← Welcome to the Party
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- [00:02]
A
Gino's doing this from his car.
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B
So like they were busting my ball so bad. That's as far as it goes. You're the oldest coach ever to win a national championship.
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C
Why the hell are you still coaching?
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B
Aye yai yai. That is the most important. I just stabbed myself in the eye.
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A
Attention.
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C
The party is about to commence.
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A
Welcome to the party. What's up party people? I'm Julie Foudy.
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C
And I'm Abby Wambach.
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A
Okay, coming up, Abs is the legend himself. As we know, UConn women's head basketball coach Gino Ariema. Luigi Gino Ariema. I didn't know his first name was Luigi. Full disclosure. But before we get to Gino, let's get this party started with the highlights and headlines you'll want to celebrate this week in women's sports. Our party starter is brought to you by Ally the bank. That's your Ally. Topic number one. We gotta go. Dodgers nod to the king. Her bjk A co owner of the team Dodgers repeating as World Series champions. First team in a quarter century to go back to back. And I don't know if you saw the stabs, but. Blue Jays. Toronto Blue Jays star player Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He walked into the stadium of game seven with wearing a game worn Marie Philippe Poulain Team Canada jersey. I love this so much. Which is a fabulous nod to one of the best athletes in Canadian history. Marie won three Olympic golds and is a four time world champion with the Canadian ice hockey team. And beyond that, Marie scored the game winning goal in the gold medal games in three out of the four Olympics in which she competed. She was dubbed Captain Clutch by her teammates in the media. So maybe Vlad Vladimir was hoping that that clutchness would rub off on the team. It didn't. Almost did, but it didn't, I'm sorry to say. Blue Jays, I think they needed Marie out there.
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C
Congrats Billy Jean and all of the Dodgers in the Los Angeles area. But also this weekend was a big weekend, Jules. Because it was NWSL decision day on Sunday.
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A
Big day.
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C
This is the final day of regular season games for the NSL season to see who can get into the playoffs. Now let's get into who is already in. Casey current Washington Spirit, Orlando Pride, Gotham fc, Portland Thorns, San Diego Wave and Seattle Rain. The only question left was that final spot. Who would it be? Carolina Courage or Racing Louisville? Now racing Louisville secured the number seven spot in the finals of the NWSL standings with 1 to 0 win over Bay FC on Sunday. It's the final day of the 2025 regular season. Listen to this, you guys. Louisville is headed to the end of his cell playoffs for the first time in franchises history. After four consecutive ninth place finishes.
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A
Just missing out four consecutive top eight. Go. They were number nine the last four seasons.
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C
I'm like so happy for them. For the second year in a row, Tema Chuinga, the the Golden Boot winner. She finished with 15 goals and three assists across 23 regular season games before getting injured, but is I guess better now. So the Kansas City current head coach, Vlad Vladko, he mentioned she's going to probably be available at some point during the playoffs. And then one last note that's I think super cool. The new Denver Summit FC NWSL team will be playing its inaugural home match in March 2026 at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium. That fits 76, 125 people, y'. All. We're trying to get that to be a sellout. Come on, Denver, folks, let's go. I'm going. I want to get there. I'm getting to that game.
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A
Yeah, they're crashing already. That will totally be a sellout and I love that. And no one will be surprised because everybody goes and watch women's sports. I'm tired of people being surprised by this. That will be a sellout. No problem. Okay. On Sunday, New York City Marathon happened. There were more than 55,000 runners that filled the streets for the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon. And abs, you've run it. You know this well. They turned all those five boroughs into one giant moving celebration. Helen O. Oberi of Kenya won the women's open division in a time of 2, 1951.
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C
So fast.
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B
Oh, my gosh.
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A
Obiri obliterated the course record by more than two minutes. And there's this adorable video of her parents dancing and family at the finish line. Mom's holding two bananas in her hand, dancing. It's so cute. Like, I'm a mom. I know you're gonna need these bananas so that you're not cramping because you just ran this in 2. 1951. And along with all these celebs that also ran it, our friend Ali Truitt also ran the marathon on her blade, her prosthetic finishing in just over four hours. Let's go, Ali. This is two and a half years about after losing her left foot in a shark attack. And so the former Yale swimmer and now Paralympic star will join us along with Kinger on Thursday to share her incredible story. You don't want to miss Thursday's episode.
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C
Okay. And Jules, have you heard about the WTA finals, the crown jewel of women's tennis? It's taking place right now, November 1st through the 8th in Saudi Arabia. The top eight singles players and doubles teams are battling for the Billie Jean King trophy. And guess how much they're sharing. Guess what the prize money is. It's a share of $15.5 million. I think that the champion walks away with something like over $5 million. It's incredible. I cannot wait to see what happens. Can you imagine walking away with over.
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A
$5 million and holding the Billie Jean King trophy?
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C
So good.
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A
Yeah, no, I can't imagine that cuz I never. I was playing for $10 a day. Thanks for that. Okay, and then we're moving over to India because India beat South Africa for a historic, like, historic. India had never even been in the final nor South Africa World cup win in cricket, Women cricket. So at last, 50 years on from their debut on the world stage, India's dream came true. And they did it at home. A first World cup triumph in front of a full house in Mumbai as they defeated South Africa by 52 runs. A sold out 45,000 people attended the final in India and as I said, their first ever women's cricket World Cup. And abs. India and South Africa were two teams that I had actually never been to a cricket world cup nor even played in a final. It has always been either Australia, England playing each other or one of them of the two teams in the World cup final. And India was able to knock off Australia in the semifinal. The star of the final game was Shefali Verma who led the Indian team with a dynamic 87 runs from 78 balls. And the crazy part about at all. Varma was only added to the roster in the semifinals after an injury to one of her teammates. Let's go India.
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C
I think that I played the wrong sport. You can. You can score 87 runs. I know I should have done that.
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A
All these bats.
