Geno Auriemma claims 2024 WNBA rookie class is not one of the best 'in the last 10 years'

Geno Auriemma gave some honest thoughts about the 2024 WNBA Draft class, saying it doesn’t even measure up to others over the last 10 years.

While the UConn women’s coach didn’t give specific examples, he referenced Cameron Brink’s comments this week. Brink, a fellow rookie to stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, said there’s a tired narrative of vets vs. rookies, especially this year.

Auriemma said the top rookies of the class were put into a really unfair position.

“I thought Cameron Brink said something really smart,” Auriemma said on The Dan Patrick Show. “She said now they’re expecting this rookie class to be perfect. This rookie class isn’t even one of the best rookie classes in the last 10 years. But they’ve been put out to be that because of the way social media is today. So what kind of impact is this rookie class having in the WNBA?”

The group of newcomers generated plenty of hype ahead of the draft – maybe even the most ever. That led to high expectations as they arrived in the WNBA, and it’s been up-and-down so far. But as the game grows, more people are talking about women’s basketball, although the conversation has taken a few turns in recent weeks.

Geno Auriemma argues unfair expectations for 2024 WNBA rookie class

To Brink, though, one talking point stands out above the rest.

“The most tired narrative is that the vets are against the rookies — this old-school versus new-school narrative — and the narrative that the rookies need to be perfect,” Brink told Uproxx. “I feel like Caitlin Clark has that the worst right now, but even I get that. She had three points the other night [against New York on June 2]. I had three points the other night [against Indiana on May 28].

“We’re expected to be perfect. We were drafted to high-drafting teams coming off of losing seasons, which is fine. It’s a learning process. But people expect us to be perfect, and it’s freaking exhausting. I feel like we learn how to tune it out, but still, it’s unrealistic, and it kind of just shows that people don’t know basketball.”

That narrative started when Clark was in college, and it’s ramped up a bit after some hard fouls – including one by by Sky guard Chennedy Carter, which dominated a discussion that went in multiple directions, as well.

Nick Schultz contributed to this report