Connecticut Huskies women's basketball
Encyclopedia
The Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represents the University of Connecticut
in Storrs
, Connecticut
in NCAA
women's basketball
competition. Under head coach Geno Auriemma
, the Huskies have won 7 NCAA Division I national championships, advanced to 12 Final Fours, and won over 30 Big East Conference Championships. UConn has also been one of the leaders in women's basketball attendance and has produced several Olympians and WNBA All-Stars. The team has been especially successful on its home courts at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut and the XL Center in Hartford. They tied an NCAA women's basketball record with 69 consecutive home wins between 2000 and 2004 and broke it on January 5, 2011, with their 70th win in a home victory streak that began March 18, 2007.
Since losing to Stanford in the Final Four in 2008, the UConn Huskies didn't lose a game until December 2010. This loss was also against Stanford. They went 39-0 during the 2008-09 season, winning their 6th national championship, and followed it up in 2009-2010 with another 39-0 season and their 7th national title. Their winning streak went to 90 games, lasting until a 71-59 loss to Stanford on December 30, 2010. Therefore, the UConn Huskies have the longest winning streak in NCAA college basketball (men’s or women’s) history.
, to come to UConn. Bascom made an immediate impact on the UConn program. In 1989, Bascom won the Big East Player of the Year award as a sophomore and led UConn to its first ever NCAA tournament appearance in program history. UConn would also win its first Big East Regular Season and Tournament Championship. It would be Bascom's first of three Big East Player of the Year awards.
UConn under Bascom's leadership as well as a solid group of role players in Laura Lishness, Megan Pattyson, Wendy Davis, and Debbie Baer would make the NCAA Tournament in 1989 and 1990, losing in their first round both years. In Auriemma's 6th season in 1991, the program broke through in a surprising way on the national scene. UConn would end up with a 29–5 record that season and once again took home the Big East Tournament and Regular Season titles.
UConn earned their highest seed ever in the NCAA Tournament that year as a 3 seed in the East. UConn won a thrilling opening round game against Toledo at Gampel Pavilion, 81–80. UConn moved on to the regionals at The Palestra in Auriemma's hometown of Philadelphia. UConn would upset heavily favored ACC power NC State in the Sweet 16 and then defeated Clemson 60–57 to advance to their first ever Final Four. They became the first Big East school ever to advance to the Final Four.
UConn's dream season would end in the National Semi Finals at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans with a 61-55 loss to top seeded Virginia. Bascom was hit with early foul trouble and Virginia held off a late UConn rally. Bascom's career would come to an end, having set UConn's scoring record, a record that would later be broken in the controversial Nykesha Sales lay up in 1998.
from Southwick, Massachusetts
.
UConn had modest success in Lobo's first 2 seasons in 1992 and 1993 but lost early in the NCAA Tournament in both seasons. In 1994, UConn had its most successful season to that point. Led by Lobo and players Jamelle Elliott, Jennifer Rizzotti
, Pam Webber, and new freshmen Kara Wolters
and Carla Berube, UConn won 30 games for the first time in program history. They again won the Big East tournament and regular-season titles. UConn reached the Elite 8 in 1994 but came up short in their hopes to make it back to the Final Four, losing to eventual champion North Carolina.
With every major player back from 1994, and the addition of Auriemma's most highly ranked recruit to date (Connecticut Player of the Year Nykesha Sales), UConn was in for a season to remember in 1995. UConn captured the program's first national title in 1994–95, when Auriemma led the Huskies to a perfect 35–0 record. UConn became only the fifth Division I women's basketball team to go undefeated en route to a national championship, and only the second in the NCAA era (since 1982). The Huskies also became the first unbeaten team in NCAA history (all divisions, men or women) to win 35 games in a season.
UConn and Tennessee met for the first time during the 1994-1995 season on Martin Luther King Day at Gampel Pavilion. UConn defeated Tennessee 77–66 in front of a sold-out crowd in a game televised on ESPN and soon afterwards was ranked #1 in the polls for the first time in program history.
UConn advanced to the Final Four at the Target Center in Minneapolis after a thrilling win in their closest game of the year in the regional final against Virginia. UConn blew out Stanford in the semi-finals, reaching the championship game for a rematch against Tennessee. UConn rallied from a 9-point 2nd-half deficit and a key Rizzotti layup gave UConn the lead with less than 2 minutes to go en route to winning the championship 70–64. Lobo was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player.
