Auriemma calls Shepard 'best player' in WNBA return
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- Geno Auriemma returned to WNBA broadcasting on Tuesday alongside Robin Roberts and Beth Mowins on ESPN — his first WNBA call since the league's inaugural 1997 season, timed to celebrate the WNBA's 30th anniversary.
- Jessica Shepard recorded her third triple-double of the season (22 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists) in the Wings' 88-77 win, tying Sabrina Ionescu for second-most triple-doubles in WNBA history behind Alyssa Thomas.
- Auriemma called Shepard 'the best player on the court' and said she might be 'the most important player in the league right now' — striking praise from the UConn coach for a Notre Dame alum.
- Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 pick in 2026, started her WNBA career on the bench before earning a starting spot after six games; Auriemma said her 'work ethic is second to none' as one of the hardest-working players he has ever coached.
- Dallas improved to 14-8 after going 10-34 last season, with Auriemma calling the Wings 'a dangerous team' and predicting 'I don't know that anybody is going to want to play them in the playoffs.'
- Auriemma recalled that Shepard outsmarted him on a play during the 2018 Final Four when she guarded Gabby Williams and ignored the game plan he had drawn up for UConn.
Why it matters: Auriemma called Dallas 'a dangerous team' nobody would want in the playoffs on a national ESPN broadcast — the same franchise that went 10-34 last season and now sits at 14-8. Coming from the sport's most-decorated coach, that's a direct contender declaration, not analyst speculation.
