Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2022 inductee Swin Cash speaks at a news conference at Mohegan Sun, Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)AP

When Swin Cash meets basketball immortality Saturday, she’ll do so just a short drive away from where she became a household name at the University of Connecticut. That’s where she became an All-American for the Huskies, helping lead UConn to the 2000 and 2002 NCAA titles.

Cash is part of the 13-member Class of 2022 that will be inducted into the Hall on Saturday. The festivities start Friday with celebrations as the Hall of Famers will get their jackets and rings in the evening. Then it’ll be the main event Saturday as each Hall member will get their turn in the spotlight.

But first, some reflection. Cash talked about her local ties to the area, and how the Huskies and coach Geno Auriemma helped her achieve greatness.

“When I got to the University of Connecticut, one of the things Coach Auriemma really instilled in all of us was this idea of every day of chasing perfection,” Cash said. “Understanding that you were never going to get there, so the bar was constantly moving. But you were trying to be the best, and practices were always harder than the games.

“But that prepared you mentally to understand what you wanted to achieve, and every year, the bar was a national championship. For some people, the bar was a conference championship or, ‘Hey, we made the tournament.’ Whereas at Connecticut, we hang banners.”

Cash won at just about every level in her playing career. Aside from her two collegiate championships, she won three WNBA titles, two with the Detroit Shock then one with the Seattle Storm. Cash was also a four-time WNBA All-Star and made two All-WNBA second teams in her 15-year career.

Cash, though, did admit the pro life was an adjustment at the start of her career. She was picked second overall in the 2002 draft by the Shock, but Detroit started the season 0-10. Then Cash was a huge part of the team’s turnaround, and the Shock won the 2003 and 2006 WNBA championships.

Now, Cash is breaking down barriers in the NBA. She’s currently vice president of basketball ops and team development for the Pelicans. But it all started at UConn for Cash.

“It actually molded me in a different kind of way,” Cash said of UConn. “In high school, how I played the game, how I approached the game, a lot of that came from being coached by a high school coach that played football. That competitiveness and all that was already in me.”

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