1997-98 Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 1997–98 Tennessee
Lady Vols
basketball
team, coached by Pat Summitt
, is considered to be one of the greatest teams in the history of U.S. women's college basketball
, as they went 39–0, winning their third consecutive national championship while playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation. The Lady Vols started off the season ranked number one in the nation, a ranking that would not change. ESPN called it one of the top ten moments in women's sports of the 20th century. After the season, Summitt authored a book about the season, entitled "Raise the Roof".
. That team was the first Lady Vols team since 1991 that did not win either the SEC
regular season or tournament championship.
However, the team did return several players, including All-American Chamique Holdsclaw
, and had a freshman class that was being called the greatest ever, which included Tamika Catchings
, Semeka Randall
, Teresa Geter, and Kristen Clement. Tamika Catchings won Miss Basketball titles in two states: Illinois, her sophomore year, and Texas, her senior year. Additionally, she led her high school to a state championship and a 40–0 season her senior year. She also performed a quintuple-double in one of her games. Semeka Randall was also accomplished, named Parade's Player of the Year her senior year, a two-time Miss Basketball, as well as a two-time state tournament MVP. Kristen "Ace" Clement came out of Pennsylvania, where she had broken Wilt Chamberlain
's scoring record in Philadelphia of 2,205 with 2,256 points. The record had stood for 40 years. The fourth freshman, Teresa Geter, was not as well-known, but was considered to be the best player in South Carolina, and had been named Miss Basketball, just like the others. Chamique, Tamika, and Semeka would become known as "The Meeks" as the season progressed.
. Semeka Randall did not start the game. However, four minutes into the game, the Lady Vols were only up 4–2. At this point, Randall was put into the game, and Tennessee scored fifteen straight, on a run fueled by her. Randall scored 24, and star Chamique Holdsclaw added 23. This season opener has caused a lot of anticipation, as it was expected that this would be the game where all four of Tennessee's freshman played together. However during a November practice, Clement had injured her foot, resulting in a stress fracture. After a discussion with the team doctor, Clement agreed to sit out the Mississippi game in order to be able to play the next game, against Louisiana Tech.
were ranked second in the country and was expected to challenge Tennessee for the national title. Tech returned all five of its starters from a team that had beaten the Vols twice the previous year. Tech came out on a 9–2 run, but led at the half by only a point. The teams played evenly for the beginning of the second half, before Louisiana Tech raised the lead to five with just over twelve minutes remaining. Summitt put her four freshman into the line-up, which went on a 12–0 run, giving Tennessee a lead they would never relinquish. Holdsclaw finished with a double-double (24 points, 11 rebounds), and Catchings contributed 17 points.
Teresa Geter was a big contributor, as well, with five blocked shots. Clement was able to play the game, but it set her rehab back, and she would not play again for over a month.
. Martin was naming their court after Summitt, and the game was just an excuse to attract a large number of people. Their meeting was not much of a game, as Tennessee won 73–32. Summitt's team followed this game with a 40-point rout of Vermont
. The team next went on a road trip to the West Coast
for their annual game against rival Stanford
. Stanford lit up the court in the first half, sinking 57 percent of their shots, but it was not enough to keep the Lady Vols away. Down by one at the half, the Lady Vols played great defense in the second, allowing just five field goals and winning by 18. Holdsclaw had 25 points, and Catchings had 20. The Lady Vols next traveled to Portland
, as part of Summitt's yearly effort to play at least one game near the hometown of each player. This game was meant more as a homecoming for Laurie Milligan, instead of an actual challenge, and they cruised to a 74–51 victory. December opened up with a game against rival Texas
, who shot out to a 47–32 lead at halftime, and went on to win by 34, behind Catchings' 26 points. Next up was the Big Apple Classic, a home trip for Holdsclaw. The Ladies rolled over both opponents, beating George Mason
and Manhattan by 30 and 50 respectively.
, for the Northern Lights Invitational, a three-day, eight-team tournament. The first game was an easy win against Akron
, in which Summitt played her bench frequently. The semi-final game, against Texas A&M
, was not much more difficult. The Ladies won handily, 105–81, leading by as much as 25. Texas A&M's 81 points would end up being the most a team would score on Tennessee that season. The championship game was against Wisconsin
, a team ranked in the top 10, but this ranking did not mean much, as the team ended 1997 with an 87–66 victory. The Meeks were named to the All-Tournament team.
game was played against SEC foe Arkansas, who was ranked just inside the top 25. Tennessee forced 26 turnovers, including 14 steals, in route to an 88–58 victory. This game was followed up with a home match with main rival UConn, who was ranked third in the nation. UConn led the series 4–3, but the Lady Vols had won the last matchup, and the undefeated Huskies wanted revenge. Thompson-Boling Arena
seated nearly 25,000 fans, an NCAA women's record, and, as an experiment, the game was played in four quarters instead of two halves. The Lady Vols started off on a 10–0 run, but the lead was cut to 23–17 by the end of the first quarter. The second quarter saw Tennessee expand the lead, ending the quarter with a fourteen point lead. However, UConn did not want to go away, and went on a tear in the third quarter, as a 20–7 run cut the Lady Vols lead to one point, before the team responded, ending the quarter with seven unanswered points. The final quarter was all Tennessee, and the game ended in an 84–69 win.
were not much of an opponent, as the ladies more than doubled their points at the half (53–26), and finished the game 94–52. This game was followed up with another highly ranked opponent, the twelfth-ranked Gators. Once again, the Vols ran a talented team into the ground, as they only allowed 18 first half points, ultimately winning by a score of 99–60.
. Tennessee started the game strong, grabbing the lead, and finished the half on a 13–0 run. However, Georgia came back, cutting the lead down to nine with seven minutes remaining in the game. It was at this point that Semeka Randall scored thirteen points, sealing a 96–71 victory. This is the largest margin of victory in the Lady Bulldogs-Lady Vols series. Tennessee had 19 steals in the game, while shooting over 50%, and Holdsclaw and Catchings both scored over 20. The next game, against Kentucky
, also had Tennessee making a late first half run, giving them a 19 point lead at the break. This lead was never given up, as the Lady Vols won by twenty-eight. The final game of the road trip was against DePaul, a good team who was, however, missing their two best players. Without these players, it was not much of a game, as Summitt's team started the game with twenty-one straight points and ended the game with a 125–46 victory, giving the team a 20–0 record. The team's 125 points were the second most in the history of the program.