The 1995 UConn team was widely credited with increasing interest in women's basketball. The team was honored with a parade in Hartford, CT that drew over 100,000 spectators. The team won the Team of the Year Award at the ESPN ESPY awards that year, and Lobo became a popular symbol of the sport.
UConn also signed a landmark deal during the season with Connecticut Public Television to broadcast their games. Today, all of UConn's games are televised, the only women's team to have that luxury.
On July 25, 2009, Lobo became the first Connecticut player inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, leading a class of six inductees. The six individuals in the Class of 2010 will be formally inducted as members of the Hall of Fame on June 12, 2010, in Knoxville, Tenn.
and UConn escalated throughout the late 90's and would end up becoming the marquee matchup in all of women's sports.
In the 1996 season, UConn would end Tennessee's home court win streak at Thompson Boiling Arena in Knoxville. Tennessee would get their revenge in the Final Four that year in Charlotte, defeating UConn in a thrilling overtime game 88–83. The game is often thought to be one of the more memorable tournament games in tournament history with many back and forth swings of momentum.
UConn defeated Tennessee during the 1997 regular season. The two teams would end up meeting in the Regional Final and Tennessee would beat then undefeated UConn 91–81, spoiling UConn's attempt at another undefeated season.
Tennessee would defeat UConn in the 1998 regular season. A mini controversy erupted in the days after the game when a Tennessee player was quoted in the papers as saying UConn looked scared during the game. Auriemma denounced that quote.
In the 1999 meeting at Gampel Pavilion, Tennessee would prevail again. During the game there was a mini scuffle involving Tennessee's Semeka Randall and UConn's Svetlana Abrosimova where Randall threw the ball down, hitting Abrosimova's head. UConn fans booed Randall the rest of the game and Tennessee fans would later give her the nickname "BOO."
The tension was also increased during this time as Tennessee would win 3 straight national titles and UConn would suffer some disappointing losses in the regionals falling short of the Final Four.
The rivalry continued into the 2000s and became like the Red Sox-Yankees of women's basketball. Geno Auriemma jokingly once referred to Pat Summitt and Tennessee as the "evil empire", like Red Sox president and CEO Larry Luchinno said of the Yankees.
The season series between the two rivals would come to an end after the 2007 after Tennessee decided to not renew the contract. The reason is said to be that Pat Summitt didn't want to play UConn because the recruitment of star player Maya Moore
. Summitt accused UConn of recruiting violations. UConn held a 13–9 advantage head to head against the Lady Vols including a perfect 4–0 in championship games head to head.
Since ending the meetings in 2007, they have both gone on to win the National Championship. Tennessee won in 2007 and 2008, while UConn went undefeated 39-0 to win the 2009 National Championship, but they have not faced each other since the UConn-Tennessee rivalry
ended.
Nykesha Sales controversy
Auriemma found himself in a national debate following a decision he made during the 1998 season. Senior Nykesha Sales
suffered a season ending injury in one of the final games of the regular season. At the time of her injury, she was only 1 point shy of Kerry Bascom's school scoring record. The next game, with Bascom's blessing, and assistance from friend and Villanova head coach Harry Paretta, Auriemma arranged to have Sales, who was on crutches, score a basket and then allow Villanova to score a basket to start the game at 2-2. Sales then held the school scoring record.
Many people weighed in on the decision on both a national and local levels. Auriemma felt guilty that he ended up putting Sales through the stress of the ordeal and was angry that some columnists chose to take shots at her and not him. Auriemma was criticized for compromising the integrity of the game. Auriemma defended the decision saying it was a school record and he would never had done it had Bascom not given him her blessing.
The first season for the highly ranked class in 1998-1999 was up and down and featured many injuries. Sue Bird tore her ACL and was lost for the season after only 10 games. UConn would end up losing in the Sweet 16 to Iowa State.
