Every player who wears a UConn jersey leaves Storrs with a Geno Auriemma story. Some involve championships, but the most memorable ones usually involve practice court disasters.
For Gabby Williams, one specific misunderstanding during her senior year didn’t just result in a sermon from the legendary coach. It left her with a memory she still calls traumatic seven years later.
How Did Gabby Williams Misread Geno Auriemma During Practice?
Williams joined the latest episode of Azzi Fudd’s podcast, “Fudd Around and Find Out,” to cover everything from WNBA Draft lottery odds to recovering from ACL injuries. But things got personal when co-host Ashanti Plummer asked for a signature Auriemma moment. Williams laughed and admitted this specific memory still makes her cringe.
The incident happened during a rough patch for the Huskies seven years ago. Auriemma ran a drill designed to frustrate his team, removing offensive players one by one until the odds looked impossible. Williams described the scene vividly.
“We were doing a drill in my senior year where he would yank a practice player off and say, ‘You can’t play five on five, play five on four!’ And then we would turn the ball over, he’d say, ‘Okay, play five on three!'”
Coaches sometimes want leaders to rebel against unfair odds, and Williams thought this was one of those tests. She tried to rally the troops, but her timing was completely off.
“Sometimes, there were moments when the coach would like to challenge you. I got that moment completely wrong,” Williams admitted. “It was not the time to challenge Coach… We got down to five on two, and I was like, ‘No, come on! Pete! Ryan!’ I was calling the practice players. ‘We can do it, go five on five.'”
Auriemma didn’t appreciate the initiative. He shut it down immediately.
“He goes, ‘What the hell are you doing!’… It was not the moment. He was like, ‘Who do you think you are! I said five on two.'”
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The story got a big laugh from the hosts. Fudd knows Auriemma’s mind games well and validated the Seattle Storm star’s confusion regarding what the coach actually wants in those moments.
“I feel like it’s very hit or miss. It’s hard to read that fine line of ‘Oh, he wants you to stand up to him’ or ‘Okay, actually listen to him this time.'”
These high-pressure moments defined the UConn experience. Williams noted that the lessons she learned in college continue to benefit her in her WNBA career. Her resume in Storrs speaks for itself, including four Final Four appearances, two national championships, and a spot as one of only five Huskies to record a triple-double.