. Starter Kyra Elzy tore her ACL
during the game ending her season, during this game, while going up for a rebound. Meanwhile, Alabama was keeping close to the Lady Vols, by slowing the game down. At half time, Tennessee only had a 13 point lead. The team never did shake off the Crimson Tide, but did manage to pull out the win, 73–66. A trip to Ole Miss was next, and the team started off much better, score the first ten points of the game and having a 54–17 lead at halftime. Summitt let the bench play the rest of the game, ultimately winning 91–45. This game was followed up by a non-conference match against longtime rival Old Dominion, whom Tennessee had beaten in the previous year's national championship. The game was even for fifteen minutes, but in the last five minutes of the half, Tennessee was able to build a twelve point lead. Holdsclaw took over the second half for the Lady Vols, scoring 24 points for an 85–61 victory, ODU's biggest loss in four years. This match was followed up with another conference game, this time against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. UT started out sloppily, and ended the half with only a nine point lead. However, once again the team came out strong to open the second half, raising their lead and eventually had double State's points, with ten minutes remaining. The Bulldogs cut the lead to eleven, but then Summitt put Holdsclaw back in, scoring eight in a row, giving Tennessee another victory, 74–52.
and a national television audience on ESPN
. The Commodores started off strong, taking a 16–7 lead in front of their home crowd. However Tennessee responded with seventeen straight points to take the lead, and led by nine at the halftime. As in previous games, the Lady Vols make a big run to open up the second half to put the game out of reach. UT won 91–60, with UT shooting over fifty percent yet again. The final game of the regular season came against LSU
, a respectable SEC team which beat the Lady Vols the previous season in Baton Rouge, but still a few seasons away from becoming a national power. Tennessee played well on Senior Night, starting with a 32–8 lead that would never be given up. Tennessee completed the season with a 90–58 win, giving them a perfect 30–0 regular season.
were the champions of the Big South conference, giving them a berth in the tournament as a #16 seed. The usual #1-#16 blowout occurred, with Tennessee winning 102–58, although in another region this blowout did not occur: #16 seed Harvard
upset injury-depleted #1 seed Stanford 71–67 in the West regional. This is the only time that a 16-seed has beaten a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament — men's or women's.
Holdsclaw led Tennessee with 22 points, although Liberty's Sharon Wilkerson led all scorers with 26. Four other Lady Vols reached double figures, and both Holdsclaw and Catchings had double-doubles.
UT's second round opponent was 8-seeded Western Kentucky, who had lost only by to one to Louisiana Tech in the Sun Belt Tournament, and had defeated Stephen F. Austin
in the first round, 88–76. Tennessee started slowly and Randall picked up two early fouls, resulting in Ace Clement taking her place in the lineup where she scored five quick points and helped the team to a twelve point halftime lead. Western Kentucky pulled to within six early on in the second half, only to follow their run up by going 0 for 6 on their next shots. However, the Hilltoppers pulled back within six a second time. Once again, their run was short lived, as it was followed up with a spree of turnovers. The Lady Vols took advantage of this drought, and went on to win 82–62. Holdsclaw led all scorers with 34 and Catchings contributed 20, while Le Johnson was Western Kentucky's highest scorer, with 17.
The Regional Finals were not all that far away from Knoxville – the Lady Vols only had to travel a couple of hours, to Nashville, where they faced 5th-seeded Rutgers, 22–9. Rutgers had survived two close games to reach this point, defeating 12th-seeded Oregon
, 79–76, in the first round, and then upsetting 4th-seeded Iowa State
, 62–61 in the second. Their third round game was not quite so close. Although Rutgers only trailed by two towards the end of the first period, UT was able to outscore Rutgers by six to close it out, and opened the second half up by building the lead to sixteen. The Scarlet Knights never recovered, losing 92–60. Holdsclaw and Catchings were again the leading scorers, with 25 and 23. The Lady Vols shot 52.2% from the field and forced Rutgers to 27 turnovers. This game gave Tennessee their 36th win, breaking Connecticut's record of 35, as the Lady Vols advanced to the Regional Finals.
The Regional Championship matched Tennessee with the 2nd-seeded Tar Heels
, who were coming off of a 6-point victory over 3rd-seeded Illinois. Summitt's team started off with a 17–11 lead, only to falter and allow Carolina to tie it up at 21. Tennessee responded with a 12–6 run to end the first, but Carolina answered by opening the second half with the first seven points, giving them a one point lead, 34–33, and the first time an opponent had held a lead over Tennessee in over three months. Carolina slowly extended the lead as the game continued, until they were eventually leading 61–49, at which point Summitt sent several players, including Holdsclaw (who was on the bench due to a poor shooting performance) back onto the floor. A minute later, Tennessee had cut the deficit to five, and by the five minute mark the game was tied again, at 62. The teams traded baskets, tying the game at 64 and 66, before Tennessee reached a 70–67 lead, with less than ninety seconds remaining. Carolina was soon forced to start fouling the Lady Vols, who made their free throws and advanced to the Final Four
, 76–70. Holdsclaw once again led all scorers, this time with 29, and Semeka Randall had 20. North Carolina was led by Wright and Reid, who had 21 and 20.
, Kansas, and 2nd-seeded Duke
. Despite a poor first half shooting performances, the Vols led 39–28 halfway through the game. The second half saw the Lady Vols make over half their shots, propelling the team to the national championship with an 86–58, the largest margin of victory in the Women's National Semifinals history.
Louisiana Tech knocked off N.C. State
in their semifinal match, 84–65, making the national championship a match-up between the two teams that started the season ranked first and second. The game was not close. Seven and a half minutes through the first half, the Lady Vols were up by fifteen, and by halftime the score was 55–32. The 55 points was a record for most points in a half in a national championship game. Tech was not able to make a run until late in the second half, when they were able to cut the lead down to eighteen, only to see Kellie Jolly hit back-to-back three pointers. The final score was 93 to 75. Three different Lady Vols scored twenty or more points: Holdsclaw (25), Catchings (27), and Jolly (20). Holdsclaw, who was named the Final Four MVP, her second consecutive, also won her seventh straight title (3 NCAA, 4 State). After the game, Louisiana Tech head coach Leon Balmore proclaimed this Lady Vols squad to be the "best ever", something Old Dominion Hall of Famer
Nancy Lieberman
has stated back in February. However, not everyone was positive, as ESPN analyst Mimi Griffin stated that Tennessee's dominance was becoming a detriment to the women's game.
The Lady Vols did not win another national championship until 2007, defeating Rutgers in the championship game in Cleveland. Tennessee lost three times to Connecticut in championship games (2000, 2003, 2004), but also suffered a humiliating loss to Xavier
in the 2001 Sweet 16, marking only the second time since the NCAA first sanctioned women's basketball championships in 1982 the Lady Vols did not reach at least the Elite Eight. Connecticut would later match the Lady Vols' 39–0 mark in 2002.
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
Lady Vols
Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball
The Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA women's basketball competition...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team, coached by Pat Summitt
Pat Summitt
Patricia "Pat" Head Summitt is an American women's college basketball coach. She is currently the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men's or women's team in any division...
, is considered to be one of the greatest teams in the history of U.S. women's college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
, as they went 39–0, winning their third consecutive national championship while playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation. The Lady Vols started off the season ranked number one in the nation, a ranking that would not change. ESPN called it one of the top ten moments in women's sports of the 20th century. After the season, Summitt authored a book about the season, entitled "Raise the Roof".
