The people calling the shots for the American Athletic Conference are the same ones who were affiliated with the Big East in recent years so they were very aware of the UConn fan base's willingness to support the Huskies whether it is in the regular season or in the postseason conference tournament.

Naturally when the bids started coming in from facilities eager to host the inaugural American Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament, knowing that ticket sales would be brisk if it were held in the Nutmeg State ultimately resulted in Mohegan Sun securing the rights to host the 2014 event with the conference having the option to bring it back to Mohegan in 2015.

"The Connecticut fan base has been a fan base that has  supported the championships for years and years and years and we hope this chance in venue will provide some new options and opportunities for metrics that will include the hings that the fan base would like to see outside of the venue as well," American Athletic Conference associate commissioner Danielle Donehew said. "There are plenty of places for restaurants, shopping  and other entertainment around the games but we hope that the venue will fans from around our new membership will all want to go to. We hope it will be an event that we will continue to grow and provide a great championship experience. We are excited for our student-athletes to play in a WNBA venue and the Mohegan Sun Venue is a great size that we should be able to have a real strong attendance."

Rather than place the tournament at a permanent site as has been the case with the XL Center hosting the Big East women's basketball tournament for the last 10 years, the plan is to have the event at Mohegan for either one or two years and then open up the bidding for other venues.

"For this first decision and this first contract as The American we were strategic in placing our championship site inside our largest women's basketball fan base but as time goes on and as our new members are more comfortable in our conference family I would anticipate that we would have more venues throughout our footprint that are interested in hosting," Donehew said. "At this time this is the right decision for us as a conference family and our membership is excited about it."

The tournament will begin on Mar. 7 with the No. 7 seed playing the No. 10 seed and the teams seeded 8th and 9th squaring off. The top six seeds receive byes into the quarterfinals. The championship game is set for Mar. 10. Unlike the Big East which has had its title game on a Tuesday, The American conference final will be on a Monday.

UConn, which won 19 Big East regular-season titles, headlines the conference membership. Fellow former Big East teams Cincinnati, South Florida, Louisvile and Rutgers will also be in the league although Louisville leaves for the Atlantic Coast Conference and Rutgers moves to the Big Ten in 2014. Central Florida, Houston, Memphis, Southern Methodist are other conference members with East Carolina, Tulane and Tulsa slated to join for the 2014-15 season. With 10 members for the 2013-14 season, each team will face the other nine schools at home and on the road during an 18-game regular-season schedule.

The XL Center, which hosted the Big East women’s tournament in each of the last 10 seasons, did not make the cut this time.

“The XL Center has been a wonderful host for us for the last 10 years and in nine of those 10 years we led the country in attendance,” Donehew said. “The folks at the XL Center and the city of Hartford have been wonderful partners for us over the years and we are extremely grateful for the support they have shown our event and the investment they have made in our event.”

There were Big East schools which raised concerns about playing a conference tournament in a casino but Donehew said there were no such concerns this time around. The fact that Mohegan Sun Arena has hosted high school and college tournaments likely eased some of the reservations about playing the tournament on the site of a casino.

“Certainly there have been a lot of great events there and obviously they are in the event business,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said in late April shortly after rumors began that Mohegan Sun Arena was the front runner to land the tournament. “There is no sports wagering at Mohegan and as far as the other aspects of the casino, if high school administrators are not worried about bringing high school athletes to play in the tournament,.. I am sure for a lot of people it is always going to be a concern and it is always going to be a question but I believe the fact that there has been both high school and college games played there I think that aspect at some point is going to go away.”

Donehew confirmed that the conference will play an 18-game schedule during the regular season with each team playing the other nine schools once at home and once on the road. Donehew is hopeful that the schedule will be released before Labor Day..

"I think this is an important step for our conference for our new direction at The American," Donehew said. "We are hoping that it is an event that the nation will watch and be interested in. This is an important day for women's basketball and for The American and we are excited that we have been able to take such a strong step and moving forward for our basketball product and look forward to all that we can build together with our existing members and our new members."