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C
Okay, last but not least, Paige Beckers is officially going to Hollywood, y'. All. The Dallas Wings rookie of the year and former UConn superstar is set to make her acting debut in Jess and Pearl and an Apple original film set in the high stakes world of women's basketball. She'll also serve as the executive producer. And if there's anyone who can vouch for Paige's flair for the dramatic, it is her former coach and today's guest. So sit tight because we've got the one and only Yukon's Gino Ariema driving in for a visit. Literally driving or literally arrived.
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A
He was parked.
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C
To be fair, he was parked. Arriving on the pod just in time for the NCAA hoops kicking off this week. We're so pumped. Very excited. That is your party, party starter. And thanks to Ally for sponsoring this segment. As we know, Ally is more than a bank, and their do it right approach helps customers unlock their economic potential and guide their efforts. As a leading sponsor in women's sports, just like us, Ally believes that when women in sports win, we all have a reason to party. Ally Bank Member, FDIC.
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A
Abigail as you know, finding time to work out in the busiest time of the year as the holidays get around is really hard. But I have the breakthrough of the busiest time of the year. Do you know what it is?
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C
I have an idea, but what are you gonna say?
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A
Brand new Peloton cross training Tread plus.
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C
Yes.
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A
Powered by Peloton iq.
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C
Yes.
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A
Okay.
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C
Yes.
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A
Okay. Can we just talk about how obsessed we are with this? And yes, we did a whole podcast on one. Well, almost the whole podcast on one. And then I proceeded to lose to Abby in the minute to win it race. But I've been training on my peloton cross training Tread plus so that the next time I'm not losing it. And I love this for so many reasons. You can get off well. You can run on it, of course. Right. You can take classes. And then when you're doing the classes, you can do, like, cross training stuff. Because I'm not just a runner. I want to do other things. I want to get off it. I want to do body strength stuff. I want to do boot camp stuff. I want to do some plyometrics. So you swivel your screen and then it tracks you in the box to, like, it'll actually say to you, you need to get your butt lower, people. Get your butt. You're not squatting low enough.
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C
It's a little judgy. It's a little judgy for a retired pro athlete, if I'm not going to lie.
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A
But it so helps you because all of a sudden I'm like, you're right. Okay, okay. O. I know. Crash training Tread plus. I'm going to get my butt down a little further.
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C
The weather is starting to change too. And so once it starts to get a little bit colder outside, I feel like I want to be indoors more. And this is like the perfect machine to do everything that you need, honestly. If you want to walk, you can walk. If you want to do sprints, you can do sprints if you want to, lift weights, if you want to do yoga, if you want to meditate. It has everything.
- [11:11]
A
Yeah. And you know what? When I'm like doing the stuff where you're having to count, I don't know if you have this problem, but I can't keep track of stuff, so. Because I like to talk with my friends and so I'm talking never, never tracking. And it tracks for me, which is brilliant because I don't have to worry. I'm like, oh, I've done my 15 push ups, thank you very much. I've gotten my bum down. So I'm just telling you party people, let yourself run, lift, sculpt, push, and go. You can do it all. Explore the new peloton cross training tread plus@1peloton.com and now to the partiest part of our party. Today we've got a legend of legends. Geno Ariema.
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C
12.
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A
Yes, I said 12. NCAA National Championships, 24 Final Fours. And now to his 41st season at UConn. The winningest coach in college basketball history, men's or women's, and the architect of a dynasty that just changed the game. He came to the United States from Italy when he was 7. He got cut from his high school team, made $1,000 his first year coaching. And it's all part of what made him become one of the most successful coaches in all of sports. He's coached all the legends. Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Brianna Stewart, Nafisa Collier, Paige, Beckers. I mean, the list is very long and I'm just giving a few. And now he's doing it again with a new generation led by Az Fudd and Sarah Strong. We love most of all that he's part philosopher, he's part straight shooter, he's part professional tiktoker, and definitely one of the most interesting minds in sports. And what we also love most about Gino, Gino always tells it like it is. Luigi, Gino. Auriemma. Welcome to the party.
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B
Holy moly. Oh, my God. Yo, that was a great introduction. I. I should take you on the road with me, man.
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A
You know, Gina's doing this from his car. What's up, coach? How we doing? I saw you had a big ring ceremony. The bling.
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B
Lots of bling. Yeah. Thursday night we had to get together and gave out the rings to all the, all the players and ton of fans showed up and part fundraiser for, you know, this new crazy nil revenue sharing thing and part celebration of last year. Put it away. We Knew Paige was going to be in town and Aubrey Griffin was going to be in town. A couple of last year's players and. Yeah, so somebody told me the rings. The pictures of the rings got on. Got on social media, and everybody got a kick out of it. And I actually have mine in a box. I think they're in the back seat of the car. I haven't even taken them out of my car yet.
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A
So let's go grab them. Let's see it. They were big is what I saw. I saw Vibe or something.
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C
Get them. Let's go.
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B
Hold on. Let me see if I can get.
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A
You're still young. Crawl back there. Let's go. Gino.
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C
He's literally got out of the car.
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B
I had to get out of the car and go get him. Yeah, now that you mentioned him, I had him right here.
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A
Yeah, I'm glad you could find him.
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B
Right.
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C
And out of the 12, do you have 12? Oh, my. Wait, you got two for. For one championship.
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B
One is. One is the one that the NCAA gives you, right? I think it just says, you know, that's got the Husky logo on it and stuff like that, I think. And then the other one is one that the players. The player. The players design, and they put all the stuff that they want on it. You know, really cool stuff. They put their own little thing on. I think that one says the power of friendship or something like that on it. Inside, they put really cool. I think they put the name of all the players on the team inside the ring. So the players get to design them, and they have a blast with them. And, you know, everybody's got this bling, bling, bling thing going on. You know, everybody's got it. So there you have it. That's it. I keep them in my office. I. I've never had one on. I've never had one on. And. And I'll show you why I never had one on.
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A
Oh, really?
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B
No, I can't.
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A
You don't wear them. You can't get them over your knuckles.
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B
That's as far as it goes.
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A
It's exactly what happens to me.
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C
You can wear.
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B
Yeah, yeah. You know, like an Italian gangster or picking ring, you know, something like that.
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C
Where do you keep all of those rings and your memorabilia? Do you have, like. Do you have to, like, have a whole different house to. To house and store all.
