Geno Auriemma Named Finalist For Prestigious Award After National Championship Run
Geno Auriemma Named Finalist For Prestigious Award After National Championship Run originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
At 71 years old, there aren't many awards Geno Auriemma hasn't won in his legendary career. But after capturing his 12th NCAA Tournament title this spring, the longtime UConn head coach is up for another prestigious honor, one he's never claimed before.
Advertisement
Auriemma, who has led the Huskies since 1985 and recorded 1,250 wins, is a finalist for the Best Record-Breaking Performance at the 2025 ESPYs. He's also an eight-time Naismith Coach of the Year, but this nomination marks a new recognition for his legacy. And he's not the only one from the UConn program to receive a nod.
The UConn Women's Basketball account on X proudly shared the news on social media:
'We have some Huskies nominated for @ESPYS!
Best Team: UConn Women's Basketball
Best Record-Breaking Performance: Geno Auriemma
Best WNBA Player: Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart'
Last year's Best Record-Breaking Performance award went to Caitlin Clark, who broke Pete Maravich's all-time NCAA scoring record with 3,951 career points. Clark, now in her second WNBA season, is nominated again after becoming the league's single-game and single-season assist leader.
Advertisement
Other notable nominees for record-breaking feats include Kevin Durant, who became the all-time leading scorer for the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team, and Alexander Ovechkin, who passed Wayne Gretzky for first place on the NHL's all-time goals list.
Connecticut Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma hugs guard Paige Bueckers (5).Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
In 2023, LeBron James took home the honor after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer.
The Huskies are also finalists for Best Team, joining a stacked list of champions that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Liberty, Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Panthers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Two former UConn stars, Collier of the Minnesota Lynx and Stewart of the Liberty, are up for Best WNBA Player. Both helped lead their teams to the WNBA Finals last season and are joined by fellow finalists A'ja Wilson and Clark.
Advertisement
The 2025 ESPY Awards will air on July 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The annual event, hosted by ESPN, honors the most outstanding achievements and performances across the sports world.
Related: Stephanie White Sounds Alarm for Indiana Fever Ahead of Key Player's Absence
Related: Ranking the 25 Best WNBA Players of All Time
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mariska Hargitay's Friendship with Knicks Star Jalen Brunson Makes Ben Stiller Jealous
Mariska Hargitay has friends and fans everywhere you look. The Law & Order: SVU star has been on TV chasing down the worst of the worst as Captain Olivia Benson since 1999 ... when future Knicks guard Jalen Brunson was 3 years old. These days in 2025, Brunson's family fandom has earned Hargitay some special privileges at Knicks games, which she confirmed to Seth Meyers on Late Night. "Ben Stiller — who's a fan and also has very nice seats like you — said all the celebrities are jealous because Jalen Brunson only hugs you after games," Seth said. "And this was a choice Jalen Brunson made. You didn't storm the court and hug him! So how did your first postgame embrace with Jalen come to pass?" "I said Jalen, bring it in," the actress and filmmaker joked. But really, "how it started was they let me know that Jalen was a big fan, and I was so flattered and thrilled, because I was such a huge fan," Hargitay told Meyers. "I think Jalen sort of grew up on SVU...I think he felt this, as many people do, intimacy and safety that one does growing up on SVU." They're so close that Hargitay is even on friendly terms with Brunson's dad, Rick. "I call him Rick. We're close like that," she said with a laugh. "It feels like the biggest name drop."After Meyers called him out for being jealous, Stiller jokingly replied to the clip on X (formerly Twitter) with "That's cool, I guess? Whatever." A massive lifelong fan and constant presence at Knicks games, Stiller is so close to the team that he often appears on Brunson's podcast, The Roommates Show, and has griped about this issue before. "The love that Mariska Hargitay gets from you post-game is the envy of every other Knicks celebrity game," he said in a clip posted to the Roommates Show X (formerly Twitter) account on May 5. "She gets a hug after a loss." "I've seen you not hug your wife after some losses," added Brunson's colleague and co-host Josh Hart. "That's a lie! Damn, man," Brunson said. "I just remember my dad always watching the show. You always hear the iconic 'dun dun' all the time in the house. My dad also watches the TV incredibly loud. I started from Season 1, watched all the way through. It's like a pregame show for me. I've always loved that show, and I've never been super super starstruck [but] I saw her and I was like, 'Oh, s--t.' The first time we met, it was awesome, and we talked and everything." "Like, he's there all the time," Brunson continued, pointing to Stiller. "I know he's coming to the game. I expect to see him there all the time. This was her first or second game this year and I'm not going to see her for a long time, so I'm just going to say 'Hi,' and go." "I guess I gotta come to less games," Stiller Hargitay shows up to support Brunson on the court, Brunson showed up to support Hargitay on the red carpet at the premiere of her new documentary, My Mom Jayne. Meyers shared a photo of the pair on the red carpet while Hargitay clutched her hand to her heart. "You support him and he's courtside with your documentary," Meyers accurately said.
