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2x Tuesday: Hatchell, Auriemma join 1K win club

By Patrick Friday

CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 08: Connecticut Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma exits the court after a game between the Connecticut Huskies and the DePaul Blue Demons on December 8, 2017, at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. Connecticut won 101-69. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 08: Connecticut Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma exits the court after a game between the Connecticut Huskies and the DePaul Blue Demons on December 8, 2017, at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. Connecticut won 101-69. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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1000 wins. If only their impact on the people they touched was so easily measured.

Tara VanDerveer. This site’s namesake: Pat Summitt.

More from History

For the majority of Tuesday’s allotment of 24 hours, those names represented the coaches in the women’s collegiate game that have won 1000 games. That grouping seems to have doubled fairly quickly eh?

Today turned out to be a pretty awesome day for women’s college hoops. Two icons in the game recorded their 1000th wins on the same day & I couldn’t think of more appropriate venues for either.

Sylvia Hatchell has faithfully organized the tournament at Myrtle Beach and taken her team to play for 24 consecutive seasons. Today, even marking 1,000 wins, presented yet a new challenge for Hatchell as she faced Grambling State for the first time. 1-up, 1-down.

While not playing in what one would consider home for the UConn Huskies, the opportunities at Mohegan Sun are tied directly to the culture he has built in the state. When the Miami Sol folded & had to move, the UConn Huskies were in the midst of a takeover in the women’s college game. Diana Taurasi & crew were on their way to their second championship. Women’s basketball was popping in Connecticut. That likely won’t be changing soon either.

Seeing Geno with his first team & listening to him answer questions about potentially winning a thousand more games makes you realize just how finite this all is.

The same goes for the heroic effort shown by Sylvia Hatchell while enduring one of the toughest battles the human body ever could. The beauty of this moment is that we can just appreciate it for what it is.

And sheesh. That’s a lot of grey hairs.

Where’s the sign up sheet? Dr. James Naismith would be proud.

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