BRIDGEPORT - Minutes after the UConn women's basketball team completed an exhausting double-overtime win over NC State in the regional finals, players circled Dorka Juhaz celebrating in midcourt.
Juhas, his injured left arm in a sling, shared tears and smiles with his comrades. They hugged him, they put a "Final Four" hat on his head, they made him the center of their post-game party.
Earlier in the night, the players were shaken when ships driving into the basket fell on the court. Due to severe injury, she fell on her left hand.
The crowd fell silent at the Total Mortgage Arena. Juhaz rolled onto his back in pain, while teammates consoled him and immediately signaled for a coach.
The last player to step back on the bench was senior Evina Westbrook, wiping tears as she sat among her teammates.
"They were very excited about it," said Yukon coach Geno Auriemma. "It was one of those you've seen on TV before, and it's not pretty. And they got to see it up close. I didn't, but they did. So they were so excited about it. You put it on their face." I can see."
Aurimma described the injury as fracture and dislocation. UConn was leading NC State 25-18 when Juhas went down with 6:19 in the first half. She was helped out of the court and when she went to the locker room she could see the pain.
Yukon was up 34-28 at halftime and Juhas returned to the bench in the third quarter. He saw an epic play, as Paige Buchers led the Husky to 27 points - including eight in the second overtime.
The Husky travels to Minnesota for the program's 14th consecutive Last Four. But transfer graduates from Ohio State would not play Juhas.
After playing just three minutes into the Sweet 16's win over Indiana on Saturday, Juhaz was active and producing when he entered the game on Monday. He had two points and two rebounds in three minutes, and was a defensive force as UConn plus-fives with him on the court.
"He didn't play very well that night and played rarely, and the (three) minutes he got today was the biggest factor in the game," Aurimma said. "It had an effect on every defensive possession, every rebound possession, every offensive possession. So for that to happen in that moment... that's why the kid came here."
Juhaz averaged 7.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 31 games - including 15 starts - before Monday. Aurimma has spoken about her work ethic and she has emerged as a popular figure among her peers.
This is also his first experience in the NCAA tournament.
"It's always hard to see a teammate go down like this, especially in the middle of a game," said senior Christine Williams. "But you know, the coach put us together and basically just told us that the biggest thing we could do for him was to win the game and win for him. I think that's our thing for the rest of the game." There was a mindset.
"It was great to see him after the game. He had a sling on so he was really unlucky, but we hugged him and told him we had his back no matter what. We were really excited that we For him to make it a victory."
UConn has weathered a season of injuries and illnesses. Eight of the team's 12 players have lost at least two games and only two - Westbrook and Aaliyah Edwards - have played in every game.
So this is a team accustomed to navigating adversity.
"I think the way our season went all year, we were ready for this game to happen and something like that," Williams said. “A lot of us have gone down in the season at one point or another, so we have learned how to stay in the sub and just keep rolling with the punches. Exactly the same happened today. Yeah, we always find a way to get it done."
Freshman Azi Fudd said, “We knew we were made for the moment. We did everything this season to make up for it, and I think that's what we did, we just stayed together and maintained ourselves. ,
Hungarian native Juhas deserves a comeback next season. Aurimma has said that he told her that she intended to return.
For the near term, his absence will be felt. UConn will play defending national champion Stanford on Friday night and Auriemma will have a smaller bench.
After losing to Arizona in the national semifinal last year, Aurimma saw Juhaz as perhaps the missing piece.
"You look at the longer Dorka practice, I said that could be the difference that gets us over the hump from last year, where we need a more massive body to do certain things," he said. "Unfortunately he's not going to get the opportunity to do that."
However, the injury served as a reminder that Aurimma and Yukon should enjoy success. This could be the hardest-earning journey to the Final Four and doing it without an integral player makes it all the more rewarding.
"That's all well and good, but all these shiny moments — a dazzling moment — well, a moment that isn't shiny and your season is over," Aurimma said. "How fragile it all is, and so you have to appreciate it and you have to enjoy it. I don't care how many of these we live. They're still like the first one."