead. UConn coach Geno Auriemma, who was sitting in the same row with the Stewart family in the packed room, gave up his seat to injured Irish senior center Natalie Achonwa, who was on crutches.
“I think when you play as often as we have in a short period of time, a lot of things happen that wouldn’t happen if you didn’t play that often,” Auriemma said. “I think you guys alluded to what’s it like being us. Nobody knows what it’s like being us. Nobody knows what we go through every day, what our players go through every time they win an award. Everybody gets pissed off. Worst off, they act pissed off because our guys won an award because it’s Connecticut all the time, all Connecticut all the time. People are sick of it. It’s just natural. We live with it 365 days a year. So, if you’re going to come in and try to live in that air then you need to deal with it.
“Actually, it was not uncomfortable for me at all to be in that room,” he added. “I thought Stewie deserved to be Player of the Year and I’m glad I was there to be a part of it. And I thought Muffet deserved to be Coach of the Year and I’m glad I was a part of it. It wasn’t uncomfortable for me at all. Maybe because I’ve been in those situations so many times it doesn’t bother me. When you’ve won as much as we’ve won you get to appreciate when other people win. So, it’s not all about Connecticut all the time. So, it wasn’t uncomfortable for me at all.”
“Yeah, I think there was definitely tension in the room,” said McGraw, who was seen on video not clapping when Stewart accepted her honor. “I think, for us, we wanted Kayla McBride to win the Player of the Year award. So I think it was a little bit of that. And certainly the rivalry has gone a little away from the civility it was when we were in the league together.”
The civility isn’t totally dead. UConn coach Geno Auriemma, who was sitting in the same row with the Stewart family in the packed room, gave up his seat to injured Irish senior center Natalie Achonwa, who was on crutches.
“I think when you play as often as we have in a short period of time, a lot of things happen that wouldn’t happen if you didn’t play that often,” Auriemma said. “I think you guys alluded to what’s it like being us. Nobody knows what it’s like being us. Nobody knows what we go through every day, what our players go through every time they win an award. Everybody gets pissed off. Worst off, they act pissed off because our guys won an award because it’s Connecticut all the time, all Connecticut all the time. People are sick of it. It’s just natural. We live with it 365 days a year. So, if you’re going to come in and try to live in that air then you need to deal with it.
“Actually, it was not uncomfortable for me at all to be in that room,” he added. “I thought Stewie deserved to be Player of the Year and I’m glad I was there to be a part of it. And I thought Muffet deserved to be Coach of the Year and I’m glad I was a part of it. It wasn’t uncomfortable for me at all. Maybe because I’ve been in those situations so many times it doesn’t bother me. When you’ve won as much as we’ve won you get to appreciate when other people win. So, it’s not all about Connecticut all the time. So, it wasn’t uncomfortable for me at all.”