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B
You know, this is interesting because Julie was at my house one time, you know, and we. We have this wall when you go downstairs, as soon as you go down the steps, we started to, you know, make this, like, stuff of things that were important in our lives, right? And, like, there's a piano. And one of our favorite movies growing up with all the kids was the Sound of Music, you know, so there's a nice little thing there, and then there's, you know, pictures of plays that my daughter was in as you're heading out the back door, you know, into these woods. You know, there's. Into the woods was a place she was on. And then there's a picture of the Rat Pack, you know, and. And they're playing pool. And it says you only. And it's a quote from Eminem. You only get one shot, you know, so it's all these little cool things all the way around, but right at the bottom. My wife, one time, Kathy, we were at something and. And I said, hey, who else is? Where's everybody? And my wife says, well, everybody who's here is here. And we're like, that's profound. You know. Everybody who's here is here. That's a great one. You know, And. And so we wrote it on the wall. Everybody who's here is here. And every time you go downstairs, you sign your name on the wall if you're new to the house. So right there, you know, you see Julie, she put a little thing there, you know, put her name on there, and. Really cool. And there is absolutely not one thing in my house other than maybe one picture. No, I shouldn't say that. There are Olympic posters that they give out at the Olympics, and I've got two that I coached in, and then one that my players sent to me, sue and D, I think, sent it to me, signed by everybody. And pictures. That is the only thing that I have in my house that you would think. I'm the head coach at the University of Connecticut. Not one thing. Everything's in my office or someplace else up at school. Because I never wanted my kids and everybody else to identify me as, you know, oh, yeah, my dad's the coach at UConn. Like, I wanted it to be completely separate. I wanted to. My home to be my home and my work to be my work. And I guess someday, you know, when I'm not coaching, I have to find something to do with that stuff. But right now, you know, I wouldn't even know what to do with that.
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A
Stuff, you know, So I should, like, take my gold medals hanging off the chandeliers off of. Out of our living room. That's weird.
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B
No, no, I mean, you know, that's weird, huh?
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A
No, I'M the same. I don't put any of that stuff up. In fact, I don't even know where my medals are. They've been stolen. I think so. But yeah, I don't put any of that up. I love that.
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B
It's like, it's, it's just, I don't know, I've always been a little bit, you know, people come to your house and I'll tell you another funny story. 1991, right? Maybe this is where it started happening. 1991. Somehow or another, we go to the Final Four, we have no business being in the Final Four. We don't have a kid on our team in the top 100 in the country coming out of high school. And so, you know, they just gel together. And it was the first couple years of the three point shot and we shot the hell out of them, you know, all of them. And we played like, you know, different than everybody was. Boom, boom, boom. Pound the ball inside the lane and all that. And somehow we upset, you know, we upset NC State, who was the number one team in the country. I thought them and Virginia were the two best teams in the country. We upset them in the tournament, then we beat Clemson, and next thing you know, we're in the Final Four. Well, you know, they give you shirts and all this stuff. So I go to play golf at the club, you know, that I was belonging to at the time, but a bunch of old guys, I mean, I'm like what, 30, 35, 36. And I got a sweater on because it's a little chilly. And then it got hot so I took my sweater off and I had this shirt that said Final Four on it. And we're having a beer and the guy goes, hey, look, Gino's got a shirt that says he went to the Final Four. You guys, you didn't know he went to the Final Four, right? Well, in case you didn't know, he has a shirt that says he went to the Final Four. Like, what? Yo, you don't think we know you went to the Final Four? You're gonna wear a shirt now every time. So like they were busting my ball so bad that I just said, that's it. Maybe that's where I got scarred. And I said, I don't want anything around, around my house. Go back to 1991.
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A
We're going, no, you con in the house.
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B
Nothing. Nothing.
- [20:51]
A
When you, when you look at all the championships you won, where does this 12th one rank amongst them?
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B
Yeah, that's a question. That's, that's probably not the easiest one to answer because it probably means less to me from a personal standpoint, but it means a lot to me because of what we were able to do for the, this particular team that wanted. So, you know, the, the journey that this team had, the trials and tribulations of all the things that they went through during their careers, the injuries that we've had, Page attorney, well documented, you know, national player, the year as a freshman, and then total, one thing after another. Sophomore, junior, redshirt. So for them, it was for us as a coaching staff to help deliver that for them. I'll always remember the way that team reacted to it, you know, because for me personally, I don't know that 12 is different than 11. I don't know. My life didn't change that much in April.
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A
This was the, this was the history breaking one, though, right? Like, no one has gotten to 12.
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B
I know, I know, I know. And the thing that I liked was that they said, no one's ever gotten to 12. But then they go, oh, you know, you're the first coach ever. No, two things. You're the oldest coach ever to win a national championship. I go, wow, okay, that's great. Thank you for that. Thank you for that. I appreciate that. And two, the other one is you're the only coach to ever win one 30 years apart. And I'm like, stop, stop it already. Okay, I get it. I'm an old guy coaching. I get it. I get it.
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C
You guys are ranked number one again. You're number one in the preseason polls. Like, what two questions? What excites you about this team? And why the hell are you still coaching?
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B
That is the most important. I just stabbed myself in the eye. I'm an old guy. So that, the thing that, the thing that's interesting is, you know, when you hear about old stories of, from back, back in the day, you know, when Bear Bryant, when he retired, he died soon after that, you know, Joe Paterno, when he retired, you know, he died soon after, you know, and you're like, oh, what? So if you're coach for a certain amount of time and you retire, you die. Like, I don't know that that's, you know, I don't think that's what's keeping me coaching, because I think I would have, I would have a lot of things that I know I would love to do if I wasn't coaching. And I do worry sometimes when I go to work, like, man, do I still really, really, really have the same, you know, juice and the same impact and the same ability to fight these guys, because it is a fight every day. You know, like, they have their own way of doing things because they're kids. They've got habits. And I've certainly have my way of wanting to do things. And every day, you're trying to squeeze a little more out of them, you know, and. And it takes a lot of energy. It takes a lot out of you. You know, when you played, I mean, you know, you would go. If you're anything like the guys that obviously you are, because you were great at what you did. The players that I had, the really good players, they take a lot out of you as a coach because they demand so much. They demand so much. They think they know more than you do. They think they're the smartest person in the world all the time. The minute you make a bad decision, they're all over your ass. And then when you do something right, they take all the credit for it. So it's, like, unbelievable. And so, you know, they're such.