Preseason
The Lady Vols had just come off of a somewhat bittersweet season. While they had won the national championship, they had lost ten games, including two to rival Louisiana TechLouisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
. That team was the first Lady Vols team since 1991 that did not win either the SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
regular season or tournament championship.
However, the team did return several players, including All-American Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
, and had a freshman class that was being called the greatest ever, which included Tamika Catchings
Tamika Catchings
Tamika Devonne Catchings is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA and Turkish team Galatasaray. She is a prolific scorer close to and far from the basket, as well as a capable rebounder, ball handler, and defender. After playing at Adlai E...
, Semeka Randall
Semeka Randall
Semeka Chantay Randall is a former collegiate and professional basketball player who is the head coach of the Ohio Bobcats...
, Teresa Geter, and Kristen Clement. Tamika Catchings won Miss Basketball titles in two states: Illinois, her sophomore year, and Texas, her senior year. Additionally, she led her high school to a state championship and a 40–0 season her senior year. She also performed a quintuple-double in one of her games. Semeka Randall was also accomplished, named Parade's Player of the Year her senior year, a two-time Miss Basketball, as well as a two-time state tournament MVP. Kristen "Ace" Clement came out of Pennsylvania, where she had broken Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
's scoring record in Philadelphia of 2,205 with 2,256 points. The record had stood for 40 years. The fourth freshman, Teresa Geter, was not as well-known, but was considered to be the best player in South Carolina, and had been named Miss Basketball, just like the others. Chamique, Tamika, and Semeka would become known as "The Meeks" as the season progressed.
Mississippi
After an exhibition rout of US Armed Forces, the Lady Vols opened up the season unusually, with a conference game against MississippiOle Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
. Semeka Randall did not start the game. However, four minutes into the game, the Lady Vols were only up 4–2. At this point, Randall was put into the game, and Tennessee scored fifteen straight, on a run fueled by her. Randall scored 24, and star Chamique Holdsclaw added 23. This season opener has caused a lot of anticipation, as it was expected that this would be the game where all four of Tennessee's freshman played together. However during a November practice, Clement had injured her foot, resulting in a stress fracture. After a discussion with the team doctor, Clement agreed to sit out the Mississippi game in order to be able to play the next game, against Louisiana Tech.
Louisiana Tech
The Louisiana Tech Lady TechstersLouisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball
The Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball team represents Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. The current head coach of the Lady Techsters is Teresa Weatherspoon...
were ranked second in the country and was expected to challenge Tennessee for the national title. Tech returned all five of its starters from a team that had beaten the Vols twice the previous year. Tech came out on a 9–2 run, but led at the half by only a point. The teams played evenly for the beginning of the second half, before Louisiana Tech raised the lead to five with just over twelve minutes remaining. Summitt put her four freshman into the line-up, which went on a 12–0 run, giving Tennessee a lead they would never relinquish. Holdsclaw finished with a double-double (24 points, 11 rebounds), and Catchings contributed 17 points.
Teresa Geter was a big contributor, as well, with five blocked shots. Clement was able to play the game, but it set her rehab back, and she would not play again for over a month.
Tennessee-Martin, Stanford, Portland, Texas, and the Big Apple Classic
The next game was against Summitt's alma mater, Tennessee-MartinUniversity of Tennessee at Martin
The University of Tennessee at Martin is a campus in the University of Tennessee system. Other campuses include the flagship campus in Knoxville, the Chattanooga campus, the Center for the Health Sciences in Memphis, and the Space Institute in Tullahoma...
. Martin was naming their court after Summitt, and the game was just an excuse to attract a large number of people. Their meeting was not much of a game, as Tennessee won 73–32. Summitt's team followed this game with a 40-point rout of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
. The team next went on a road trip to the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
for their annual game against rival Stanford
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
. Stanford lit up the court in the first half, sinking 57 percent of their shots, but it was not enough to keep the Lady Vols away. Down by one at the half, the Lady Vols played great defense in the second, allowing just five field goals and winning by 18. Holdsclaw had 25 points, and Catchings had 20. The Lady Vols next traveled to Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, as part of Summitt's yearly effort to play at least one game near the hometown of each player. This game was meant more as a homecoming for Laurie Milligan, instead of an actual challenge, and they cruised to a 74–51 victory. December opened up with a game against rival Texas
Texas Longhorns women's basketball
The Texas Longhorns women's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin and competes in the Big 12 Conference.The team has long been a national power in women's basketball. Under head coach Jody Conradt, the second NCAA Division I basketball coach to win 900 career games , the...
, who shot out to a 47–32 lead at halftime, and went on to win by 34, behind Catchings' 26 points. Next up was the Big Apple Classic, a home trip for Holdsclaw. The Ladies rolled over both opponents, beating George Mason
George Mason Patriots
The George Mason Patriots are the athletic teams of George Mason University. The school's athletic program includes 22 NCAA Division I varsity sports, consisting of 11 men's and 11 women's teams...
and Manhattan by 30 and 50 respectively.
SEC/Big-10 Challenge
The Vols then returned home for the SEC/Big-10 challenge. Florida lost by 10 to Purdue, and the Vols' game was against the Illinois. The game featured an interesting match-up as Catchings' sister, Tauja, was a sophomore at Illinois at the time. Tennessee had a horrific start as they fell behind 41–19. By halftime, the lead had been cut to 41–24, despite only shooting 23%. In the second half, Tennessee cut the lead slowly, through turnovers and defense, finally taking the lead with 9:25 remaining. The Vols ended the game with a ten point win.Northern Lights Invitational
The next trip was up to AnchorageAnchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
, for the Northern Lights Invitational, a three-day, eight-team tournament. The first game was an easy win against Akron
Akron Zips
One of the unique nicknames in all of intercollegiate athletics belongs to The University of Akron. Originally Zippers, athletic director Kenneth Cochrane officially shortened the nickname to the Zips in 1950. Twenty-five years earlier a campus-wide contest had been conducted to choose a nickname...
, in which Summitt played her bench frequently. The semi-final game, against Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball
The Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I women's basketball. The team has been coached by Gary Blair since 2003. The Aggies play home games at Reed Arena, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M.The Aggies...
, was not much more difficult. The Ladies won handily, 105–81, leading by as much as 25. Texas A&M's 81 points would end up being the most a team would score on Tennessee that season. The championship game was against Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...
, a team ranked in the top 10, but this ranking did not mean much, as the team ended 1997 with an 87–66 victory. The Meeks were named to the All-Tournament team.
