Looking from the outside in, the NIL is a bad development in college sports, with multiple programs suffering as a result of constant player movement. Some head coaches have also voiced their opinion concerning the state of college basketball. But not every coach views the shift as a bad thing.
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Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers recently concluded her outstanding college career at UConn as one of the few star athletes to experience the state of the NCAA before and after the introduction of NIL. The change certainly benefited her since it allowed the 6-foot-2 guard to build a brand off of her name.
She made a guest appearance on the NILosphy podcast, where she opened up about her experience with NIL and discussed UConn’s handling of the change in player and team dynamics.
“They wanted us to make money, and they really enjoyed that we got this opportunity,” Bueckers said. “They never wanted to get in the way of what we had to accomplish.”
The UConn Huskies have been the most dominant program in women’s college basketball throughout recent memory. It wouldn’t have been a surprise if head coach Geno Auriemma weren’t a fan of NIL, since it pushes players away from building cohesion within a team. Instead, he didn’t find a problem in adjusting to this new era of college basketball.
“He was very receptive to everything going on,” Bueckers revealed. “But at the end of the day, he always wanted our priorities to be basketball. IF you’re coming to UConn for money, you’re not coming to the right place.”
Auriemma always pushed his players to seek the best financial opportunities for themselves. After all, their time at UConn is brief in the grand scheme of their lives. At most, these players spend five years playing under him, and many of his athletes don’t proceed with a professional basketball career.
The adjustment stage hasn’t been too hard on Geno either, considering he just led the Huskies to a National Championship this past season. The dynamic is different between coaches and players, but Buerckers claims he always diffused any tension whatsoever with his unique brand of humor.
“He would always joke, ‘You’re making more money than me now. Why do you need me?’ He’s just joking, but he was happy for us,” she said.
More coaches need to have the approach Auriemma has toward NIL because it isn’t going anywhere. Players are only going to make more money as the years go by. The ability of head coaches to navigate these changing times may be the deciding factor between the groups that can win titles and those that don’t.
