Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving attended UConn's Elite Eight win over Notre Dame at Dickies Arena and embraced head coach Geno Auriemma after the Huskies punched their ticket to the Women's Final Four.
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving was in attendance at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth to see the UConn women's basketball team defeat Notre Dame, 70-52, in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, and he made his way to midcourt afterward to congratulate head coach Geno Auriemma.
Irving and Auriemma have been friends since 2010, when Irving began his involvement with USA Basketball and Auriemma was coaching the U.S. women's national team. The relationship deepened over the years through shared interests, and Irving appeared as the first guest on Auriemma's "Holding Court" podcast in 2017. He has also attended high-profile UConn women's games, including NCAA Tournament contests.
After Sunday's win, Irving hugged Auriemma at midcourt and also spoke with UConn associate head coach Chris Dailey. The victory extended the Huskies' undefeated record and secured their 25th trip to the Women's Final Four.
UConn will await the winner of Monday's Elite Eight matchup between No. 1 seed South Carolina and No. 3 seed Texas Christian University.
Blanca QuiƱonez, who led the Huskies with 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and one steal in the win, took a picture with the NBA champion.
"I just said hi and I asked for a picture, because you don't know when you are going to see him again," QuiƱonez said. "It was crazy. Kyrie is one of my favorite players so I was happy just seeing him at the game. It is crazy. It is important to have this support. This tournament is so important for us, and for him to show his support, I am happy and excited."
Senior guard Azzi Fudd didn't interact with Irving, but spoke about the meaning of his attendance meant to the program for women's sports more broadly.
"For him to make the appearance when I'm sure he had a million other things he could have been doing on this Sunday, it means a lot," she said.
Irving has not played for the Mavericks this season as he recovers from ACL surgery. He suffered a torn ACL on March 3, 2025, during a game against the Sacramento Kings and has not returned to game competition yet.