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A
Those legends.
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B
I mean, you guys are a breath of fresh air. The basketball players are the worst. I think soccer players maybe are a little more humble. I don't know. I mean, I doubt it, but. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt.
- [25:18]
C
Jules. Okay. You know that feeling when you find something so fundamentally amazing, you immediately text five of your best friends about it? Yeah. That is exactly what happened when I put on Vuori's Dream Knit performance.
- [25:34]
A
I know.
- [25:34]
C
I also am. Am donning this sweatshirt that I was just gonna pull.
- [25:39]
A
It's on the bed right behind me. I was just gonna pull it over. I travel it.
- [25:42]
C
My children are like, I love that. Where's that from? And I'm like, it's Yuri, and it's mine. Hands off. Do not touch.
- [25:51]
A
No, literally, I was wearing my Vori big hoodie sweatshirt. I'm gonna. I'm gonna pull it for you a second. Hold on. Stay.
- [25:58]
C
Oh, my God.
- [26:06]
A
Stay there, party people. This is worth it. I was wearing my big hooded sweatshirt. I can't put it on because I. I have my headphones in. But. But everyone was like, what is that? And I was like, not yours, it's mine.
- [26:19]
C
It's Yori.
- [26:20]
A
And they're like, of course it's Vuori.
- [26:22]
C
All of Vori clothes are just unbelievably soft. Like, I can't even believe that these soft. These sweatshirts and these performance joggers are as soft as they are. And by the way, I've had some of these for four years. Still soft folks. Um, and also they still look like they're. I'm put together enough that I can even go outside and run errands or hop on a zoom or head to a workout without ever changing. I literally live in these performance joggers. View gets it. And we really want clothes that feel good and move with us and also still look great. Because I just want to wear the same thing all day. I don't want to have to, like, change in and out of stuff. And I'm working out and I'm recording podcasts and I'm going for a walk and I'm doing things. I get to wear the dream knit fabric all day long because it's lightweight, it's breathable. It's seriously the smoothest material that I've ever worn, y'. All. I'm not even kidding. The versatility is next level. I've worn them to coach, to travel, to lounge, to dinners. It's just like, I love Vuori so much. They just work. Vori is an investment in your happiness. Okay? For our listeners, they are offering 20 off your first purchase.
- [27:39]
A
Get it?
- [27:39]
C
Get yourself some of the most comfortable and versatile clothing on the planet@vuori.com welcome to the party. That's V O-R-I.com welcome to the party. Exclusions apply. Visit the website for full terms and conditions. Not only will you receive 20 off your first purchase, but enjoy free Shipping on any U. S orders over 75 and free returns go to Vuori.com welcome to the party and discover the versatility of of Vori clothing exclusions apply. Visit the website for full terms and conditions.
- [28:12]
A
This is what I look like on the plane.
- [28:14]
C
FYI, Third love makes better bras, period. And I'm listening, women.
- [28:21]
A
I'm so listening. You had me at better bras.
- [28:24]
C
Founded by women who were actually just sick of settling for bras that were, quote, unquote, good enough. Yeah, Third love bras are literally designed to solve the fit issues so many of us deal with. Whether you need a little, little extra lift or you just want something that still feels good by the end of the day, because, ugh, they use premium materials, even innovative thermo regulations, so you're not overheating. And they come in more than 60 sizes, Jules, from double A to H.
- [29:00]
A
Including H. Oh, my gosh.
- [29:03]
C
Including half cup sizes, which is really good because all of us have different size breasts and they invented for anyone who falls in between. So do you know you could do that?
- [29:17]
A
I didn't. I didn't know that because I'm concave. So I hope they have, like five double A's.
- [29:24]
C
Did you know, though, that you could actually order half sizes? It's so good. I'm always reaching for my third love bra. It's really become old reliable in the closet. It's ruined me for other bras. Like, truly. Stop settling for average bras. Get solutions made for your body. Get $15 off your purchase@thirdlove.com with code podcast15.
- [29:50]
A
Gino, what about this year? As Abby mentioned, you know, number one, preseason polls. You're about to start this 41st season. What excites you the most about this team and who steps in as the leader without Paige there?
- [30:08]
B
You know, I think you have to have a personality like you guys, where, like, you just want to win and you don't care what people think, you know, necessarily. I think kids today are more worried about what other people think about them, what other. What their teammates think of them. They want to be liked. They want to get a lot of likes, you know, like, they grow up wanting to get a lot of likes. So Paige became a leader, you know, towards the end, and now right now, we've got to kind of convince a couple of our guys that it's okay to step outside yourself and be that leader. You know, AZ is not naturally a leader. You know, she just shows up every day, works hard, never misses a drill, is always perfect in every drill. Her effort is always beyond reproach, but is a very quiet kind of player, you know, when it comes to being a vocal leader. So that. That's not something that, you know, she's comfortable with. So I'm going to have to make her a little bit more uncomfortable with that. Sarah Strong is a sophomore who thinks, well, you know, I'm too young to be that person. You know, we've got easy, you know, we've got Caroline Sharm who's been here. And yet, you know, Sarah is going to be on the court a lot and is going to have a lot to say what kind of season we season. So, yeah, so you've got these things. So I'm excited about, you know, all the challenges that I have and all the challenges that they have. And I. And I do think that, you know, AZ is going to lead in her own way, Sarah's going to find a way to lead in her way, and Carol, who's coming back from, you know, all these concussion issues, is going to find a way to lead in her way. So I think, you know, between the three of them, somebody's voice is going to be louder than everybody else's, and that. That's the way it's going to end up being. But in the end, I think there are some years, you know, where the coach has to be the leader. Until that happens, sometimes the coach, you know, and I talked to them about this and I said, I'll take the pressure off you for a little while. I'll be the leader. But as the season goes on, if I'm still the leader, come march, and then it's going to be hard for us to win a national championship because I think we. We are good enough to win it. We're young in some ways, you know. You know, AZ is the only senior on the team that's been here a while. And Sarah Williams, who we got from Wisconsin, is a really, really good player, but she's new. She's not going to walk in and just all of a sudden. So I'm excited about this year's team. I think we're. We're going to be good or like every other team, I think we. We're in the process of becoming good. But, yeah, you know, I think the challenges today are way, way, way different and way greater in some way than they've ever been. And it doesn't have anything to do with what offense we're running or what defense we're running. It's all this other stuff, you know, like, all this stuff. Yeah.
