UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma has tested positive for COVID-19. The program announced that the Hall of Famer has no symptoms and is now isolating at home. Auriemma has had both of his COVID vaccination shots, but he had only just gotten the second dose five days ago, so he was nine days from being considered fully protected from the virus.
“I feel great -- I don’t have any symptoms, so it came as a complete shock to me and my medical staff,” Auriemma told reporters Monday night via teleconference. “We’ve been testing every day, including when we were at Mohegan.”
Auriemma doesn’t know how he got COVID-19.
“I didn’t all of a sudden go on spring break. I didn’t go to Florida, I didn’t all of a sudden go on a motorcycle retreat to Montana or something. I didn’t do anything -- I’ve just kind of done what I do,” Auriemma said.
The coach believes that he might be sicker if he hadn’t gotten his shots, even though he’s not considered fully protected.
“I’m glad I got the vaccine. I’m glad I got the first one, I’m glad I got the second one, and if there was a third one, I’d get the third one,” Auriemma said.
Still, an enforced quarantine for Auriemma comes at just about the worst time for the storied coach. His Huskies are about to head for San Antonio, Texas, for the NCAA championships. They’ll leave campus Tuesday morning without their leader.
While the news hit freshman forward Aaliyah Edwards and her teammates hard, Edwards is still confident heading into the tournament.
“It’s definitely unfortunate, but [we’re] still having the same mindset going into the tournament and just making sure that we perform and do what we do best,” Edwards said.
The earliest Auriemma can join the team is March 24. That means he’d miss at least two games should UConn advance to the Sweet 16.
The Huskies tip off Sunday as the No. 1 seed in the River Walk region of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. They play against No. 16 High Point University at 8 p.m.
