Geno Auriemma Named Finalist For Prestigious Award After National Championship Run originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
At 71 years old, there aren’t many awards Geno Auriemma hasn’t won in his legendary career. But after capturing his 12th NCAA Tournament title this spring, the longtime UConn head coach is up for another prestigious honor, one he’s never claimed before.
Auriemma, who has led the Huskies since 1985 and recorded 1,250 wins, is a finalist for the Best Record-Breaking Performance at the 2025 ESPYs. He’s also an eight-time Naismith Coach of the Year, but this nomination marks a new recognition for his legacy. And he’s not the only one from the UConn program to receive a nod.
The UConn Women’s Basketball account on X proudly shared the news on social media:
“We have some Huskies nominated for @ESPYS!
Best Team: UConn Women’s Basketball
Best Record-Breaking Performance: Geno Auriemma
Best WNBA Player: Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart”
We have some Huskies nominated for @ESPYS!
Best Team: UConn Women’s Basketball
Best Record-Breaking Performance: Geno Auriemma
Best WNBA Player: Napheesa Collier, Breanna StewartVote ➡️ https://t.co/VpS1znyGQPpic.twitter.com/pD45ZaptAn
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) June 27, 2025
Last year’s Best Record-Breaking Performance award went to Caitlin Clark, who broke Pete Maravich’s all-time NCAA scoring record with 3,951 career points. Clark, now in her second WNBA season, is nominated again after becoming the league’s single-game and single-season assist leader.
Other notable nominees for record-breaking feats include Kevin Durant, who became the all-time leading scorer for the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team, and Alexander Ovechkin, who passed Wayne Gretzky for first place on the NHL’s all-time goals list.
In 2023, LeBron James took home the honor after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
The Huskies are also finalists for Best Team, joining a stacked list of champions that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Liberty, Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Panthers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Two former UConn stars, Collier of the Minnesota Lynx and Stewart of the Liberty, are up for Best WNBA Player. Both helped lead their teams to the WNBA Finals last season and are joined by fellow finalists A’ja Wilson and Clark.
The 2025 ESPY Awards will air on July 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The annual event, hosted by ESPN, honors the most outstanding achievements and performances across the sports world.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.