Arkansas and UConn
A rare New Year's DayNew Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
game was played against SEC foe Arkansas, who was ranked just inside the top 25. Tennessee forced 26 turnovers, including 14 steals, in route to an 88–58 victory. This game was followed up with a home match with main rival UConn, who was ranked third in the nation. UConn led the series 4–3, but the Lady Vols had won the last matchup, and the undefeated Huskies wanted revenge. Thompson-Boling Arena
Thompson-Boling Arena
Thompson-Boling Arena is multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The arena opened in 1987. It is home to the Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Vols basketball teams. Since 2008, it has been home to the Lady Vol volleyball team. It is named after B....
seated nearly 25,000 fans, an NCAA women's record, and, as an experiment, the game was played in four quarters instead of two halves. The Lady Vols started off on a 10–0 run, but the lead was cut to 23–17 by the end of the first quarter. The second quarter saw Tennessee expand the lead, ending the quarter with a fourteen point lead. However, UConn did not want to go away, and went on a tear in the third quarter, as a 20–7 run cut the Lady Vols lead to one point, before the team responded, ending the quarter with seven unanswered points. The final quarter was all Tennessee, and the game ended in an 84–69 win.
South Carolina and Florida
The team started their SEC schedule back up with a trip to South Carolina. The GamecocksSouth Carolina Gamecocks
The University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the "Gamecocks". The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his...
were not much of an opponent, as the ladies more than doubled their points at the half (53–26), and finished the game 94–52. This game was followed up with another highly ranked opponent, the twelfth-ranked Gators. Once again, the Vols ran a talented team into the ground, as they only allowed 18 first half points, ultimately winning by a score of 99–60.
Georgia, Kentucky, and DePaul
Tennessee had a three-game road trip up next, starting with the Bulldogs in AthensStegeman Coliseum
Stegeman Coliseum is a 10,523-seat multi-purpose arena in Athens, Georgia, United States. The arena opened in 1964. It is home to the University of Georgia Bulldogs basketball and gymnastics teams. It was also the venue of the rhythmic gymnastics and preliminary indoor volleyball matches during the...
. Tennessee started the game strong, grabbing the lead, and finished the half on a 13–0 run. However, Georgia came back, cutting the lead down to nine with seven minutes remaining in the game. It was at this point that Semeka Randall scored thirteen points, sealing a 96–71 victory. This is the largest margin of victory in the Lady Bulldogs-Lady Vols series. Tennessee had 19 steals in the game, while shooting over 50%, and Holdsclaw and Catchings both scored over 20. The next game, against Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team represent the University of Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference, which has historically been the most dominant conference in women's basketball. However, despite reaching national rankings as high as #4, the team has never reached the national...
, also had Tennessee making a late first half run, giving them a 19 point lead at the break. This lead was never given up, as the Lady Vols won by twenty-eight. The final game of the road trip was against DePaul, a good team who was, however, missing their two best players. Without these players, it was not much of a game, as Summitt's team started the game with twenty-one straight points and ended the game with a 125–46 victory, giving the team a 20–0 record. The team's 125 points were the second most in the history of the program.
Vanderbilt and Georgia
The Lady Vols returned home and resumed their SEC schedule against in-state foe Vanderbilt, who was ranked in the top 10. Throughout the first half, the game was about even, until the Lady Vols got a slight lead with under seven minutes left, which they took to the locker room, 37–31. The second half, however, started out much differently, beginning with a 20–0 Lady Vols run. Tennessee led by as many as 35 points in the game, and ended the game with an 86–54 win. Catchings was named the SEC Player of the Week for her role in the DePaul and Vanderbilt games, scoring 35 and 22 points respectively. The final game of the month was the rematch with Georgia. It ended up being a blowout. Tennessee shot better than 60%, and Holdsclaw scored more points in the first half than the entire Georgia team. Tennessee broke the 20-steal mark, as well as the 100-point mark, winning 102–43.Alabama, Old Dominion, and Mississippi State
February began with another SEC match-up, this time against unranked AlabamaUniversity of Alabama athletics
The University of Alabama features 19 varsity sports teams. Both the male and female athletic teams are called the Crimson Tide. They participate in the NCAA's Division I as a member of the Southeastern Conference Western Division. In 2002, Sports Illustrated named Alabama the #26 best collegiate...
. Starter Kyra Elzy tore her ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
during the game ending her season, during this game, while going up for a rebound. Meanwhile, Alabama was keeping close to the Lady Vols, by slowing the game down. At half time, Tennessee only had a 13 point lead. The team never did shake off the Crimson Tide, but did manage to pull out the win, 73–66. A trip to Ole Miss was next, and the team started off much better, score the first ten points of the game and having a 54–17 lead at halftime. Summitt let the bench play the rest of the game, ultimately winning 91–45. This game was followed up by a non-conference match against longtime rival Old Dominion, whom Tennessee had beaten in the previous year's national championship. The game was even for fifteen minutes, but in the last five minutes of the half, Tennessee was able to build a twelve point lead. Holdsclaw took over the second half for the Lady Vols, scoring 24 points for an 85–61 victory, ODU's biggest loss in four years. This match was followed up with another conference game, this time against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. UT started out sloppily, and ended the half with only a nine point lead. However, once again the team came out strong to open the second half, raising their lead and eventually had double State's points, with ten minutes remaining. The Bulldogs cut the lead to eleven, but then Summitt put Holdsclaw back in, scoring eight in a row, giving Tennessee another victory, 74–52.
Memphis, Auburn, Vanderbilt, and LSU
After a two day rest, the Lady Vols resumed their season with three games in five days, starting with their final non-conference opponent, Memphis, on the road. UT started strong, taking a 16–6 lead to open up the game, only to give it back up. Memphis delighted its home crowd by taking a 38–31 lead with two minutes to go in the half, but Tennessee rallied and took a two point lead to the locker room. Once again, Tennessee pulled away in the second half, 91–65, behind three players who scored over twenty: Holdsclaw (31), Randall (21), and Catchings (20). The next game was against Auburn, a program that is traditionally competitive within the conference. Once again, Summitt's team started the game strong, leading 32–16 before Auburn woke up, cutting the lead to five by the half. However, the Tigers would not get any closer than this, as Holdsclaw's 39 points helped Tennessee to yet another win, 79–63. The final game of this stretch was the rematch with Vanderbilt, played on President's Day in front of a sellout crowd at the Commodores' quirky Memorial GymnasiumMemorial Gymnasium (Vanderbilt University)
Memorial Gymnasium is a multi-purpose facility located in Nashville, Tennessee. Usually called Memorial Gym or simply Memorial, the building is located on the western end of the Vanderbilt University campus. It was built in 1952 and currently has a seating capacity of 14,316...
and a national television audience on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. The Commodores started off strong, taking a 16–7 lead in front of their home crowd. However Tennessee responded with seventeen straight points to take the lead, and led by nine at the halftime. As in previous games, the Lady Vols make a big run to open up the second half to put the game out of reach. UT won 91–60, with UT shooting over fifty percent yet again. The final game of the regular season came against LSU
LSU Lady Tigers basketball
The LSU Lady Tigers basketball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I women's college basketball. The team is currently coached by former UCLA head coach Nikki Caldwell, who accepted the job on April 2, 2011. Past coaches include Barbara Swanner, Jinks Coleman,...
, a respectable SEC team which beat the Lady Vols the previous season in Baton Rouge, but still a few seasons away from becoming a national power. Tennessee played well on Senior Night, starting with a 32–8 lead that would never be given up. Tennessee completed the season with a 90–58 win, giving them a perfect 30–0 regular season.
