Geno Auriemma had something to clear off his mind after the UConn Huskies reached the Final Four of the NCAA tournament, defeating Notre Dame 70-52 in the Elite Eight.

While it is the 25th time in program history that the Huskies have qualified for the Final Four, Auriemma was quick to acknowledge the fact that this will be the first appearance for several players on his squad in the next stage of the tournament.

"You know, people say 'that's 25 for you'. Well, that's no. 1 for Blanca, no. 1 for Heckel, no. 1 for Serah Williams." Auriemma said in his postgame interview.

Auriemma added that this might be the team he is most proud of among the 24 others he has coached to reach this stage.

The 72-year-old also let loose, perhaps for the first time this season, as he celebrated on the floor with his team while wearing a cowboy hat after the game.

“Seeing him excited and kind of goofy is really good for us. … He’s usually all serious or like anxious, grumpy. Just seeing him let loose and be his true self was really good,” Sarah Strong said.

The sophomore, who won multiple National Player of the Year honors, was in her bag once again as Auriemma's most reliable scorer. Strong secured 21 points, 7 boards, and 5 assists in 39 minutes of action.

15 of those points came after the second half when the Huskies were looking for a breakthrough.

Strong's performance tied Breanna Stewart for the most career 20-point games by a UConn player through their first two years with the program over the past 25 seasons, with 31, as reported by ESPN's Alexa Philippou.

“He doesn’t say anything he doesn’t mean. He doesn’t give out compliments too often, depending on who you are. So to hear him say that it does mean a lot, and we feel the same way. We love this team so much,” Azzi Fudd added.

The "People's Princess" finished with 13 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals as she is set to leave Auriemma after this week.

After what the sophomore described as a “stagnant” first half for her, freshman Blanca Quiñonez stepped up to help UConn build a comfortable lead in line with the Huskies’ standards.

"She Was the X-Factor": Notre Dame Coach Niele Ivy's Words for Blanca Quiñonez

UConn freshman Quiñonez put the team on her back in the first half of the game against a relentless Irish. Her team-high 12 points in the first quarter kept things under control as Notre Dame’s defense hounded Strong and Fudd.

"She was the X factor for them," said Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey, who'd led her squad to this Elite Eight appearance.

The freshman also became the first player in UConn history with 20 points off the bench in the Elite Eight or later, as Auriemma will look to count on her in the future after the departure of UConn's beloved Azzi Fudd.

The Huskies now wait in Phoenix to face either No.1 South Carolina or No.3 TCU in the national semifinals, as Auriemma looks to win his 13th national championship in 40 seasons as head coach.

What did you think of the game? Tell us in the comments!

Read more at She Got Game!

Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joyita Das