2000 National Championship
Motivated by the Iowa State loss in the 1999 tournament, UConn came back with intent to reach the championship level again. Led by upperclassmen Shea Ralph, Kelly Schumacher, and Svetlana Abrosimova and the TASS Force (the K being dropped due to Keirsten Walters having to give up basketball due to knee problems) UConn went through the regular season with a 27-1 record. Their only loss was a 1 point loss to Tennessee at home. UConn beat Tennessee earlier in the season in Knoxville and this was the first year the teams met twice. UConn advanced to their first Final Four since 1996 and beat Penn State in the semi-finals. UConn would face Tennessee for the championship in the rubbermatch that year in Auriemma's hometown of Philadelphia. Despite the 2 regular season meetings being close battles, UConn used tenacious defense and dazzling backdoor cuts to blow out the Vols 71-52 for their 2nd National Championship. UConn's final record was 36-1 and Shea Ralph was named the Final Four's MVP.
Arrival of Diana Taurasi (2001)
Auriemma pulled off another huge recruiting coup when he convinced All American guard Diana Taurasi
to travel across country to attend UConn. Taurasi hailed from Chino
, California
and attended Don Lugo High School where she was the recipient of the 2000 Cheryl Miller Award, presented by the Los Angeles Times
to the best player in southern California. Her high school accolades didn't stop there as she was named the 2000 Naismith and Parade Magazine National High School Player of the Year. Taurasi finished her prep career ranked second to Miller in state history with 3,047 points.
With Taurasi joining the core of the 2000 Championship team, Auriemma confidently predicted another championship in 2001. But after season ending injuries to Abrosimova and Ralph and a poor shooting game by Taurasi, UConn would suffer a devastating loss to Notre Dame in St. Louis at the Final Four, a game in which UConn had a 16 point lead.
2002 National Championship: Undefeated (39–0)
Like the 2000 champions, coming off a disappointing loss the year before, UConn came back hungrier than ever in 2001-2002. With the TASS force in their senior seasons and Taurasi emerging as a star in her sophomore year, UConn would roll through its opponents throughout the year. The only close game the Huskies received all year long was a win at Virginia Tech.
UConn advanced to the Final Four and trounced rival Tennessee in the semi-finals by 23 points. In front of a record breaking crowd at the Alamodome in San Antonio, UConn defeated Oklahoma for the championship 82-70 to complete a perfect 39-0 season. The starting 5 of Bird, Taurasi, Cash, Jones, and Williams is widely regarded as the best starting 5 in women's college basketball history and the team was ranked the #4 team of all time by ESPN. The championship game that year shattered ratings for ESPN and at the time was the highest rated college basketball game to air on the network, men's or women's.
2003 National Championship Repeat
With the TASS force having graduated, Diana Taurasi was going to have to carry the load in her junior season. She had help in classmates Maria Conlon, Jessica Moore, and Ashley Battle. Auriemma also was able to replace the TASS force with a top ranked class of Ann Strother, Barbara Turner, Willnet Crockett, and Nicole Wolff. But with no seniors on the roster, 2003 was supposed to be a rebuilding year for UConn.
But as the year progressed, it was obvious Taurasi was up to the challenge to carry a group of role players and freshman to a championship. UConn would amazingly finish the regular season undefeated and had a 70 game winning streak established. Connecticut shattered the previous mark of 54 set by Louisiana Tech with its 55th-straight win on January 18, 2003, versus Georgetown in the Hartford Civic Center. UConn's win streak would come to an end in the Big East championship game to Villanova.
UConn advanced to the Final Four at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. UConn rallied from a 9 point deficit to beat Texas in the semi-finals and behind Taurasi's 28 points defeat rival Tennessee for UConn's 4th national championship. UConn became the first team to win a championship without a senior on their roster.
2004 National Championship Three-peat
With the entire team back and expectations sky high for a threepeat in Taurasi's senior year, UConn would go through a bit of an up and down regular season. The team ended up blowing a big lead against Duke and suffered losses to Notre Dame and Villanova and then a loss in the semi finals of the Big East Tournament
to Boston College.
UConn was a 2 seed in the tournament. The Huskies would find their groove in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies beat top seeded Penn State to advance to the Final Four at the New Orleans Arena
in New Orleans. After beating Minnesota in the semi-finals, UConn would once again beat Tennessee for the National Championship. The win was even more special as the UConn men's basketball team won the men's national championship the previous night marking the only time one University won both the men's and women's basketball championships in one season.
Taurasi would end her career on top leading UConn to 3 straight national titles. Leading up to that final championship, her coach, Geno Auriemma, would declare his likelihood of winning with the claim, "We have Diana, and you don't."