SEC Tournament
After their first round bye, Tennessee faced Mississippi State again. Instead of Tennessee starting quickly, however, the Bulldogs did, taking a 9–2 lead. At this point though, the Vols went on one of their runs, this time a 15–2 one. State did not recover from this, and Tennessee advanced to the semi-finals, 88–60. Catchings had a double-double by halftime. In the semi-finals, UT met Vanderbilt for the third time, with an even better performance than the previous two. Catchings again had a double-double by halftime and the team shot 6–7 from 3, as the advanced to the championship 106–45. The SEC Championship was against Alabama, who had played within seven points of the Lady Vols in their previous match-up. Alabama used the same, slow style they had previously employed, and at the break were only down by three. Tennessee was able to slowly up the lead to ten during the first ten minutes of the second period, eventually reaching a fourteen point lead, before Alabama started a comeback, cutting the lead to five with just over forty seconds remaining. Alabama was able to score the five points, but Tennessee made their foul shots, and won the title, 67–63. After the game, Holdsclaw was named the tournament's most outstanding player. UT was now 33–0, with the NCAA tournament coming up next.Opening Games
The Lady Vols were awarded the #1 seed in the Mideast Regional where their opponent was, oddly enough, also undefeated. The 28–0 Lady Flames of LibertyLiberty University
Liberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online...
were the champions of the Big South conference, giving them a berth in the tournament as a #16 seed. The usual #1-#16 blowout occurred, with Tennessee winning 102–58, although in another region this blowout did not occur: #16 seed Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
upset injury-depleted #1 seed Stanford 71–67 in the West regional. This is the only time that a 16-seed has beaten a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament — men's or women's.
Holdsclaw led Tennessee with 22 points, although Liberty's Sharon Wilkerson led all scorers with 26. Four other Lady Vols reached double figures, and both Holdsclaw and Catchings had double-doubles.
UT's second round opponent was 8-seeded Western Kentucky, who had lost only by to one to Louisiana Tech in the Sun Belt Tournament, and had defeated Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University is a public university located in Nacogdoches, Texas, United States. Founded as a teachers' college in 1923, the university was named after one of Texas' founding fathers, Stephen F. Austin. Its campus resides on part of the homestead of another Texas founding...
in the first round, 88–76. Tennessee started slowly and Randall picked up two early fouls, resulting in Ace Clement taking her place in the lineup where she scored five quick points and helped the team to a twelve point halftime lead. Western Kentucky pulled to within six early on in the second half, only to follow their run up by going 0 for 6 on their next shots. However, the Hilltoppers pulled back within six a second time. Once again, their run was short lived, as it was followed up with a spree of turnovers. The Lady Vols took advantage of this drought, and went on to win 82–62. Holdsclaw led all scorers with 34 and Catchings contributed 20, while Le Johnson was Western Kentucky's highest scorer, with 17.
The Regional Finals were not all that far away from Knoxville – the Lady Vols only had to travel a couple of hours, to Nashville, where they faced 5th-seeded Rutgers, 22–9. Rutgers had survived two close games to reach this point, defeating 12th-seeded Oregon
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks refers to the sports teams of the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon. The Oregon Ducks are part of the Pacific-12 Conference in the Division 1 of the NCAA. With seventeen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and Track and Field...
, 79–76, in the first round, and then upsetting 4th-seeded Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones
The Iowa State Cyclones are the athletic teams of Iowa State University. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams in 12 sports.*Men's sports...
, 62–61 in the second. Their third round game was not quite so close. Although Rutgers only trailed by two towards the end of the first period, UT was able to outscore Rutgers by six to close it out, and opened the second half up by building the lead to sixteen. The Scarlet Knights never recovered, losing 92–60. Holdsclaw and Catchings were again the leading scorers, with 25 and 23. The Lady Vols shot 52.2% from the field and forced Rutgers to 27 turnovers. This game gave Tennessee their 36th win, breaking Connecticut's record of 35, as the Lady Vols advanced to the Regional Finals.
The Regional Championship matched Tennessee with the 2nd-seeded Tar Heels
North Carolina Tar Heels
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State...
, who were coming off of a 6-point victory over 3rd-seeded Illinois. Summitt's team started off with a 17–11 lead, only to falter and allow Carolina to tie it up at 21. Tennessee responded with a 12–6 run to end the first, but Carolina answered by opening the second half with the first seven points, giving them a one point lead, 34–33, and the first time an opponent had held a lead over Tennessee in over three months. Carolina slowly extended the lead as the game continued, until they were eventually leading 61–49, at which point Summitt sent several players, including Holdsclaw (who was on the bench due to a poor shooting performance) back onto the floor. A minute later, Tennessee had cut the deficit to five, and by the five minute mark the game was tied again, at 62. The teams traded baskets, tying the game at 64 and 66, before Tennessee reached a 70–67 lead, with less than ninety seconds remaining. Carolina was soon forced to start fouling the Lady Vols, who made their free throws and advanced to the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
, 76–70. Holdsclaw once again led all scorers, this time with 29, and Semeka Randall had 20. North Carolina was led by Wright and Reid, who had 21 and 20.
Final four
Tennessee's first Final Four game was against SEC foe, Arkansas, the 9th-seed out of the West Region. The Razorbacks had upset three different teams to reach the Final Four, HawaiiRainbow Wahine
Rainbow Wahine is the official nickname applied to all women's sports teams at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. All University of Hawaii teams were traditionally called "Rainbows" until controversies with the name led the University to allow its men's teams to choose their own nicknames;...
, Kansas, and 2nd-seeded Duke
Duke Blue Devils
Duke University's 26 varsity sports teams, known as the Blue Devils, compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The name comes from the French "les Diables Bleus" or "the Blue Devils," which was the nickname given during World War I to the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Alpine light infantry...
. Despite a poor first half shooting performances, the Vols led 39–28 halfway through the game. The second half saw the Lady Vols make over half their shots, propelling the team to the national championship with an 86–58, the largest margin of victory in the Women's National Semifinals history.
Louisiana Tech knocked off N.C. State
NC State Wolfpack
The athletic teams of the North Carolina State University, known as the Wolfpack, compete in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports. NC State is a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and has won eight national championships: two NCAA championships, two AIAW championships, and four titles...
in their semifinal match, 84–65, making the national championship a match-up between the two teams that started the season ranked first and second. The game was not close. Seven and a half minutes through the first half, the Lady Vols were up by fifteen, and by halftime the score was 55–32. The 55 points was a record for most points in a half in a national championship game. Tech was not able to make a run until late in the second half, when they were able to cut the lead down to eighteen, only to see Kellie Jolly hit back-to-back three pointers. The final score was 93 to 75. Three different Lady Vols scored twenty or more points: Holdsclaw (25), Catchings (27), and Jolly (20). Holdsclaw, who was named the Final Four MVP, her second consecutive, also won her seventh straight title (3 NCAA, 4 State). After the game, Louisiana Tech head coach Leon Balmore proclaimed this Lady Vols squad to be the "best ever", something Old Dominion Hall of Famer
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
Nancy Lieberman
Nancy Lieberman
Nancy Elizabeth Lieberman , nicknamed "Lady Magic", is a former professional basketball player who played and coached in the WNBA.Lieberman is regarded as one of the greatest figures in women's basketball....
has stated back in February. However, not everyone was positive, as ESPN analyst Mimi Griffin stated that Tennessee's dominance was becoming a detriment to the women's game.
