COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- As 2016 comes to a close, Geno Auriemma and his UConn Huskies finished the year unbeaten.
To the casual fan that's no real surprise, as the Huskies have won four consecutive national championships and have earned nine titles in the past 15 years. Everyone, it seems, just expects them to win.
Still, their Hall of Fame coach admits even he's surprised with the success the No. 1 team has had this year. The 12-0 start to the season was unanticipated with what they lost to graduation and the incredibly difficult schedule he put together.
"I thought we'd go 8-5 in the nonconference, maybe 10-3," Auriemma reflected after Thursday night's six-point victory at No. 4 Maryland. "I am surprised. I set the schedule up so that this wouldn't happen. And it's happened."
It's hard to blame him for those thoughts, as crazy as they may sound. Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck went 1-2-3 in the WNBA draft this past April. UConn's first 12 games featured seven opponents ranked in the Top 25, including No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Baylor and Maryland.
Yet here the Huskies stand, still unblemished as the calendar year comes to an end.
"What do you want me to tell you?" Auriemma mused on why they've been so successful this year. "I don't have an answer for you. I wish I did."
Auriemma then paused, catching a glance of a 2009 All-America poster across the hallway from where he was talking at Maryland's arena.
"Look at that poster," he said. "You got Maya Moore All-Pro, MVP of the WNBA; Tina Charles All-Pro, MVP of the WNBA, Olympic starter. Those were two of our greats and winning was expected."
So far they have done just that. The eye-popping current winning streak sits at 87, three short of their own mark set by teams with Moore and Charles.
The 90th consecutive victory would come at home against South Florida on Jan. 10, with No. 91 happening four days later in Dallas against SMU -- the same city where the Huskies hope to return in April for a shot at a fifth consecutive title.
The last loss was Nov. 17, 2014, vs. Stanford.
Sports on 12/31/2016