UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma called the cancellation of Thursday's top 10-matchup between the No. 3 Huskies and No. 6 Baylor due to COVID-19 just another part of a season which has been akin to "a roller coaster ride unlike any we've ever been on."

The game, scheduled to be played in Waco, Texas, in front of a national TV audience on ESPN, was canceled Tuesday due to a positive COVID-19 test within the Baylor program. A statement later in the day from Baylor coach Kim Mulkey revealed it was she who tested positive, having been exposed to the coronavirus by a family member on Christmas Day.

Mulkey tested positive on Monday.

Auriemma said in a video conference Tuesday that he certainly understands the situation, although he's disappointed for his players to miss the opportunity to test themselves against another high-caliber opponent.

He said the Huskies have a charter flight ready to travel Wednesday but doesn't think a game with another opponent can be put together that quickly.

"You know, I just had this discussion with somebody, both yesterday and today, appropriately," Auriemma said of Baylor's need for the cancellation.

"We thought we were doing everything right and in November, right before Thanksgiving, we had to put a stop on what we were doing. And we thought we were doing everything right. Fast forward now, it's coming after Christmas, obviously, and a lot of people sent their teams home for Christmas. Some of those teams have had no problems. Some of those teams have had to pause.

"So you could jump in and say, 'You know what? They're not doing their part.' (But) the minute you start to think 'What's wrong with these people?' that could be you tomorrow making a phone call to another school saying, 'Hey, look, we can't come.'

"In this particular case, there's no guarantee. There really isn't."

The next game for UConn (6-0, 5-0 Big East Conference) is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday against Providence (4-6, 2-3) at Gampel Pavilion. The Huskies haven't played since last Tuesday, a 75-52 defeat of No. 18 DePaul.

Auriemma said it's been frustrating for his players to continue to practice while games are being canceled — "we're all tired of each other," he said — but said he's pleasantly surprised at the level of effort the Huskies continue to put forth.

He said when he told the players at the end of Tuesday's practice there would be no trip to Baylor, the third ranked opponent on UConn's schedule with which a game has been canceled this season, the Huskies didn't believe him at first.

Auriemma's team has lost its last two matchups with Baylor by double-digit margins, last year in Hartford and in 2019 in Waco. And this year's UConn team, with seven newcomers, including six freshmen, knew the trip to Texas would be an important one.

"These last couple days they've really been ready. Like, these last couple days, practices have really been different because they knew what was coming," Auriemma said. "They know we get on a plane and go down to Baylor and we're not ready, bad things are going to happen.

"I'm really disappointed for them ... win, lose, get blown out, it doesn't matter. I think they just wanted to be on the court with a team of that caliber."

Auriemma said that trying to reschedule games or plug other nonconference opponents into UConn's schedule has been difficult, in part because schools' main allegiance is to their league matchups and the league schedules are constantly changing due to the virus.

Auriemma, for instance, has been in touch with the coach of No. 2 Louisville, Jeff Walz, whose unbeaten team was scheduled to play UConn at Mohegan Sun Arena on Dec. 4 before the UConn program was put on hold due to a positive test.

He said he and Walz have discussed how to get the teams together for a game.

"Every time something does come up that could look possible, something comes up that makes it impossible," Auriemma said. "Just when you think, 'Hey, I think we can work this out,' boom ... the circumstances, the possibilities are just impossible."

Said Auriemma of his team: "I feel bad that every opportunity that's come along where they had an opportunity to face that sort of (opponent), it's been denied them."

v.fulkerson@theday.com