REPORT: Big East Women’s Basketball Tournament Coming to the Mohegan Sun

By Bob Phillips

UNCASVILLE—Women’s basketball fans in general, and UConn fans in particular, were disappointed to say the least when the 2020 AAC Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament, scheduled to take place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in early March, was cancelled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But that disappointment may be short-lived (knock on wood). The Hartford Courant reported this week that sources indicate that the 2021 Big East Women’s Basketball Championship is likely to be played at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

Sourcing the Westerly Sun, the report quoted Providence College Athletic Director Bob Driscoll as saying “With UConn coming back into the conference, we’re going to be playing our women’s basketball Big East championships at Mohegan Sun moving forward. That’s going to probably sell out, which will be great financially and exposure-wise.”

It makes sense that the tournament be held in Connecticut. The Huskies have one of the most fervent, loyal fan-base in all of women’s basketball. Indeed, when UConn was a member of the old Big East, the tournament had been played at the XL Center (then known as the Hartford Civic Center) several times. Without UConn, the Big East has held its women’s basketball tournament at Wintrust Arena in Chicago—home of the DePaul Blue Demons—for six of the last seven years. A Big East spokesperson acknowledged that the Mohegan Sun is “under consideration,” while the Mohegan Sun declined comment.

Prior to holding its women’s championship tournament in Hartford from 2004 to 2013, the Big East held its women’s tournament at Gampel Pavilion on UConn’s Storrs campus seven times. After UConn moved to the American Athletic Conference, the ACC held its championship tournament in Uncasville for UConn’s entire run in the conference—from 2013 until 2020 although, as previously mentioned, this year’s ACC tournament was canceled compliments of COVID-19.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa (20) and the Connecticut Huskies will be moving
to The Big East this year assuming COVID-19 subsides. Speculation is
rampant that the Mohegan Sun Arena will host the 2021 Big East
women's basketball tournament.

After Connecticut moved back to the Big East, it was widely speculated that its postseason tournament would “come home.” Indeed, head coach Geno Auriemma suggested as much when the move was announced last June. And while the XL Center would naturally be in play for the tournament, the Mohegan Sun owns a wildcard: Sitting on sovereign land, the Tribe can make its own decisions on opening and seating capacity should the coronavirus still play a significant role in the country’s overall behavior come March 2021.

“[The Mohegan Sun is] a great place to watch a game,” Driscoll said. “And you’ll still have all the amenities with the restaurants there. But we would certain rather play downtown in our own arena. If we can’t, we’ll figure it out.”

This, of course, assumes that the 2020-21 college basketball season will be played at all—no sure thing on this long, strange trip we’re on right now. But, knock on wood (again), the Mohegan Sun appears to be the most logical landing spot for future Big East women’s basketball championship tournaments, which would make the metro area the hottest of sports hotspots in March if it happens, with the men’s tournament taking place a few hours down the turnpike (or a short trip on Amtrack or Metro-North) at Madison Square Garden.

—with staff reports

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