The Lady Vols did not win another national championship until 2007, defeating Rutgers in the championship game in Cleveland. Tennessee lost three times to Connecticut in championship games (2000, 2003, 2004), but also suffered a humiliating loss to Xavier
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...
in the 2001 Sweet 16, marking only the second time since the NCAA first sanctioned women's basketball championships in 1982 the Lady Vols did not reach at least the Elite Eight. Connecticut would later match the Lady Vols' 39–0 mark in 2002.
Scores
| Date | Opponent | Location | Score | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 9 | US Armed Forces | Knoxville, TN | 111–54 | Exhibition |
| Nov. 18 | Mississippi Ole Miss Rebels University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school... |
Knoxville, TN | 92–54 | 1–0 (1–0) |
| Nov. 21 | #2 Louisiana Tech Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball The Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball team represents Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. The current head coach of the Lady Techsters is Teresa Weatherspoon... |
Knoxville, TN | 75–61 | 2–0 (1–0) |
| Nov. 23 | Tennessee-Martin University of Tennessee at Martin The University of Tennessee at Martin is a campus in the University of Tennessee system. Other campuses include the flagship campus in Knoxville, the Chattanooga campus, the Center for the Health Sciences in Memphis, and the Space Institute in Tullahoma... |
Martin Martin, Tennessee Martin is a city in Weakley County, Tennessee, United States. Martin is the home of the University of Tennessee at Martin. The population was 10,515 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Martin is located at .... , TN |
73–32 | 3–0 (1–0) |
| Nov. 25 | Vermont University of Vermont The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or... |
Knoxville, TN | 92–52 | 4–0 (1–0) |
| Nov. 29 | #11 Stanford Stanford Cardinal The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams... |
San Jose San Jose, California San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay... , CA |
88–70 | 5–0 (1–0) |
| Nov. 30 | Portland University of Portland The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students... |
Portland Portland, Oregon Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States... , OR |
74–51 | 6–0 (1–0) |
| Dec. 3 | Texas Texas Longhorns women's basketball The Texas Longhorns women's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin and competes in the Big 12 Conference.The team has long been a national power in women's basketball. Under head coach Jody Conradt, the second NCAA Division I basketball coach to win 900 career games , the... |
Knoxville, TN | 98–64 | 7–0 (1–0) |
| Dec. 6 | George Mason George Mason Patriots The George Mason Patriots are the athletic teams of George Mason University. The school's athletic program includes 22 NCAA Division I varsity sports, consisting of 11 men's and 11 women's teams... |
Big Apple Classic – Riverdale, NY | 93–61 | 8–0 (1–0) |
| Dec. 7 | Manhattan | Big Apple Classic – Riverdale, NY | 78–28 | 9–0 (1–0) |
| Dec. 12 | Illinois | SEC/Big-10 Challenge – Knoxville, TN | 78–68 | 10–0 (1–0) |
| Dec. 18 | Akron Akron Zips One of the unique nicknames in all of intercollegiate athletics belongs to The University of Akron. Originally Zippers, athletic director Kenneth Cochrane officially shortened the nickname to the Zips in 1950. Twenty-five years earlier a campus-wide contest had been conducted to choose a nickname... |
Northern Lights Invitational – Anchorage Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States... , AK |
98–63 | 11–0 (1–0) |
| Dec. 19 | Texas A&M Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball The Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I women's basketball. The team has been coached by Gary Blair since 2003. The Aggies play home games at Reed Arena, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M.The Aggies... |
Northern Lights Invitational – Anchorage, AK | 105–81 | 12–0 (1–0) |
| Dec. 20 | Wisconsin Wisconsin Badgers The Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball... |
Northern Lights Invitational – Anchorage, AK | 87–66 | 13–0 (1–0) |
| Jan. 1 | Arkansas | Knoxville, TN | 88–58 | 14–0 (2–0) |
| Jan. 3 | #3 UConn | Knoxville, TN | 84–69 | 15–0 (2–0) |
| Jan. 6 | South Carolina South Carolina Gamecocks The University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the "Gamecocks". The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his... |
Columbia Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan... , SC |
94–52 | 16–0 (3–0) |
| Jan. 10 | #12 Florida | Knoxville, TN | 99–60 | 17–0 (4–0) |
| Jan. 14 | #19 Georgia | Athens Athens, Georgia Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city... , GA |
96–71 | 18–0 (5–0) |
| Jan. 18 | Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball The Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team represent the University of Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference, which has historically been the most dominant conference in women's basketball. However, despite reaching national rankings as high as #4, the team has never reached the national... |
Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... , KY |
93–65 | 19–0 (6–0) |
| Jan. 20 | DePaul | Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... , IL |
125–46 | 20–0 (6–0) |
| Jan. 25 | #9 Vanderbilt | Knoxville, TN | 86–54 | 21–0 (7–0) |
| Jan. 28 | #17 Georgia | Knoxville, TN | 102–43 | 22–0 (8–0) |
| Feb. 1 | Alabama University of Alabama athletics The University of Alabama features 19 varsity sports teams. Both the male and female athletic teams are called the Crimson Tide. They participate in the NCAA's Division I as a member of the Southeastern Conference Western Division. In 2002, Sports Illustrated named Alabama the #26 best collegiate... |
Knoxville, TN | 73–66 | 23–0 (9–0) |
| Feb. 4 | Mississippi | Oxford Oxford, Mississippi Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract.... , MS |
91–45 | 24–0 (10–0) |
| Feb. 7 | #3 Old Dominion | Knoxville, TN | 85–61 | 25–0 (10–0) |
| Feb. 9 | Mississippi State | Starkville Starkville, Mississippi -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,869 people, 9,462 households, and 4,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 851.4 people per square mile . There were 10,191 housing units at an average density of 396.7 per square mile... , MS |
74–52 | 26–0 (11–0) |
| Feb. 12 | Memphis University of Memphis The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system.... |
Memphis Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... , TN |
91–65 | 27–0 (11–0) |
| Feb. 14 | Auburn | Auburn Auburn, Alabama Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2010 population of 53,380. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area... , AL |
79–63 | 28–0 (12–0) |
