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Princeton's Berube ready, excited for homecoming

carl adamec, journal inquirer, manchester, conn.
·6 min read

Dec. 8—As Carla Berube and Kara Wolters would make their way to Gampel Pavilion to take the court for the UConn women's basketball team during their playing days slightly more than a quarter-century ago, they'd listen to Tom Cochrane's hit song, "Life is a Highway" for inspiration.

During Berube's time in Storrs (1993-97), the Huskies were 72-1 on campus.

Could that tradition make a comeback tonight when Berube brings her Princeton team to Gampel Pavilion for a matchup with the sixth-ranked Huskies?

"Yeah, sure, we'll get that going," Berube said with a laugh Tuesday. "My staff and I before games listen to a Spotify play list that is called like 'Cool Cucumber.' Instead of getting us hyped, it gets us breathing well and in mode. 'Life is a Highway' could definitely be on that play list.

"It's funny that I'm going back to play at Connecticut. A lot of great memories are coming back."

Berube has been on the opposite bench at Gampel Pavilion before during her two seasons as an assistant at Providence. In 2001, the Huskies beat the Friars by 55 and in 2002 UConn beat Providence by 65.

Tonight she'll become the third former UConn player to be a head coach against her alma mater joining Jennifer Rizzotti (who went 0-9 against the Huskies while at Hartford) and Jamelle Elliott (who went 0-15 against the Huskies while at Cincinnati.

Geno Auriemma's teams are 76-0 against opponents that have one of his former players or assistants on their coaching staff.

"I hope it's different from when I was an assistant at Providence," Berube said. "It's exciting. Never in my wildest dreams 26 years ago did I think after playing for Connecticut that I would be coaching against the Huskies. Full circle, and I'm excited to be back. I'm excited for the challenge and my team will be ready and prepared. We're going up there to win a basketball game."

It will be the first meeting between the Huskies (6-1) and Tigers (5-2). UConn has won 93 straight games against first-time opponents dating back to a loss to Georgia on Jan. 15, 1996, the only time Berube walked off the Gampel Pavilion court on the losing end as a player.

The Huskies' streak of 1,066 games without back-to-back losses is also on the line. Berube was a freshman on the 1993-94 team that started that run as UConn has compiled a 993-73 record since she arrived in Storrs from Oxford, Massachusetts.

"Crazy," Berube said. "It is a great stat and all. Nobody on the court is thinking that. My players are going to be amped up for this no matter what is on the line. This is their opportunity to play against the UConn Huskies so they will be really focused for this challenge."

Berube, 47, attended her first game at Gampel Pavilion as a sophomore at Oxford High 10 months after the building opened in 1990 and watched UConn upset then-No. 2 Auburn for its first win over a Top 10 opponent. It was then she decided she would love to play at UConn and she committed early in her senior year.

In her four seasons, UConn went 132-8 with four Big East regular season and tournament titles, two Final Four appearances, and the 1995 national championship. She compiled 1,381 points, 677 rebounds, 384 assists, and 141 steals.

After a professional career with the ABL's New England Blizzard, she got into coaching. She spent 17 years at Division III Tufts before taking over at Princeton in 2019. Her overall record is 440-104.

"My four years of playing basketball and being a student at Connecticut certainly had a huge impact on me in so many ways," Berube said. "Coach, Chris Dailey, Tonya Cardoza and so many of my teammates taught me how to work. They taught me what work ethic means, what focus means, what discipline means, how important relationships and team chemistry are. All the things they value at Connecticut I value here at Princeton and in my coaching career.

"All my values I learned during my time at Connecticut. Coach Auriemma had a huge piece of that and a huge impact on me. I always say it's about the life lessons you learn through the game. That's what is most important. I wasn't thinking about Xs and Os or the actual skill work basketball-wise. It was all like how do you get a group of 18-21 year olds together on the same page with the same goals. How do you get them working together with great chemistry and camaraderie. Those are the things I took away from my time there, and it has made me a successful coach now."

Berube feels she hasn't changed much moving from Tufts to Princeton, where she took over after Courtney Banghart left for North Carolina.

The Jumbos reached four straight Division III Final Fours and played in two national championship games. The Tigers went 26-1 and won the Ivy League championship before the 2020 NCAA tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Berube's first season. The Ivy League canceled the 2020-21 season and Princeton came back a year ago to defend its league title. The Tigers knocked off SEC tournament champion Kentucky in the NCAA first round but fell 56-55 at Indiana in the second round. A win over the Hoosiers would have given them their first Sweet 16 bid and a date with UConn in Bridgeport.

"I have the same values, same principles, same philosophies," Berube said. "I get to do a little bit more out-of-season coaching and recruiting is a little different. I'm a different recruiter on the coaching side of things. As far as on the court what I'm preaching and what I'm saying in huddles and all those things it is pretty much the same. For me basketball is basketball whether it is at the Division III level or Division I."

Princeton is coming off a win at Towson Monday. UConn suffered its first loss of the year at Notre Dame Sunday.

"They have weapons everywhere from Aaliyah Edwards, and there's no one tougher than Nika Mühl," Berube said. "I'm sure that Coach will have a great game plan.

"I just want us to compete and be the best Princeton team we can be out on that court. I want to make our alumni, fans, and community here proud. Whatever the score says, we'll walk out with our heads high happy we had the experience."

For coverage of all sports in the JI's 18-town coverage area, plus updates on the UConn women's basketball team and head coach Geno Auriemma, follow Carl Adamec on Twitter: @CarlAdamec, Facebook: Carl Adamec, and Instagram: @CarlAdamec.