"I miss having her there": When Geno Auriemma made poignant admission about Tennessee legend Pat Summitt

Although rivals on the court, Geno Auriemma and Pat Summitt shared mutual respect and friendship that transcended the game. In January 2020, the age-old rivalry between UConn and the Tennessee was rekindled. The Huskies came out on top 60-45, beginning a new chapter in the series.

It was the first time the teams met in over a decade, and the first since Summitt died. After the game, Auriemma confessed that not seeing Summitt on the opposing sideline was a poignant experience.

"For a while there, it was, 'Yeah, when's the Tennessee game?' You know, Geno and Pat, Pat and Geno," Auriemma said, via The UConn Daily. "It was like that for me leading up to the game.

"I was more, like, fortunate to still be able to do this. And it wasn’t the same. I miss having her there. I miss looking forward to having her there. I didn’t miss having to coach against her, but I missed looking forward to it. For sure."

Auriemma first faced Summitt and the Lady Volunteers in 1995 — an encounter that triggered a rivalry between them, which elevated women's basketball. For more than a decade, the annual clash was a marquee event, drawing massive television audiences.

What began as a UConn-Tennessee game soon evolved into a "Geno vs. Pat" spectacle.

"It was not so much my team and her team, or me and her — I think it was what was going on around us," Auriemma said in 2015, via "The Seth Davis Show." "People wanted to make it Geno versus Pat. So it stopped being Connecticut versus Tennessee; it became Geno versus Pat."

Geno Auriemma explained why UConn-Tennessee rivalry ended after 12 years

After 12 seasons, one of the best rivalries in women's college basketball ended. Pat Summitt's Tennessee defeated Geno Auriemma's UConn in January 2007, marking their last game against each other.

The Lady Volunteers decided not to sign the contract that would continue the regular-season series. Although Summitt explained that it was to open the door for other rivalries to form, Auriemma did not buy the explanation.

"Pat knows," Auriemma said in 2008, via ESPN. "So she should just tell you why instead of saying, 'Geno knows.' I do know. I already told you. She accused us of cheating at recruiting. So yeah, Geno does know. And I've said it."

Beyond their rivalry, Auriemma and Summitt built legacies that placed them among the greatest coaches in college basketball history.