- [33:12]
A
Can we get into that for a second? It's crazy to me. I mean, you have lived all the different changes of collegiate sports, having been here for 41 years now. And when I look at what's happening with Nil name, image and likeness for those who don't know what it is, and also with the transfer portal, I think, oh, my God, how does someone like Gino even want to deal with all of this? Because the reality is it's. It's chaos. It feels like. Right. Like people. And you haven't had hardly any players go into the portal, but this constant. I think you were quoted by saying, you know, even the NBA and NFL doesn't have every player as a free agent after every year. Like, it just seems like it's a lot. How do they get that under control?
- [34:01]
B
I.
- [34:02]
A
Where do we want to begin? And I feel like we need some more win.
- [34:06]
B
Let's go down here.
- [34:07]
A
Wine.
- [34:08]
C
Sallow.
- [34:10]
B
I want to say they. They will never get it under control. They won't. They won't. For the first time, I think, in my career as a college Basketball coach for the first time, I truly believe that the professional game is way ahead of the college game in almost every area now there's more stability, which, in the beginning, you know, people, I wonder how long this league is going to last. You know, now, you know, they're adding new franchises. They're going to have a collective bargaining agreement. The owners are putting in more money. They actually have contracts. They are going to be bound by those contracts. They can be free agents, but after that, you know, they've got to contract. And they, they each have a shared interest in the team, and it's, it's their job. It's still a game, but it's their job. So now you have in college where you're, you're paying kids money, and they think, well, we have the resources to pay the money. No, you don't. College sports, a lot of ways, is a losing proposition because of the amount of money that they, that it costs to run a complete athletic program. It's a losing proposition except for maybe, you know, 10 schools, maybe, I don't know, 50. I'll even give you 15, maybe, where they can make enough money that they can say, you know, we're paying these players because we have so much money. The money has to come from, from boosters and donors and, you know, all these other things, you know, if you're not, you know, if you're Ohio State and you're Michigan and you're those places. But the amount of money that it costs. So you're paying players a couple million dollars a year to play one year. What's their, what is their motivation to win a national championship? They're only giving you one year. So how invested are they in the team, in the school and everything? So that's the challenge that coaches have, and the challenge the players have is, well, now that I'm making all this money, is it really about going to school or is it my job now to play college basketball? And if it's my job to play college basketball, then why don't we just make them employees and say, this is your job? Like, like, I have a job. Like, you know, when I was in college, when I was playing, I had a job in the library because I needed the money. So I would go to work at the library after practice or my day off or whatever. That was my job. Okay, so why can't this kid's job be, I go to school and then I go to practice and I get paid to play basketball. And now we got to figure out, how do we have contracts, and how do we, you know, work with them and see what we can do to fix this thing? Because right now this is unsustainable and it's going to fall apart unless something happens drastically.
- [37:30]
C
Yeah. Yeah. But it's interesting because I think that so many colleges are struggling to keep a consistency without losing players to the transfer portal. That's not something that is a problem for you because people are dying to come and play for you. Gino, how are you? Like, I understand that players want to have the. The mobility and the movement, but how are you keeping the players there? Is it just because you guys win, or is it something that you explain to them and, like, agree to on the front end? Like, I want you here for four years. I don't want to do this. Like, are you actually explicitly kind of trying to get them to stay for the four years?
- [38:14]
B
There are people that are actually asking players, I want you to sign a contract because you can do. You can do that. I agreed to provide you nil opportunities or whatever for, let's say two years, and the kid signs up for two years. We. We haven't done that. My thing is, if you come here, you're coming here because you think we have something to offer that no other school does. And what is that? Well, you know, I told one kid recently, we've been to the Final Four every year since you've been alive. The kid was like, what? I said, how old are you? That kid was like, well, 16.
- [38:57]
C
That's amazing.
- [38:58]
B
I said, well, we've been to 15 of the last 16 Final Fours, whatever the number is. I said, so there's a good chance you can go to Final Four. If you come number two, you can win a national championship here. You believe that, right? Yep. Okay. And you can. What else you want to do? Well, I like to play professionally. Okay. Well, we have more players in the pros than anybody else, and we have the best players in the pros, not just pro players. So now if you come here, you're also going to take advantage of our brand. Okay? You can use UConn as a way to build your brand, because we have the biggest brand in the country. So there's a lot for you here. Now, the problem is this doesn't come for free. All right? Once you get here, you got to earn that every day. And if you do, you're going to get even more. And if you don't, then you're probably going to go someplace else because this wasn't the place for you. What you thought it was. So the portal can, the portal can hurt you if you have really good players leave, which we never have, or it can help you because a kid comes here and goes, man, coach, this is way over my head. I got in way too deep. I said, all right, let me help you find a place that's, that's better for you because I want you to be successful.
- [40:15]
C
Sure.
- [40:15]
B
You know, so the portal can work both ways, but there's got to be, there's got to be some, you know, and this, this idea of, well, coaches can leave whenever they want. Well, I know, but I have this huge buyout, so you can leave whenever you want. But how about we put a buyout in your contract? Like, I, I, there's got to be some again, you know, like, I'm making a commitment. If I leave there, there's repercussions right now. It's just too easy.
- [40:48]
C
Yes.
- [40:49]
A
Yeah, I know. Well, why can't they limit how many times you go into the portal? I mean, it's insane that when you're watching a basketball game, it's like, and then they played it, you know, Duke, and then they played at, you know, Virginia, and then they were at Maryland. I'm like, there's no loyalty to anything.
