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ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo, ex-Huskies star, contributes to UConn hoops history feature

Rebecca Lobo (Joe Faraoni/ESPN)
Rebecca Lobo (Joe Faraoni/ESPN)

Connecticut is making its 12th NCAA Women’s Final Four appearance and seeking its record ninth national title this weekend in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

ESPN analyst and former UConn star center Rebecca Lobo helped pave the way for so many Huskies. The 1995 consensus National Player of the Year, Lobo led UConn to its first National Championship and undefeated campaign (35-0) that season.

Now a top voice in the women’s game – both college and WNBA – Lobo relived some of the UConn program’s rich history in a feature set to run during ESPN’s NCAA Women’s Final Four coverage this weekend. Lobo interviewed UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, former UConn athletic director John Toner – the person who hired Auriemma – as well as former player Peggy Walsh Myers and current student-athlete Breanna Stewart. Lobo also provided the voice-over for the feature (see excerpt above).

The feature will begin airing Sunday morning during SportsCenter and throughout ESPN’s NCAA Women’s Final Four coverage. Front Row asked Lobo about contributing to the feature.

What was it like taking such a deep-dive into UConn history?
The entire shoot was a lot of fun. There were so many stories about the early years of the program, and I found them so fascinating.

You were part of such a pivotal time in UConn basketball history. What does that mean to you?
I am very proud of my time at UConn and even prouder of what the program has become. Coach Auriemma is an icon in this sport, and I’m proud to have been a part of his legacy.

Did you learn anything you didn’t know before about the program or Geno from doing this?
I learned a lot about the early years, from the time Coach Auriemma arrived in Storrs [the Connecticut town that is the home of school’s main campus]. What stood out the most was that Coach Auriemma’s coaching style really hasn’t changed very much in the last 30 years.

Have you ever voiced over a feature before? Is this something you enjoyed doing??
I had not ever voiced a feature, and I found it enjoyable. What was more fun was the interviews in Storrs and spending time with each person I spoke with.

Editor’s note: In the nightcap of the NCAA Women’s Final Four national semifinals doubleheader, No. 1 seed UConn faces No. 2 seed Stanford (Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/WatchESPN). No. 1 seed Notre Dame and No. 4 seed Maryland (Sunday, 6:30 ET, ESPN/WatchESPN) meet in the first semifinal. Prior to the games, Lobo will be joined by ESPN’s studio team of host Kevin Negandhi and analyst Kara Lawson for a 30-minute Women’s Final Four preview show (6 ET, ESPN/WatchESPN).

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