Breanna Stewart’s Close Call With Transferring

During her time with Auriemma, Stewart played a pivotal role in securing a national championship every year she was enrolled. Reflecting on her freshman year, she recalled feeling the weight of expectations; despite her success, her early experiences were difficult. On her podcast “Bird’s Eye View,” she discussed the intensity of Auriemma’s coaching and how it was challenging, particularly because she had initially experienced success.

“In that moment, I was thinking, ‘I hate this.’ I probably would’ve transferred,” Stewart admitted. “Had we not won, I likely would’ve left because I wasn’t willing to endure this kind of struggle again. Ultimately, though, it taught me about overcoming adversity.”

“When challenges arise, like when I struggle with a layup, I learned to put in the hours to rebuild my confidence through practice and translate that into game performance,” she explained. “The middle portion of my freshman year was particularly rough; I had moments where I recorded zero points, which is unusual for me.”

Breanna Stewart reflects on the “awful” practices under Geno Auriemma

As Stewart continues to make waves in the WNBA, her dedication has certainly paid off, culminating in her being the first overall pick in the 2016 draft. However, her days at UConn were undeniably tough; despite being surrounded by elite talent, Auriemma’s approach ensured she was challenged at every turn.

Stewart acknowledged that this intensity ultimately prepared her for future success, although she vividly recalls many practices being “awful.”

“I remember those practice sessions being just terrible,” Stewart shared. “Coach was constantly on my back—pointing out what I wasn’t doing right, making me run laps for mistakes like missing a rebound. If I missed a single board in practice, he would make me run.”

“Just one rebound,” she continued, recounting how Bird reacted in disbelief at the consequences. “And he really left me there to run while CD [Chris Dailey] had to remind him, ‘Hey, she’s still going.’”

Auriemma is revered as one of the sport’s greatest coaches, a fact underscored by his 12 national championships with the program and the incredible talent he has developed, including Stewart and, more recently, Paige Bueckers.