Seattle — Dorka Juhasz graduated from Ohio State in three years with a degree in psychology, leaving her with two years of eligibility as a grad student.

So Juhasz was already following along with the Buckeyes’ progress this season, as an interested party, before the name “Ohio State” popped up in the same NCAA tournament bracket as UConn, where Juhasz is now averaging 14.2 points and 9.9 rebounds.

No. 2 UConn faces No. 3 Ohio State in the Seattle 3 Regional at 4 p.m. Saturday (Ch. 8) from Climate Pledge Arena.

“I still watch my friends play and always cheer for them, obviously, except this game,” said Juhasz, a 6-foot-5 forward from Pecs, Hungary, in her second season at UConn. “But I’m happy for them. They had a tremendous season so far.”

Juhasz was a two-time All-Big Ten selection at Ohio State but never played in an NCAA tournament. She transferred to UConn, the 11-time national champion, she said earlier this season, to “see what she was made of” and is trying to reach her second straight Final Four with the Huskies.

Juhasz was injured in last season’s Elite Eight victory over N.C. State and did not play in the Final Four.

Juhasz is averaging 13.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game during the postseason, including a spot on the Big East Conference all-tournament team. She was an All-Big East second team pick during the regular season.

Juhasz counts it all as part of her journey, one which will likely lead her to the WNBA.

“I think for me, it’s just excitement,” Juhasz said of the opportunity to meet Ohio State. “I still have a lot of friends and I always have a lot of respect for my old coaching staff and everybody that helped me there because at the end of the day, I wouldn’t be here without them.

“When I think of my journey, it’s not just UConn, but that three years (at Ohio State), I think, was obviously essential and necessary to just be the player I am today. I am very thankful for Ohio State and UConn, as well.”

Hail to the ‘Emerald City’

• Prior to Ohio State, Buckeyes head coach Kevin McGuff coached at the University of Washington, located in Seattle. This weekend’s Seattle 3 Regional games are being held at Climate Pledge Arena, home of the four-time WNBA champion Seattle Storm and the Seattle Kraken of the NHL.

“The thing that I love about Seattle is a lot of things,” McGuff said. “It’s a really vibrant city. But it’s a city that has a history of supporting women’s athletics, specifically women’s basketball. You see how they support the Storm. When we were at Washington, we had a great following and they really came out to support us.

“So, great city that really supports women’s athletics, which is really cool.”

The legend of CD

• UConn associate head coach Chris Dailey was asked recently about her legacy. Dailey has been on head coach Geno Auriemma’s staff for all 38 seasons at UConn, including all 11 national championships, and Dailey was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 as one of the first two assistant coaches ever to receive that honor.

“I don’t think you ever think about legacy until it’s over,” Dailey said. “I certainly know I’m closer to the end than I was at the beginning. But I don’t think I will think about (legacy) until I retire. I think I still have a few good years left in me.

“... When I do look at (the accomplishments of the program), it does make me think of the people that made it happen.”

Dailey is 17-0 in her career filling in for Auriemma, including four games this season.

Auriemma joked that he’s told friends of his he might try going to his native Italy for the summer some year and leave Dailey in charge.

“And when I come back things will be better than when I left,” he said. “The players will have a lot more fun. It will also be a little less scatterbrained around here. Things will be more organized. There will be a schedule and everybody will be on time and everything will go according to plan.

“...You hear sometimes people describe assistant coaches, ‘She’s a great recruiter or he’s a great recruiter.’ Or ‘They’re great at X’s and O’s.’ ‘They’re great at scouting reports.’ On our staff, everybody has to do everything. So her stamp and her influence is on every aspect of our program.”

Quotable

• McGuff, the Ohio State coach, asked to put UConn’s streak of 29 straight Sweet 16 appearances in perspective, given that his team is making its second straight appearance:

“Are you saying I need to do 27 in a row to catch ‘em? ... Well that’s going to be the next coach at Ohio State’s job.”

v.fulkerson@theday.com