“They're great friends to this day”- When Geno Auriemma’s wife Kathy shared how UConn star’s injury was a blessing in disguise

UConn coach Geno Auriemma has been married to his wife Kathy for over three decades. In December 2021, Mrs, Auriemma sat down with Channel 3's Denise D'Ascenzo and shared an interesting story about former UConn star and NCAA champion Shea Ralph's injury.

Ralph, a freshman guard, tore her ACL in her right knee while playing against Lehigh in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Six months later, Ralph tore her ACL again in Geno Auriemma's backyard.

"She's playing football, throwing a football around with my son and just steps awkwardly, tears it again in my backyard," Kathy said.

"I remember we wanted to not believe it that day, but then I went up and saw her at school and I said, 'Shea, I don't have any words of wisdom for you. I have nothing. I don't know why this is happening to you.'"

When Shea Ralph returned to play after a few months, Kathy realized her setback was a blessing in disguise. The reason? Svetlana Abrosamova.

"I remember, I pulled Shea aside and said, 'Hey, you got your answer. I think you're just meant to play with Svetlana for three years instead of two.' And they did. They ended up and they're great friends to this day," Kathy added.

Ralph and Abrosamova played together for three seasons at Connecticut, winning the national championship in 2000.

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Shea Ralph hails Geno Auriemma’s record-breaking coaching legacy

Shea Ralph was a key player in Geno Auriemma's NCAA success with UConn in 2000. Two decades later, Ralph is the head coach of the Vanderbilt women's basketball team

Last week, Auriemma set a record for the most wins by a coach in NCAA basketball history with 1,217th career wins.

"Coach Auriemma was the most honest with me that any coach had ever been," Shea said after Auriemma broke the record.

"And I think that's molded not only me as a player, but the opportunity to play there for him changed my life, because I needed somebody to be as hard on me as he was, to teach me how to be great."

Ralph worked as an assistant coach under Geno Auriemma at UConn from 2008 to 2021. During her time there, the team achieved an incredible 111-game winning streak and won four national championships in a row from 2013 to 2016.