- [41:06]
B
It's just, it is transactional. And, you know, since, you know, we're, we're, we're adults here and we can talk like adults. And, and, and I, and I'm at the age now where it doesn't matter. You know, people say, I can't believe you said this. The bottom line is, does a kid think that they're there because of how much they're getting paid? And they, and someone offered to pay them more than some other school did, and that's why I'm here. Okay, so that's a little bit of an issue, I think if a kid made a decision just based on that. Two, you're a coach now, and you go in a three game losing streak, and the kid that you just paid the most money on your team from, you know, from a playing standpoint, the kid's not playing well. And that they're, they're, they're not worth the money you pay them in your mind now, does that change the way you feel about that particular kid? None of this should actually happen.
- [42:10]
C
That's interesting.
- [42:11]
B
But we are human beings. We do have feelings and we do have perceptions and way we think, and so do kids. Kids come to your school maybe, and they go, man, this guy's a pain in my ass. He wasn't like this when he was recruiting me. He's an asshole. I'm not staying here. You know, and so, you know, things change and you start to have these feelings and, and, and I would hate to see what happens when, you know, a kid is 18 and the coach is losing their. Because they paid this kid a ton of money and the kid doesn't deliver. And now the kid's getting kid, the kids getting killed on social media. And so now the kids are betting on the, they're betting on these guys, which is another issue. You know, the kid, the kid doesn't get the double. Double that a bunch of people bet that they were going to get. Like all this nonsense is in the air that's like strangling these kids. You know, it's taken like, whatever happened to going to college and playing basketball and enjoying the experience? And I'm listen and I don't want people listening to think that, like, you know, I'm to get off my long guy. I like they're getting paid. I love the fact they're getting paid. Yeah, I, I, I, I'm all in on them getting paid. I, I, you know, I can't even begin to tell you how much money Paige made during her five years here. You know, it's astro. It's more than any WNBA player will make in their, the length of whatever contract they have.
- [43:38]
A
Right.
- [43:39]
B
You know, so I'm all in on that. But there's got to be some parameters around. And right now there's none. Zero, none. And it hurts these kids. Here's. Let me just say the one last thing. Here's what hurts that a lot of people don't talk about all these people that are like, oh, yeah, the portal is great. Letting go. Okay, A thousand kids went in the portal just to pick a number. It's probably more than that. Thousand kids went into portal. Let's say kid. Two days after they go into portal, they go, I'm going to UConn. You know, we've been cheating to get that kid because how's that kid make that decision in two days? Or that kid's been playing at their school and for the last month, they're going, I'm going to UConn when this is over. Just using that as an example. Okay, so that's bad because now we've been tampering with a kid. If that's really what's happening. I mean, we don't, I don't talk to anybody. I don't even talk to the kids that want to come here, much less the kids I'm trying to get to come here. So. So now what happens? Kid goes into portal. They take. They are allowed to have X number of more visits. So go through the whole thing again. And they can't find the school that wants them. Let's just say, well, now they had a pretty good situation. They thought they were better than they really are, and they end up with less than what they had. And the school that they left doesn't want them back. And. And something. And last year.
- [45:01]
A
Exactly.
- [45:02]
B
Last year, something like 30%. I forget what it was. Of all the kids that went in a portal ended up at a level below where they left.
- [45:12]
C
Wow. That's.
- [45:14]
B
People don't talk about that. Yeah, they just. You know, and. And I. Again, I'm all in favor of it, but what else is going to happen then is instead of there being more parody, sometimes there could end up being. Only the rich get richer and everybody else gets stuck with whatever's left over. So.
- [45:38]
A
Why do you think they don't want to fix it? That's what you led with.
- [45:41]
B
You said don't want to fix it because.
- [45:43]
A
Or they can't.
- [45:44]
B
Can, and they don't. Because fixing it requires making them employees. And then if they make them employees, I think they lose their antitrust status or something like that. I don't know. I don't know what happens. But. And then, you know what makes it worse, too? All these crazy football schools that are paying these coaches 50 million not to coach. Now, that makes it look like you got all that money to pay a guy not to coach. And you're telling me you can't give me money to play? So, you know, these colleges, they're their own worst enemies. They can't get out of their own way.
- [46:19]
A
That's where Abby and I were, like, 41 years in. This guy is.
- [46:23]
C
You've seen it all.
- [46:24]
B
Hey, wait a minute. Did you guys talk to Anson like this? For those of you that don't know, Anson Lawrence has been at North Carolina a lot longer than I've been here. He's. What? He's won. How many championships has he won?
- [46:38]
A
He's. He's finally retired. He was 21.
- [46:41]
B
21 national championships.
- [46:44]
A
21. I know.
- [46:45]
B
21 national championships.
- [46:47]
C
That's wild.
- [46:49]
B
Yeah, that's what I mean. And I. I've been on some panels with him, and he looks at me like, I can't believe what you've done. I said like, you know, you got to be kidding me, right? 21. And he finally retired?
- [47:03]
C
Yeah, he retired. And the year he retired, his team won also. They. Also. They won it again without him. So it's like he left them in a place where they were still. That. That they. Yeah, still do.
- [47:14]
B
Well, that's what you would. That's what you would want, right? That's what you would want.
- [47:18]
A
Hey, Gino, with all those different moments you've had over your career, have you ever been able to pick a favorite? One moment. Could you pick a favorite?
- [47:34]
B
No, it's not. But at the same time, you know, when I think about that very first Final Four team, I remember we were actually playing in Philadelphia at the Palestra, and my family was all there, and that team was just overwhelmed by the fact that we just beat these two really, really good ACC schools with lots of pro players, and we've got, like, you know, nobody on our team is going to play pro anywhere over in Europe or anywhere. And. And when we won that. That game to go to the Final Four, I, like, I cried in the club, in the locker room. That team, that moment. That moment, you know, that it could happen like that. And then our first national championship in 1995, because you never know if you're. You're ever going to win one. You. You never know.
- [48:42]
C
You.
