In a revealing moment Monday, UConn women's basketball head coach Geno Auriemma shared his perspective on the upcoming women's NCAA tournament, positioning his No. 3-seeded Huskies as underdogs — a label rarely associated with the storied program.

Speaking at a Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce breakfast, Auriemma highlighted the unexpected role his team finds itself in this season.

“The players at UConn today have a unique opportunity,” Auriemma said, as reported by Maggie Vanoni of CT Insider. “They are actually going into an NCAA tournament as underdogs. That never happens at Connecticut. You are always expected to win the whole thing.”

This year, UConn, seeded No. 3 in the Portland 3 Regional, is navigating a landscape of heightened competition within women's college basketball. The Huskies' journey this season has been marked by several challenges, including injuries to key players such as Azzi Fudd and Caroline Ducharme, testing the team's depth. Notably, UConn's All-American forward, Aaliyah Edwards, faced a setback with a broken nose during the Big East Tournament but has since returned to practice while donning a protective face mask.

Amid these challenges, Auriemma reflected on the evolution of the program and the sport since his tenure began in 1985, noting the increased competition and the rising standards that have characterized women's college basketball.

“We're not as good as we used to be. So, it's not like they've all caught up. We've backed up a little bit,” Auriemma said. “And we still have a top three recruiting class every single year. So, I'm not worried about whether good players are gonna want to come to you or not. The problem is with all this money flying around that people are throwing at kids. That's a huge issue. … Do we have the money that Ohio State has? No. Or Alabama? No. Or Michigan? No. Or Stanford or any of those as well schools? Or Notre Dame? But they don’t have 11 national championships either. So, screw them.”

Despite these changes, Geno Auriemma's commitment to excellence remains unwavering, emphasizing the motivational edge UConn gains from being perceived as underdogs.

“We won 31 games last year and we lost in the Sweet 16 and everybody said, ‘The program is dead. The demise of the UConn program.’ Because you're supposed to win all the time. And not just win all the time, win a national championship all the time,” he said. “So, when no one's expecting you to win it, that's a little bit of a motivator in itself.”

UConn hosts No. 14 Jackson State in the first round on Saturday.