One last time eight of the nine original members of the Big East Conference gathered to crown a champion.

Some of the best action might actually not be taking place on the court at the XL Arena but in the impromptu story-telling sessions as the conference coaches gather to take a trip down memory lane.

"I think there will be lots of story telling and reminiscing," Big East Associate Commissioner Danielle Donehew said. "I have heard from a lot of our head coaches, they are excited to participate this year as they always are but specifically in this year, they are really going to appreciate every moment, come together and unite and provide a great experience. We are committed to making sure this championship is special which it always has been but certainly there will be more reflection in a real attitude of cherishing every moment."

Villanova's Harry Perretta, the only one to coach in every Big East women's tournament, and UConn's Geno Auriemma, the conference's all-time winningest coach, recall a simpler time when the stage featured quaint gatherings inside small campus facilities. There was no ESPN crew on hand to carry the action live, often times just a handful of media members. 

"I forget who I had this conversation with but it did become a little nostalgic but the conference used to rotate," Auriemma said. "When I went to Catholic school you had to be fair, you had to be Christian like so everybody got a chance whether you place sat 2,500 or whether it sat 10,000. It was small time, it was very much unlike anything we had today. Back then if you would have said to all those schools 'you know what for a whole bunch of years you guys are going to have this tournament in Hartford and there are going to be 10-11,000 people there and ESPN is going to televise the semifinals and finals' they would have told you that you are out of your mind. ESPN didn't televise any of those games, nobody televised any of those games and here we are today. I'd like to think we had a lot to do with that. Now it is over and it is time to start over again."

Auriemma was asked to recall the most memorable experiences at the tournament and he doesn't lack for material with a record 18 Big East tournament titles during his time at UConn.


"At Seton Hall in '94-95 when we had that undefeated team and it didn't matter where we played this tournament. Seton Hall was really, really good and we beat them in the finals," Auriemma said. "I remember that championship game because it was pretty special to finish the regular season undefeated, win the tournament and go into the NCAA tournament as the top seed. Then the one when I was suspended (in 1989 due to punishment for a scheduling issue) and I couldn't coach and what was even worse was the game wasn't even on the radio. It was on WHUS and they didn't get that in New Jersey and that tournament was at Seton Hall as well. That was pretty memorable, those two are probably ... Those games with Providence (in the 1991 and 1992 finals) were pretty special because Providence was damn good. I remember we beat them here in a great game, they beat us there in a great game and then. Those two and there have been a lot of little things, the roof leaking here and (Rutgers coach) C. Viv (C. Vivian Stringer) couldn't understand why it was leaking, she thought it was a conspiracy to affect the outcome of the game. I remember trying to convince her that we are on a roll, we just scored 15 straight points and why would I want to roof to leak right now."

Another memorable game, for another reason, came in 2003 when Villanova stunned UConn in the championship game. It was the first title for the Wildcats since back to back championships in 1986 and 1987. 

"When we won it twice before but obviously 2003 we will always remember because it was more of a modern era so I will always remember that one," Perretta said. "I just remember the whole time, going up to the suites talking to coaches, sitting in the stands, it is real fun."

At season's end Pittsburgh and Syracuse are headed to the ACC and it was announced yesterday that the Catholic 7 schools (DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova) announced their split from the football schools in the Big East. Two-time defending Big East regular season champion Notre Dame is in talks to leave for the ACC at the end of the season. The word bittersweet seems to be the best one to describe the feelings of those who put their heart and soul into making the Big East into the best women's basketball league in the nation.

"It's been amazing, it's been remarkable, it's been challenging," Donehew said. "It is difficult to put into words the feelings and the work and the vision that has to be created in order to sustain a business and sustain a brand through these challenging times. The world that we live in now in collegiate athletics has certainly shifted and changed. Whether we wanted this to happen or not, it happened and we have to make sure we do the best with the opportunities given to us. You never want realignment to happen. The good news is we have some great people who are working on this daily whether it is our conference office, whether it is our remaining members, whether it is our new members there is a lot of great energy and great commitment that we will be able to build something special but it will take a little bit of time but we can do it."