- [48:42]
B
You want to, and you never know. So when it actually did happen. Yeah. I don't know that anything has matched that at UConn, right. Winning Olympic gold medals. That's a. Man, that is brutal. I could. Yeah, I know. I couldn't even be happy, man. I was so. I was so wired. I knew that, you know, if I guess in soccer, in the beginning, before, you know, before you guys changed the world of soccer, you know, maybe it was the US Wasn't supposed to be that team because soccer wasn't an American game until you guys made it. Well, you guys made it a women's America. Soccer, a women's American game. But in basketball, there's no parade if we win a silver medal, there's no parade if we win a bronze medal. And it was the most torturous thing I've ever, ever done. And it was. I mean, you know, you guys, you were Olympic players. You were Gold cup, you know, World cup players rather than win a gold medal. It's brutal, man. It's brutal. That was the worst.
- [50:01]
C
A lot of. Lot of. A lot of stress.
- [50:03]
B
Well, especially if you're coaching guys like, before we let you and Bird, who every time you make a mistake, they look at you like, what's this thinking, you know, like, at least when they were at Connecticut, they only thought it. When I was coaching them, they actually said it.
- [50:20]
C
Listen, I just watched Dee's. Her. Her documentary or three part documentary, and there was just, like, so much in it that I just love the relationship that you have been able to develop with your players. Not just like the older ones, but even Paige, like, just saying that, she's like, a big pain in your ass. Like, I love the relationship that you have with your players so much. How do you create those relationships? Like, what is. Is it at the. During the recruiting process or, like, once they step on campus? Like, what is your methodology in curating these incredible relationships with some of the best players that the game has ever seen?
- [50:58]
B
I think I've been exceptionally fortunate in that the absolute best players that I've ever recruited that have come here were the kind of kids that, man, I really want to be coached. I really want to be challenged. I really, really, really want everything. I want to experience everything. And so, because I knew that, and I would ask them, too, this is one of the first things I do. I would ask those players, all right, tell me what you want. And they would say, well, you know, I want to go to the Final Four. I want to be all American. I want to win a national championship. You know, I want to. Want to be a first round draft pick, blah, blah, blah. I want to be in, you know, all this stuff. So they say these things, right? And if I think they got no chance because they don't have that kind of talent, then, you know, I got to keep that in the back of my mind. And I can't lose my. Can't lose my mind with those guys because I know down the road they ain't going to make it because they just don't have it. You know, they don't have that town. That doesn't mean they can't be really good college players. Now you get D or Mayo or Tina Charles swing. You get those guys that walk in Paige, and they look at you and go, yep, I want to win. Like, Stewie, I'm going to win four national championships, and then I'm going to be the number one pick in the draft. I'm going to win gold medals, and I'm going to be, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I go, okay, fine. So now every day for her four years, I'm going to be the biggest pain in the ass she ever met in her life. I'm going to have my foot up her butt the entire four years that she's here. And she knows that I'm doing it because that's what she wants. Like, I told coach, this is what I want. And I want to make sure that at the end of the four years, she doesn't leave and go, man, I wish coach would have pushed me a little bit harder. I wish he would have challenged me a little bit more. And in doing that, I can have fun with them, you know, Like, I can. I can, because they know that I'm doing this because that's what they want. They want to go there. You know, I asked Rebecca Lobo, and we. We won. I forget, we. We won to go to the final four, and they asked her, they said, okay, Rebecca, you're leaving for the final four, blah, blah, blah. She goes, what's. What's the next week going to be like for you, you know, leading up to Final Four? She goes, well, I'm gonna enjoy today. You know, we won a regional final, but, you know, when I go to practice on Tuesday, I'm. I'm just looking forward to going back and being the worst post player in America, because that's what he thinks I am.
- [53:39]
A
I love the relationship you've cultivated from generation to generation.
- [53:43]
B
Well, see, this, this, this. I grew up like you two guys. I didn't get a chance to coach you guys. But one of the things that I would try to find early on in our careers as coach and player, I would try to find, like, a little scab that you have, like, something that bothers you, something that you don't like to admit, or something that if somebody goes, you have, like, a humongous reaction to it. I like to find what that is, and then I'm all over that for the next four years. And that's a sign of love. Yes, that's a sign of love, because why would you make fun? Why would you pick on people you don't like? Like, I've never understood that. Like, why would I. Why would I want to pick on somebody I don't like? Like, if I'm not picking on you, that means, like, you. You just don't. You don't have anything to, you know.
- [54:40]
A
You got nothing to offer. If Gino ain't coming at you.
- [54:44]
B
No, I'm not coming at you. That's. That's right. That's a bad sign. That's a bad sign. That's a bad sign.
- [54:51]
A
All right, coach, we do this. We do this final segment with our guests called party poppers, and we're trying a new party popper on you. We actually like this one.
- [55:00]
C
A lot.
- [55:00]
A
I'm very excited about it. It's called yearbook superlatives. Okay? So you can choose any player you have had in your 41 years at UConn that would match this yearbook superlative. Are you ready?
- [55:14]
B
Okay. One player for each thing you're going to say.
- [55:17]
A
Okay.
- [55:17]
B
Okay. Show me.
- [55:19]
C
Yep.
- [55:19]
A
Go on, abs.
- [55:20]
C
All right, so most likely to be the President of the United States.
- [55:26]
B
I would say Morgan Tuck, who's the GM of the Connecticut sun, will be one Sue Bird. I can see that. But. Yeah, they're. They're the first two.
- [55:45]
C
Yeah, Sue's good. Sue's good. She's on it. She's a. She's a businesswoman through and through. She's great.
- [55:54]
A
Yeah. Temperament for it. Morgan and Sue. Okay, I like that. Most likely to win the lottery and then lose the ticket, Stephanie Dawson.
- [56:08]
B
But she's the happiest. She's the happiest person I've ever coached and just kind of, you know, goes about her life and doesn't stress much.
- [56:21]
C
Amazing. Who's the best prankster on the team?
- [56:25]
B
Prankster. I would say probably D.
- [56:36]
C
Yes, I would say that, too. She was pranking the. The crew on the dock.
