The No. 17 UConn Huskies are heading to Canada for a regular-season contest against Toronto Metropolitan University, a non-NCAA team, on Wednesday. The game is part of UConn’s tradition, championed by coach Geno Auriemma, to provide players with at least one homecoming game during their time on the team.
Despite not being an NCAA opponent, the game will be officially recognized as a regular-season match, with all statistics counting., however, its outcome won’t affect UConn’s NET rankings, which are crucial for postseason seeding, due to TMU’s status outside the NCAA Division I.
This particular matchup serves as a homecoming for UConn senior Aaliyah Edwards from Kingston, Ontario. Edwards, who played high school basketball in Toronto and is a member of the Canadian national team, expressed her excitement about playing with her UConn family in her home environment.
“For me, it’s just going to be exciting to be in that environment and to have my UConn family play at home,” Edwards said, as reported by Pat Eaton-Robb of the Associated Press. “We’re going to treat it as an out-of-conference game and then whatever coach needs for us to do and execute throughout that game, we’re going to do it.”
Homecoming games benefit both programs, says UConn coach Geno Auriemma
Originally, UConn was slated to face Pittsburgh, however, following a coaching change at Pittsburgh, TMU, formerly known as Ryerson University, stepped in to fill the void. TMU’s team, led by Carly Clarke, who also assists with the Canadian national team, presents a unique challenge for the Huskies.
Auriemma reflected on the challenges of scheduling homecoming games, citing past experiences and emphasizing the benefits to both programs involved in such games.
“It should be easy, you would think. What coach would not want to do it? But you’d be surprised. People, for whatever reason, just don’t want to schedule you,” Auriemma said. “Every time we play a game where one of our players are from, that program has benefitted from playing us. I remember playing Pepperdine in (Diana Taurasi)’s freshman year. She played lousy, but the place was packed.”
The commitment to players extends beyond the borders of the United States. Earlier this year, UConn traveled to Croatia for exhibition games to honor guard Nika Muhl, contributing to the growth of women’s basketball in her native country.
Wednesday’s game at Toronto’s Mattamy Athletic Centre, a sellout, is not just about competition but also a nod to the international appeal and influence of UConn’s program. Edwards hopes the game will bring more attention to basketball in the north, adding to the growing excitement and “buzz” surrounding the event.