Eight months ago in downtown Tampa, Paige Bueckers walked off the court as a champion, delivering UConn’s 12th national title in a picture-perfect ending to her college career. And now, for the first time since that magical night, Geno Auriemma returned to Tampa with his team to face the program that her current WNBA coach once coached.

UConn were set to take on South Florida at the Yuengling Center, but before the game could even tip off, the night took a heartwarming turn. USF honored longtime head coach José Fernandez with a tribute video celebrating his impact on the program, highlighting some of his most memorable moments on the sidelines.

And fittingly, one of the people standing right beside him during the ceremony was Geno Auriemma, his close friend of many years . The two shar

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