When the calls came in rapid succession from Georgia Tech women's basketball coach MaChelle Joseph and Senior Women's Administrator Theresa Wenzel, Big East Associate Commissioner Danielle Donehew couldn't believe the honor that was being bestowed on her.

A press release sent out shortly thereafter made it official, Donehew would indeed be Georgia Tech's honoree in the 2013 ACC Legends class.

"I thought it was a wonderful surprise and I was thankful that they acknowledged my contribution to Georgia Tech in that way and I was thrilled to be included in that class," Donehew said.

Donehew played at Georgia Tech from 1997-2000 before embarking on a successful career as an administrator in the world of women's basketball.

"When those years are underway and you are in your collegiate experience you know that it is special and you enjoy it as much as you can but you never can really appreciate it until after it is over and you are looking back," Donehew said. "I so appreciate the people and the wonderful environment I was in. All the life lessons that were taught to myself and my teammates, it is so valuable as I continue on in my life and now as I am continuing to work in our game and continuing to offer great opportunities to the athletes who are coming behind me, it certainly has inspired me as a collegiate athlete."

Donehew was one of the best 3-point shooters in ACC history. She still ranks second all-time at Georgia Tech in 3-pointers made and attempted. Her 86 3-pointers made in the 1998-99 is still a Georgia Tech record.

"I like to be efficient in everything that I did and I do now," Donehew said with a laugh. "It is so much better if you get three points rather than two points so many times I shot a lot more 3-pointers than I did 2-pointers. I was a little slower than my competition, I used a lot of screens but had a wonderful collegiate experience and I love to shoot the ball, was very fortunate to play with players who always set me up whether it was with great passes or great screens. It was exciting to be one of the players on the team who was expected to shoot."


Donehew and the other 11 ACC Legends will be honored at the annual ACC Women's Basketball Legends' Brunch on March 9 at 10 a.m., and then will be introduced to the Coliseum crowd at halftime of the first semifinal game on March 9.

Freshman Morgan Tuck was limited to riding a stationary bike during the portion of Thursday's practice which was open to the media.

However, before alarm bells start going off it should be noted that limiting her practice time was an intentional move so Tuck doesn't have any further issues with the right knee bone bruise more than a signal that she is having issues with her knee. She was able to take part in drills before we were allowed in to witness the final portion of practice.

"She was in there for a few stretches, it is kind of how we are trying to proceed with Caroline (Doty) and Morgan (Tuck), give them just enough reps that they feel like they have a chance to improve and get better and make sure we don't keep them out there too long so little by little hopefully we will have them ready to go come game days."

Doty, who has been dealing with knee issues throughout her career, said missing practice time periodically is all part of the deal.


"It is a long season, it comes with age but I come out every single day ready to do what I can and take care of myself before I can before and after practice and I want to be 100 percent for game time," Doty said.

DONEHEW PART OF ACC LEGENDS CLASS
Big East Associate Commissioner Danielle Donehew is among the former ACC stars who will be recognized at the 2013 ACC Legends.

Donehew is the Georgia Tech representative as she was a decorated scholar-athlete for Georgia Tech from 1996-2000 as she was a two-time Academic All-ACC honoree, was on the Georgia Tech Dean’s List 10 times in her career. She was the ACC’s postgraduate scholarship recipient, the ACC’s “Top Six for Service” Award in 2000, as the Georgia Tech representative for the NCAA Woman of the Year in 2000. She finished as one of the best 3-point shooters in ACC history, hitting 241 treys during her collegiate career.

Donehew and the other honorees (including former Connecticut Sun forward Jessie Hicks) will be recognized at a brunch on Mar. 9 as part of the ACC tournament festivities. Tickets for the event are $35 each and can be obtained by calling (336) 369-4671.