| Feb. 16 | #14 Vanderbilt | Nashville Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home... , TN |
91–60 | 29–0 (13–0) |
| Feb. 22 | LSU LSU Lady Tigers basketball The LSU Lady Tigers basketball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I women's college basketball. The team is currently coached by former UCLA head coach Nikki Caldwell, who accepted the job on April 2, 2011. Past coaches include Barbara Swanner, Jinks Coleman,... |
Knoxville, TN | 90–58 | 30–0 (14–0) |
| Feb. 27 | Mississippi State | SEC Tournament – Columbus Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795... , GA |
88–60 | 31–0 |
| Feb. 28 | #14 Vanderbilt | SEC Tournament – Columbus, GA | 106–45 | 32–0 |
| Mar. 1 | #20 Alabama | SEC Championship – Columbus, GA | 67–63 | 33–0 |
| Mar. 14 | Liberty | NCAA Tournament – 1st Round Knoxville, TN |
102–58 | 34–0 |
| Mar. 16 | Western Kentucky | NCAA Tournament – 2nd Round Knoxville, TN |
82–62 | 35–0 |
| Mar. 21 | Rutgers | NCAA Tournament – Mideast Regionals Semifinals Nashville, TN |
92–60 | 36–0 |
| Mar. 23 | #7 North Carolina North Carolina Tar Heels The North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State... |
NCAA Tournament – Mideast Regionals Finals Nashville, TN |
76–70 | 37–0 |
| Mar. 27 | Arkansas | NCAA Tournament – National Semifinals Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... , MO |
86–58 | 38–0 |
| Mar. 29 | #4 Louisiana Tech | NCAA National Championship Kansas City, MO |
93–75 | 39–0 |
Awards and honors
- 2 Kodak All-Americans (Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings)
- 1 AP First Team All-American (Chamique Holdsclaw)
- 1 AP Second Team All-American (Tamika Catchings)
- 1 U.S. Basketball Writers' Association All-American (Chamique Holdsclaw)
- AP Player of the Year (Chamique Holdsclaw)
- U.S. Basketball Writers' Association Player of the Year (Chamique Holdsclaw)
- Naismith Trophy Winner (Chamique Holdsclaw)
- Honda-Broderick Cup Winner (Chamique Holdsclaw)
- State Farm/WCBA Division I Player of the Year (Chamique Holdsclaw)
- AP Coach of the Year
- Naismith Coach of the Year
- U.S. Basketball Writers' Association Coach of the Year
- Russell Athletic/WCBA Division I Coach of the Year
- NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (Chamique Holdsclaw)
- 3 All-Final Four Team Members (Chamique Holdsclaw, Kellie Jolly, Tamika Catchings)
- 3 All-SEC Tournament Team Members (Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings, Semeka Randall)
- SEC Tournament MVP (Chamique Holdsclaw)
- 2 All-NCAA Mideast Regional Team Members (Chamique Holdsclaw, Semeka Randall)
- NCAA Mideast Regional Most Outstanding Player (Chamique Holdsclaw)
- SEC Freshman of the Year (Tamika Catchings)
- SEC Player of the Year (Chamique Holdsclaw)
- SEC Coach of the Year
- Swept SEC Coach, Player, and Freshman of the Year honors—a feat not repeated in the conference until KentuckyKentucky Wildcats women's basketballThe Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team represent the University of Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference, which has historically been the most dominant conference in women's basketball. However, despite reaching national rankings as high as #4, the team has never reached the national...
in 20102009–10 Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball teamThe 2009–10 Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I women's basketball season...
. - 2 All-SEC First Team Members (Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings)
- 1 All-SEC Second Team Member (Semeka Randall)
- 2 All-SEC Freshman Team Members (Tamika Catchings, Semeka Randall)
- 3 SEC Players of the Week (Chamique Holdsclaw (12/1, 1/5), Tamika Catchings (1/26))
- 1998 ESPY – Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year (Chamique Holdsclaw)
- 1998 ESPY – Outstanding Women's Hoops Performer of the Year (Chamique Holdsclaw)
- 2000 ESPY – College team of the decade – TIE (Florida State football)
NCAA Records
- Most games played in a season (individual) – 39 (tied: Chamique Holdsclaw, Teresa Geter, Tamika Catchings, Kellie Jolly, LaShonda Stephens (All 1997–98 Tennessee))
- Most points in a season (team) – 3,464
- Most free throw attempts in a season (team) – 1,110
- Most victories in a season – 39 (tied: UConn, 2001–02)
- Most games played in a season (team) – 39 (tied: UConn, 2001–02)
- Most field goals in an NCAA tournament (player) – 64 (Chamique Holdsclaw)
- Most field goals attempted in an NCAA tournament (player) – 131 (Chamique Holdsclaw)
SEC Records
- Most points in a season (team) – 3,464
- Most free throw attempts in a season (team) – 1,110
- Most free throws made in a season (team) – 782
- Most blocks in a season (team) – 238
School Records
- Most free throws made in a season (player) – 166 (Chamique Holdsclaw)
- Most blocks in a season (player) – 93 (Teresa Geter)
- Most points in a season (team) – 3,464
- Most free throw attempts in a season (team) – 1,110
- Most free throws made in a season (team) – 782
- Most blocks in a season (team) – 238
- Most wins in a season – 39
Roster
| 1997–98 Tennessee Lady Vols Basketball Roster | ||||||
| Number | Name | Position | Height | Year | Hometown | High School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Niya Butts | Forward | 6–0 | Sophomore | Americus, Georgia Americus, Georgia -Early years:Americus, Georgia was named and chartered by Sen. Lovett B. Smith in 1832.For its first two decades, Americus was a small courthouse town. The arrival of the railroad in 1854 and, three decades later, local attorney Samuel H. Hawkins' construction of the only privately financed... |
Americus High School |
| 5 | Kyra Elzy | Forward | 6–1 | Sophomore | La Grange, Kentucky La Grange, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 5,676 people, 2,216 households, and 1,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,514.8 people per square mile . There were 2,330 housing units at an average density of 621.8 per square mile... |
Oldham County High School Oldham County High School Oldham County High School is a public high school in Buckner, Kentucky. It was founded in 1953 and has a student body of approximately 1,250 students in 9th through 12th grades. OCHS was given the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence award in 1987 and 2002... |
| 11 | Laurie Milligan | Guard | 5–8 | Senior | Tigard, Oregon Tigard, Oregon Tigard is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. The population was 48,035 at the 2010 census. As of 2007, Tigard was the state's 12th largest city. Incorporated in 1961, the city is located south of Beaverton and north of Tualatin, and is part of the Portland metropolitan area... |
Tigard High School Tigard High School Tigard High School is a public high school located in Tigard, Oregon, United States.-Academics:Tigard High School has offered the International Baccalaureate curriculum since January 1987.... |
