The NCAA college basketball scene is ever-changing but it seems like some of those are not always welcome. Call it not wanting to go with the flow or maintaining some semblance of older traditions, but the player transfer rules have not been received well by some. This includes UConn coach Geno Auriemma and later Angel Reese. The two don’t seem to get along well together in their stance.

In January, Auriemma had singled out Lauren Park-Lane when she came to Mississippi State from Seton Hall. Standing up for her had been Angel Reese, still herself at LSU after transferring from Maryland in her junior year. Now, a fan on X has unearthed an old picture of the Sky forward in a UConn jersey, standing with a hand over Auriemma’s shoulder. “let’s put this picture back WHEREVER yall found it 😭😭🤣🤦🏽‍♀️” Reese reposted the picture with this caption.

It looks like an old picture with the W player looking really young. Her UConn sweatshirt made the fan who posted it want to imagine what she would have been like as a Husky, which the player herself might not have liked. Reese’s former comments beg the question if she’s taking a dig at the person beside her or her young self.

Auriemma had said back in January, “You’ve got a player that’s really, really, really good that you coached the hell out of and you just made them who they are. Like Seton Hall last year – that kid goes ‘Yeah, well, I think I can go make more money somewhere else.’ Okay, well, you wouldn’t have been this good if it weren’t for the coaching staff you have right now.”

When Park-Lane said in response, “To say I left MY 4 year university for money is reckless,” Reese, looking back at her own transfer journey, replied, “Been that girl, forever that girl & always will be that girl. I remember jokingly asking you come play with me at UMD and you always told me you loved seton hall and wanted to graduate there! keep being you CHEATCODE!”

It was not a well-received answer from Auriemma, who had the sports world aiming their barbs at him, including one of Park-Lane’s coaching staff at Mississippi. But interestingly, the veteran coach was on Reese’s side when the conversation in the WNBA focused on the star rookie class this season.

Geno Auriemma defended Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark

When Diana Taurasi, who played under Auriemma at UConn in the early 2000s, said that Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and the rest of the 2024 draft class would receive a reality check in the WNBA, some echoed the statement. But mostly the opinion was rejected as a veteran player’s jealousy over rookies receiving fame.

It was not just Taurasi but Auriemma did refer to this issue at the Aspen Ideas Festival, where he was a panelist with Reese’s former LSU coach Kim Mulkey. “[Caitlin] and Angel Reese are not the two best players in the WNBA, but they’re the two most talked about players in the WNBA right now. If you’re some of the players… you can moan and groan about why weren’t they talking about me when I was here… or you can just appreciate what it is and take advantage of it now.”

It’s undeniable that the stage Reese and Co. arrived on was set for them by the veterans. The older players who were maybe not as famous as this draft class have always been here, carrying the league on. But time will always bring change and as Geno Auriemma said, take advantage of what it is now. Maybe he and Reese can agree on that.