Skip to content
Sports
Link copied to clipboard

Stewart seeking 3d national title

TAMPA, Fla. - Breanna Stewart made it very clear from the start that her ultimate goal is to win four national championships at UConn.

TAMPA, Fla. - Breanna Stewart made it very clear from the start that her ultimate goal is to win four national championships at UConn.

That's more than just being bold, confident, or ambitious - it's downright unheard of, even at Connecticut.

Or maybe it isn't so far-fetched.

The junior star is already more than halfway to her goal, and she's two victories away from a third title this year.

"That's what I came here for," said Stewart, who exudes confidence on the court to go along with a playful demeanor off it.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma is the first to say that his latest Huskies great doesn't have the brashness or swagger of former star Diana Taurasi, but she does have the same "it" factor.

"If there was one answer to that question we'd be able to help every kid be like that," Auriemma said of the "it" factor. "She just has a unique ability to do big things in big moments. I've been lucky that I had a bunch of those guys.

"I can't figure out why they are like that. Something's going on inside that other people don't have. She has it. She doesn't really have the edge that Dee had. Nobody has that. Some of the great ones have had it. The way they carried themselves. She's much more laid back, easygoing. But that edge comes out at NCAA tournament time."

Stewart has always saved her best play for the brightest stage.

She's 16-0 in the NCAA tournament, never facing defeat in the game's biggest arena. She's well on her way to becoming the most decorated player in college basketball history. Stewart is already in a class by herself, becoming the first player to be named most outstanding player of the Final Four in her first two seasons.