‘There’s just something special about her’: Lou Lopez Sénéchal showed why she belongs on the big stage in UConn’s win over Tennessee

When Geno Auriemma saw Lou Lopez Sénéchal play on film once she entered the transfer portal this past spring, the UConn women’s basketball coach thought: “She could probably fit in. It’s not like she has to come in here and be a star.”

Lopez Sénéchal had been Fairfield’s go-to scorer in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for four seasons, but that wasn’t the role she was expected to take on for the Huskies. They had Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd among other top talent still healthy when Lopez Sénéchal committed in April. Auriemma wasn’t even sure if the 6-foot-1 wing would start, but that quickly changed.

“Two weeks after she got here I thought, ‘Oh man. I don’t know, whoever thought they were starting before Lou got here better get used to they’re not,’” Auriemma said. “Because right away you could tell there’s just something special about her.”

Lopez Sénéchal showed everyone just how special of a player she is on Thursday night as she led No. 5 UConn to an 84-67 win over storied rival Tennessee in front of a crowd of 13,804 at Thompson-Boling Arena and a national television audience on ESPN.

The graduate transfer finished with a season-high 26 points, shooting 11 of 16 from the floor and 4 of 6 from long range — her eighth game this season with four 3-pointers. The 11 field goals were the most for Lopez Sénéchal in any game this year.

“It was really fun. I think those moments are the most exciting, when there’s a big crowd,” Lopez Sénéchal said. “It’s just super exciting to be able to play against bigger teams, bigger challenges, that’s always what I wanted.”

No matter the stage, Lopez Sénéchal has continuously stepped up for the injury-ridden Huskies in her first year with the program. She’s scored in double digits in every single game, including back-to-back 20-point performances over the last two.

Lopez Sénéchal might just end up etching her name in the history books in the process. She’s made 55 of her 110 3-point attempts this season, good for an astonishing 50% clip. That puts her on pace to break Sue Bird’s single season 3-point percentage record or 49.7%, set in 1999-2000.

“Lou’s Lou, man,” Auriemma said. “She’s not gonna get any All-American votes, but I don’t know anybody that’s been more important to any team in America than she’s been to us.”

Lopez Sénéchal showed exactly why on Thursday night. She had nine points in the first quarter, helping the Huskies grow their lead to as many as 16 early. Then when the tone of the game completely shifted in the second as the Volunteers stormed back and the Huskies’ couldn’t get anything going on offense, Lopez Sénéchal was the one to break the scoring drought with 6:45 left. But the second half was really where Lopez Sénéchal shined.

Early in the third quarter, with UConn up by a slim 45-41 margin following a layup from Aaliyah Edwards, Dorka Juhász came up with a steal. Nika Mühl then found Lopez Sénéchal in transition as she ran to the other end of the court. Lopez Sénéchal caught the ball on the right wing and immediately let it fly, knocking down the 3-pointer with 7:32 left.

A little over two minutes later, Lopez Sénéchal moved around the perimeter until she found space to call for the ball and cut toward the rim, where she put in a layup.

Around a minute after that, she once again caught the ball on the right wing and sunk a triple. Thirty 30 seconds later, Lopez Sénéchal got another bucket, this time a midrange jumper to put the Huskies up 57-45 with 4:12 left in the quarter.

Lopez Sénéchal had scored 10 points in just over a three and a half minute span, pushing the Huskies’ four-point lead to 12, putting the game firmly in their control.

“Lou made shots,” Auriemma said. “You gotta make shots. You gotta have somebody that can just get you a bucket exactly when you need it.”

Once the final buzzer sounded on UConn’s fourth consecutive victory over Tennessee in this new era of the rivalry, Lopez Sénéchal and Auriemma shared a special moment as he wrapped up an on-court interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe. Auriemma’s face lit up as Lopez Sénéchal came over. He then let out an enthusiastic scream, opened his arms wide and pulled her in for an embrace to celebrate the big win.

“She’s an adult and I don’t get to coach too many adults,” Auriemma said shortly afterward in his postgame press conference. “She practices like a pro, she takes care of her body like a pro, she carries herself like a pro. You can have normal adult conversations with her.

“... I said to her two weeks ago, I said, ‘Lou, I really apologize. I know when you left Fairfield you go, I’m going to Connecticut and I get to relax, every shot isn’t life and death. And now here you are. We’re putting you in a situation where every shot is life and death.’ And she said, ‘But I’m enjoying it. I love the moment.’ Like she said, she loves the moment. She’s gonna make a great pro for somebody.”