Women’s basketball: Connecticut’s 90-game win streak comes to an end

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After Connecticut’s 90-game winning streak was snapped by a 71-59 loss to Stanford on Thursday evening, Huskies Coach Geno Auriemma seemed to be in relatively good spirits, even going so far as to joke with the media.

‘This losing stuff is getting old, I hate it,’ he said. ‘I just wish we could catch a break every once in a while so these kids can have some success.’

Auriemma, who always stressed the importance of championships over streaks, must have been relieved in a sense that his team got its first loss in over two seasons out of the way, quieting the media hype and mitigating the immense pressure.

He said the team will review video of its loss, and the players will most likely view their mistakes with a heightened sense of interest.

‘When we show the mistakes to them again, it will mean a lot more this time because now they’ll know what the result can be,’ he said. ‘I’ve used this example before: You tell a kid don’t touch a hot stove and they don’t listen until they burn themselves. Now, they won’t touch it. You can tell kids all you want about problems, but if they never get beat. ... But now they will feel different at practice. I’m happy they’ll get to experience that and they’ll get to show a different side.’

Perhaps he even thinks this, um, setback will help his team become even stronger. Now that’s a scary thought.

-- Melissa Rohlin