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How to watch Jake Paul vs Chavez Jr: TV channel and live stream for boxing today
Jake Paul will make his return to the boxing ring tonight, meeting former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in California. The YouTuber-turned-fighter easily defeated a 58-year-old Mike Tyson, 31 years his senior, in his last bout in Texas in November on Netflix. Despite beating the former heavyweight champion, the age difference between the pair meant the win did preciously little for Paul's reputation. To triumph over Chavez Jr, though, could do plenty for Paul's boxing credibility. The former WBC middleweight champion, now 39, has a career record of 54-1-6, and has fought across a range of weight classes. Paul is unsurprisingly confident ahead of the fight, telling DAZN that he expected to 'embarrass' Chavez Jr, son of legendary former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. Paul said: 'Knockout early rounds, it's easy. I, Jake Joseph Paul, will knock out Julio Cesar Chavez, Saturday June 28. I will embarrass him, and I will defeat him.' It could be the toughest test of Paul's short career to date, and whether he can deliver on that promise is in some doubt. He is set to be at cruiserweight for the bout, claiming he will be ranked by both the WBA and WBC if he impresses at Honda Center in Anaheim. TV channel and live stream: The fight will be available on DAZN on a pay-per-view basis, at a cost of £24.99 in the UK. A bundle package, which comes with Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois II as a secondary option, is available for £39.99. Ring walks for the main event are expected at around 4am BST in the early hours of Sunday morning, which is 11pm ET and 8pm PT on Saturday night in the US. Live blog: Follow all the action on fight night with Standard Sport's LIVE blog.
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Canadian firefighter says he was denied entry to U.S.: 'Good enough to fight their wars but not good enough to cross their borders'
A B.C. firefighter says he was denied entry into the United States, where he was going to take part in a competition for First Responders from different countries around the world. Jamie Flynn posted on social media on Thursday to detail what happened to him when he was en route to Birmingham, Alabama. He said he was supposed to represent Vancouver firefighters in the Jiu Jitsu category at the World Police & Fire Games. He described the games as an 'international event uniting frontline responders through sport,' in a post on Instagram. 'Being denied entry to the United States is deeply upsetting,' he told National Post in an emailed statement on Friday. 'I lost my flights, my time away, and my opportunity to compete at the World Police & Fire Games in Alabama — an event I had trained extensively for.' Flynn said he is a British citizen living in Canada as a permanent resident. He is a firefighter in Vancouver and volunteers with Squamish Search and Rescue. He has served in the British Parachute Regiment (SFSG) and has also served alongside U.S. forces under Joint Special Operations Command. 'I operated under U.S. command, wore the American uniform, and fought under the American flag. I've always felt a strong bond with the United States,' he told National Post. 'I have no criminal record and no known issues that would justify this denial.' In his post on Instagram, he said he trained for the competition in the U.S. for months. 'And still, I'm grounded — sidelined not by injury or lack of effort, but by bureaucracy and silence,' he wrote. Flynn intended to fly to Alabama from Vancouver International Airport on Wednesday. He never made his flight because his Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) had expired and would not be renewed, Global News reported. He said he received an update on the ESTA app that said, 'Travel not authorized.' ESTA is an automated system used to determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is valid for two years, or until a passport expires, and allows for multiple entries. If a traveller receives a 'travel not authorized' response to their application, CBP says online that they can look into applying for a visa if they still wish to enter the country. The denial only prohibits travel under the Visa Waiver Program and does not determine eligibility for a visa, per the agency. Canadian citizens travelling with a Canadian passport do not need to apply for an ESTA. Flynn said that he did not receive an explanation from anyone at the U.S. border, the U.S. consulate or the ESTA program. 'This feels like a clerical error,' he said, and, he added, it's cost him thousands of dollars. 'I'm gutted. I'm angry. And I want answers.' He ended the post with the line: 'We were good enough to fight their wars — but not good enough to cross their borders.' Flynn told National Post that he is looking forward to being able to visit the U.S. again in the near future. He has since submitted a visa application. Unfortunately, he said, the earliest available appointment is Feb. 11, 2027. University of Toronto law professor and Rebecca Cook Chair in Human Rights Law Audrey Macklin said her advice for travellers going to the U.S. is to avoid it altogether 'unless absolutely necessary.' 'Even at the best of times, states often treat non-citizens arbitrarily, and do not feel obliged to explain their actions,' she told National Post over email. 'This is sometimes justified on the ground that non-citizens do not have a right to enter, and therefore have no standing to complain about how a decision to admit or exclude is made. Since the rule of law is in free fall in the United States at the moment, the arbitrariness is more extreme, more coercive, and more frequent. That is why travellers should avoid the United States if they can.' U.S. Customs and Border Protection Public Affairs Officer Jessica Turner said in an emailed statement to National Post that 'CBP cannot comment on specifics regarding travellers' ESTA denials.' 'U.S. Embassies and Consulates are not able to provide details about ESTA denials or resolve the issue that caused the ESTA denial,' she said. 'Embassies and Consulates will process an application for a non-immigrant visa, which, if approved, will be the only way that a traveler whose ESTA application has been denied would be authorized to travel to the U.S.' U.S. deports 70-year-old man after he 'violently' kicked a customs dog at an airport U.S. man drives into Canada by mistake, gets busted with 78 pounds of pot on the way back Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