| 13 | Misty Greene | Guard/Forward | 5–9 | Junior | Decatur, Tennessee Decatur, Tennessee Decatur is a town in Meigs County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,395 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Meigs County.The local pronunciation of the name is duh▪KAY▪ter .-Geography:Decatur is located at... |
Meigs County High School |
| 14 | Kellie Jolly | Guard | 5–10 | Junior | Sparta, Tennessee Sparta, Tennessee Sparta is a city in White County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,599 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of White County. It was the hometown of Lester Flatt of the bluegrass music legends Flatt and Scruggs.-Geography:... |
White County High School |
| 21 | Semeka Randall Semeka Randall Semeka Chantay Randall is a former collegiate and professional basketball player who is the head coach of the Ohio Bobcats... |
Guard | 5–10 | Freshman | Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border... |
Trinity High School |
| 23 | Chamique Holdsclaw Chamique Holdsclaw Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars... |
Forward/Center | 6–2 | Junior | Astoria, New York | Christ the King High School |
| 24 | Tamika Catchings Tamika Catchings Tamika Devonne Catchings is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA and Turkish team Galatasaray. She is a prolific scorer close to and far from the basket, as well as a capable rebounder, ball handler, and defender. After playing at Adlai E... |
Guard/Forward | 6–1 | Freshman | Duncanville, Texas Duncanville, Texas Duncanville is a city in Dallas County, Texas . Duncanville's population was 36,081 at the 2000 census, and estimated at 42,500 in 2008. Duncanville is a suburb of Dallas and is part of the Best Southwest area, which includes Duncanville, Cedar Hill, DeSoto, and Lancaster.-Geography:Duncanville is... |
Duncanville High School Duncanville High School Duncanville High School is a secondary school located in Duncanville, Texas, United States. The school is a part of the Duncanville Independent School District.... |
| 31 | Brynae Laxton | Forward | 6–0 | Junior | Oneida, Tennessee Oneida, Tennessee Oneida is a town in Scott County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,615 at the 2000 census.Oneida is known for its proximity to the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area... |
Oneida High School |
| 33 | Kristen "Ace" Clement | Guard | 5–11 | Freshman | Broomall, Pennsylvania Broomall, Pennsylvania Broomall is a census-designated place in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 11,046 at the 2000 census. The community was named after John Martin Broomall, a 19th century U.S... |
Cardinal O'Hara High School Cardinal O'Hara High School Cardinal O'Hara High School is a coeducational Catholic High School of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The school is named after John Francis O'Hara who was Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1951 to 1960. It is located in Springfield, Pennsylvania and was first opened in September 1963.- Academics... |
| 34 | LaShonda Stephens | Forward | 6–3 | Sophomore | Canton, Georgia Canton, Georgia Canton is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 22,958.-Geography:Canton is located at .... |
Sequoyah High School |
| 40 | Teresa "Tree" Geter | Center | 6–3 | Freshman | Columbia, South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan... |
Columbia High School |
Statistics
| Player | G | GS | MIN | AVG | FG | FGA | PCT | 3P | 3PA | PCT | FT | FTA | PCT | OFF | DEF | TOT | AVG | PF | DQ | AST | TO | BK | ST | PTS | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holdsclaw | 39 | 39 | 1,168 | 29.9 | 370 | 678 | .546 | 9 | 41 | .220 | 166 | 217 | .765 | 133 | 195 | 328 | 8.4 | 82 | 0 | 117 | 109 | 36 | 110 | 915 | 23.5 |
| Catchings | 39 | 37 | 1,123 | 28.87 | 253 | 471 | .537 | 40 | 110 | .364 | 165 | 217 | .760 | 124 | 189 | 313 | 8.0 | 89 | 2 | 92 | 93 | 61 | 100 | 711 | 18.2 |
| Randall | 38 | 21 | 987 | 26.0 | 224 | 460 | .487 | 1 | 11 | .091 | 155 | 213 | .728 | 108 | 92 | 200 | 5.3 | 71 | 3 | 50 | 84 | 5 | 102 | 604 | 15.9 |
| Jolly | 39 | 38 | 1,045 | 26.8 | 100 | 216 | .463 | 36 | 86 | .419 | 59 | 70 | .843 | 21 | 67 | 88 | 2.3 | 56 | 0 | 148 | 64 | 6 | 72 | 295 | 7.6 |
| Elzy | 24 | 18 | 450 | 18.8 | 60 | 147 | .408 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 48 | 70 | .686 | 56 | 41 | 97 | 4.0 | 48 | 1 | 37 | 36 | 13 | 35 | 168 | 7.0 |
| Geter | 39 | 9 | 815 | 20.9 | 98 | 179 | .547 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 48 | 77 | .623 | 74 | 112 | 186 | 4.8 | 104 | 4 | 31 | 56 | 93 | 46 | 244 | 6.3 |
| Clement | 33 | 0 | 684 | 20.7 | 59 | 140 | .421 | 11 | 36 | .306 | 56 | 87 | .644 | 19 | 55 | 74 | 2.2 | 59 | 0 | 107 | 79 | 5 | 49 | 185 | 5.6 |
| Stephens | 39 | 31 | 724 | 18.6 | 60 | 195 | .308 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 37 | 63 | .587 | 60 | 71 | 131 | 3.4 | 90 | 3 | 6 | 41 | 14 | 22 | 157 | 4.0 |
| Milligan | 9 | 1 | 60 | 6.7 | 6 | 14 | .429 | 2 | 7 | .286 | 4 | 7 | .571 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.4 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 2.0 |
| Greene | 34 | 0 | 275 | 8.1 | 24 | 83 | .289 | 7 | 51 | .137 | 12 | 14 | .857 | 11 | 29 | 40 | 1.2 | 23 | 0 | 12 | 16 | 2 | 10 | 67 | 2.0 |
| Butts | 33 | 0 | 176 | 5.3 | 22 | 53 | .415 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 16 | 35 | .457 | 15 | 21 | 36 | 1.1 | 25 | 0 | 11 | 21 | 1 | 11 | 60 | 1.8 |
| Laxton | 33 | 1 | 293 | 8.9 | 12 | 43 | .279 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 16 | 40 | .400 | 27 | 36 | 63 | 1.9 | 24 | 0 | 7 | 28 | 2 | 6 | 40 | 1.2 |
| TENN | 39 | – | 7,800 | – | 1,288 | 2,679 | .481 | 106 | 345 | .307 | 782 | 1,110 | .705 | 649 | 911 | 1,728 | 44.3 | 676 | – | 624 | 646 | 238 | 567 | 3,464 | 88.8 |
| OPP | 39 | – | 7,800 | – | 852 | 2,309 | .369 | 132 | 477 | .277 | 454 | 656 | .692 | 579 | 824 | 1,403 | 36.0 | 856 | – | 428 | 1,000 | 113 | 273 | 2,290 | 58.7 |
Team players drafted into the WNBA
| Round | Pick | Player | NBA Club |
| 1 | 1 | Chamique Holdsclaw | Washington Mystics |
See also
- 1998 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament1998 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1998 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 13, 1998 and concluded on March 29, 1998 when Tennessee won the national title. The Final Four was held at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri on March 27 - March 29, 1998. Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, NC State, and Arkansas...
- Pat SummittPat SummittPatricia "Pat" Head Summitt is an American women's college basketball coach. She is currently the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men's or women's team in any division...
- Tennessee Lady Volunteers BasketballTennessee Lady Volunteers basketballThe Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA women's basketball competition...