Top storylines heading into the women’s 2024-2025 NCAA season
USA TODAY Sports’ Lindsay Schnell previews the top storylines in women’s college basketball.
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UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma notched another piece of history on Friday evening.
With the No. 2 Huskies’ 69-58 win over No. 15 North Carolina, he tied the NCAA record set by Tara VanDerveer with the 1,216th win of his legendary career. The figure is a record for both women’s and men’s basketball.
VanDerveer retired following the 2023-24 season, which means Auriemma will have a chance to set the new record on Wednesday when the Huskies host Fairleigh Dickinson. Auriemma has been the head coach of UConn for 40 years and has posted a 1,216-162 record, winning 11 national championships.
The trio of Auriemma, VanDerveer, and former Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski are the only collegiate coaches to reach the 1,200-win plateau. Krzyzewski holds the men’s basketball record with 1,202 wins. He retired following the 2021-22 college basketball season.
The Huskies won the game after Paige Bueckers scored 29 points, exploding for 16 points in the first quarter, against the Tar Heels.
Winningest coaches in women’s college basketball history
According to the NCAA, Auriemma and VanDerveer are tied with 1,216 career wins in women’s college basketball. That mark also leads all men’s basketball coaches all-time, too. Auriemma has a chance to pass VanDerveer on Wednesday.
Legendary Tennessee coach Pat Summitt is third all-time with 1,098 career wins.
Here’s a look at the all-time leaders in wins in women’s college basketball:
- T-1. Geno Auriemma: 1,216 wins (UConn)
- T-1. Tara VanDerveer: 1,216 wins (Stanford, Ohio State and Idaho)
- 3. Pat Summitt: 1,098 wins (Tennessee (1974-2012)
- 4. Barbara Stevens: 1,058 wins (Bentley, UMass and Clark)
- 5. C. Vivian Stringer: 1,055 wins (Rutgers, Iowa and Cheyney State)