“If you don’t take risks, you’ll never win big.” Geno Auriemma is known to win by any means. As a coach, he has won the most NCAA division I games in both men’s and women’s sports. With eleven national championships under his belt, no one can doubt that he has taken his fair share of risks to achieve success.

However, there are some risks that even he won’t take. After witnessing a plethora of knee injuries over the last few years, he has his boundaries. A lot of his star players have suffered knee sprains in front of him, and he’s not willing to take any chances with their health.

A tweet from Daniel Connolly, a publisher for UConn WBB weekly, provided more insight into the situation. Auriemma announced that Aubrey Griffin will be sitting out for the Big East Tournament. She only recently recovered from an ACL tear and apparently was dealing with some soreness. “It’s best to give her all this time.” The coach said, wanting to get her ready for the NCAA tournament.

It doesn’t look like her absence will be long-lasting, or cripple the team, as UConn look confident about their chances. Geno Auriemma’s team is currently ranked #3 in the nation, and has secured a bid for March Madness irrespective of how the Big East Tournament pans out.

However, they have to maintain their momentum. The Huskies will look to break nearly a decade long dry spell in this NCAA tournament, and win coach Geno his twelfth chip. After being kept away from triumph for so many years due to injuries, Auriemma is ready to work his way back to a national championship.

UConn forward surprises coach Geno Auriemma ahead of senior night

Aubrey Griffin being unavailable because of a knee issue reminded UConn fans of darker times. The six-foot-one forward suffered a brutal ACL injury early last year, and was ruled out for the season. It took her nearly four hundred days to get back to fitness, and Huskies fans counted every single day.

Even coach Geno got concerned beyond a point. After her injury, he never expected Griffin to represent the UConn team ever again. But she decided to prove him wrong. He was a gracious loser, however, as he complimented the forward and her determination.

The UConn coach talked about how difficult it was to overcome injury and retain the kind of quickness that one had before getting hurt. He mentioned Griffin, and how tricky ACL injuries are to deal with, especially in a peak time for the athlete. “She was playing the best basketball of her career.” Coach Geno said. “But you saw the other night the impact that she can have on a game. So she still has it, she could still be as impactful as she’s ever been.”

Even though her knee isn’t back at 100% just yet, Griffin’s addition really boosted UConn’s morale. She, as Auriemma said, can always impact the game at a high level, and her presence in March will be a boon for the Huskies. We just hope that her knee heals up by then, so we can look forward to greatness from UConn!