- [56:41]
B
Diesel, man.
- [56:43]
A
She was. I gotta see that. So good.
- [56:47]
C
Last one. Most likely to make the game winning shot. Of all of the stars that you've had, who would you choose? Who are you getting the ball? Oh, whose hands are you getting?
- [56:59]
A
Drumroll, please.
- [57:01]
B
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [57:07]
A
Who's taking it?
- [57:08]
C
Oh.
- [57:12]
B
Well, I can only go by who's made the most game winning shots. Who's. Ah, man, I gotta go. I gotta go with D. If I. Thinking I gotta go with dt, I gotta go with her. Yeah. Yeah.
- [57:38]
A
All right.
- [57:38]
B
I gotta go with that.
- [57:39]
A
I thought the. The person you were referencing was Stewie made the most game winning shots. DTs.
- [57:45]
B
Yeah. Stewie didn't have to make a lot of game winning shots because the team she was on, they blew everybody out. So there was never a game winning shot in her. In her four years here.
- [57:54]
C
Right.
- [57:54]
B
B. I've only seen her lose one game where the season was on the line, and that's when sue hit a three from the corner to beat that. And so. Yeah, I know somebody's. If somebody's gonna stick the dagger, that must be it. Might as well be one of your best friends, right?
- [58:15]
C
Yeah.
- [58:15]
B
You know, here's it. I'll leave you.
- [58:18]
A
It must be so fun. Like after all these. Watching them all.
- [58:22]
B
I'll leave you with this. When I was, you know, obviously when I was coaching them. It was so interesting, their personalities and they haven't changed that much, you know, but if you, if you. I don't, if, if you're out and you're trying to evaluate sue and D, you would go, okay. Something comes up and you say, listen, D, like, we gotta, we gotta kill that team. You know, we gotta kill that guy. He goes, all right, she goes down the court, walks right up to the guy, chokes him and stabs him right in the heart. And the game didn't even start yet. Okay? It's dead. All right, coach, what else you want me to do? So we really need to kill that guy. All right. Hey, listen, can we get together for lunch or dinner or something? I really want to talk to you about some things for the game. Sure. And then while the guy's having dinner, while she's having dinner, whoever it is, having a glass of wine, a nice meal, they don't even feel it. The knife goes right in the side and the person's dead. And sue walks out and goes, thank you. That was a lot of fun. So like you got two people at completely different styles, but at the end of the day you're both dead.
- [59:41]
C
That's amazing. Coach, you're the best. Perfect.
- [59:45]
A
Luigi Gino, Ariana story, what can I tell you?
- [59:50]
C
Thank you so much. We do this weird thing called the party pose and we're just gonna take a picture and it'll kind of live in the world.
- [59:57]
B
I like it as we post this.
- [59:59]
C
So just like, just smile on three.
- [60:02]
A
One, two, three. Perfect. Coach, best of luck this season. I love him so much. I swear to God. He cracks me up.
- [60:13]
C
He is, he feels like my brother. Do you know what I mean? Like, he feels like he's like your older brother who just is confident and real and honest and, and doesn't take it too seriously.
- [60:26]
A
Yeah.
- [60:26]
C
Yeah. I love him.
- [60:28]
A
Yeah. What, what was your favorite part that.
- [60:31]
C
You took away for sure, the way that he approaches his coaching with asking the players what they want first. Yeah, that's such a, like, it's such an overlooked element of being a really strong minded coach and being able to actually challenge your players as hard as you possibly can. Challenge them without going over overboard. You have to have them set the standard of what they really want because that allows you to understand how far you can push. It's, I think, one of the most important things that a coach can do.
- [61:05]
A
Yeah. And then he's like, and then I will be a pain in your ass every single day because you set that Standard.
- [61:10]
C
Exactly.
- [61:11]
A
And I'm gonna honor that by helping you get there.
- [61:14]
C
Exactly.
- [61:15]
A
And what's so funny is every single legend that has played for him, and as we listed, there are. Have been many. They all say that after the fact, like, in the moment, it was so hard. Right. And I wanted to strangle him. But, like, after the fact, I'm like, oh, my God. This man brought me to a different level because of what he held me accountable for. And that's. And that's hard to do on a daily basis, I imagine, for a coach, because it takes a lot out of him as well.
- [61:43]
C
So, yeah, holding. Holding the best players in the world to account, dealing with the egos, dealing with now the nil. Like, he just has been. He's just been kind of through it all, and it was just really fun to talk to him.
- [61:59]
A
And we didn't even get into it, but he extended his contract through the 28, 29 season. Oh, my gosh.
- [62:06]
C
He's amazing.
- [62:07]
A
Yeah. What a run. All right, party people, don't forget to subscribe. Subscribe to the welcome to the party YouTube channel and click that little bell icon so you get those updates when new episodes go live and you can actually see us in our ridiculous hats and. And. And. And have fun with us. You can see Geno in his cool car.
- [62:26]
C
Yeah, yeah.
- [62:27]
A
When he rolled up in his car, I was like, this is so good.
- [62:30]
C
Also, we would appreciate it if you could rate and leave a comment and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. I have read every single comment. We're getting a little obsessed on the Apple podcast thread. It's just, like, so fun to read through. Also, just be sure to follow us on TikTok and Instagram @ welcome to the Party show. And that is exactly where you will be able to find Julie, Billy and I, we're going to be bringing this stuff and all of the fun things that are happening in women's sports straight to your feed. Shout out to out also to Kate Diaz because we love our theme, Kate, so much.
- [63:04]
A
Our music.
- [63:06]
C
Yeah.
- [63:07]
A
Put a paw in.
- [63:08]
C
Do you want to do USA or do you want me to do it?
- [63:10]
A
You do it.
- [63:11]
C
All right, here we go. Here we go. USA on three. One, two, three. Welcome to the Party is an independent production brought to you by Treat Media. Treat Media makes makes art for humans who want to stay human. Silver Tribe is our production partner, and you can also watch our full conversations on the welcome to the party YouTube channel and follow us at welcome to the party show on Instagram and TikTok.