Taurasi also received many personal accolades at UConn including the 2003 and 2004 Naismith College Player of the Year
awards, the 2003 Wade Trophy
, and the 2003 Associated Press Player of the Year award. She achieved legendary status among UConn fans.
UConn's attendance decreased in the 2005-2006 season. Some reasons given for the decrease was the poor play in 2005 accompanied with the lack of new engaging personalities of the players in the wake of losing the larger than life personality of Diana Taurasi. UConn did show some signs of improvement late in the year. They won the Big East Tournament Title, and then had a thrilling Sweet 16 against Georgia where senior Barbara Turner hit a game winning 3-pointer for UConn at the buzzer. Behind a home state crowd, UConn almost upset #1 ranked Duke in the regional final, before falling in overtime by 2 points. Maryland Then won the 2006 title over Duke.
In 2007 guard play improved with Renee Montgomery
, Mel Thomas
, and Ketia Swanier
, and the addition of #1 ranked high school player Tina Charles
in the post, helped turn the corner for UConn to emerge as a contender again. UConn was a 1 seed in the tournament, but would fall in the regional Final to LSU to end the season at 32–4.
. UConn beat out Tennessee in a bitter recruitment battle for Moore. Shortly after Moore's commitment to UConn, Tennessee announced they were canceling the annual series with UConn bringing an end to the biggest rivalry in the sport. Both coaches have remained vague and unspecific as to why the series was canceled, but Tennessee did file a complaint to the NCAA about UConn's recruitment of Moore. UConn was found to have committed a secondary violation and no punishment was handed out.
Despite losing Mel Thomas and Kalana Greene to season ending knee injuries, UConn went through the 2007-2008 regular season with only a single loss at Rutgers by two points. They won the Big East regular season and tournament titles. Rallying from a 14 point deficit in the NCAA regional final they beat conference rival Rutgers and advanced to their first Final Four since Taurasi graduated. Those tournament successes were largely attributed to senior Charde Houston
(a top recruit out of San Diego viewed as not living up to expectations from Geno Auriemma and the UConn fans up to that point) who came up with key rebounds and clutch points in those games. However, at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, UConn's season ended in the National Semi-Finals to Stanford ending their season with a 36-2 record. This would be the team's last loss for some time.
2009 National Championship: Undefeated (39–0)
For the third consecutive year UConn successfully recruited the top ranked high school player in Elena Delle Donne
. However, Delle Donne requested a release from her scholarship before enrolling at UConn, giving up basketball in order to stay closer to home and play volleyball at the University of Delaware
(Delle Donne would play basketball the following season at Delaware, garnering the Colonial Athletic Association
Player of the Year award). Despite losing Delle Donne the Huskies were ranked the 2008–09 preseason #1. The Huskies returned 10 players from their 2008 Final Four team, including All-Americans Maya Moore, Renee Montgomery, and Tina Charles, in addition to Kalana Greene
who recovered from her 2008 knee injury.
UConn finished the regular season undefeated for the 5th time in school history with a 30-0 record. They won their 17th Big East Regular Season Title and their 15th Big East Tournament title by beating the Louisville Cardinals. The Huskies advanced to their 10th Final Four with an 83-64 victory over Arizona State, and then to the 6th NCAA Championship Game in program history by defeating Stanford, also by the score of 83-64. Charles' 25 points, 19 boards pushed UConn to a 39-0 record, and sixth national title defeating Louisville 76-54. In doing so, they became the first team to not only go undefeated, but also to win every one of their games by at least ten points.
2010 National Championship Repeat: Undefeated (78–0)
For the second consecutive year (and the sixth time in school history) UConn finished the regular season undefeated, with an average margin of victory of 35.9 points. During the regular season UConn played 11 games against ranked opponents (including 6 in the top ten) with an average margin of victory of 24. They dominated the Big East Tournament, winning the championship game 60-32. Throughout the regular season and the Big East Tournament, UConn's closest win was against Stanford, by 12 points.
Leading up to the Final Four in San Antonio, UConn dominated teams from Southern, Temple, Iowa State, and Florida State. Maya Moore and Tina Charles played little more than half the games, while Moore averaged a point per minute played, and UConn out scored their opponents by an average of 47 points. In the Final Four, UConn was finally challenged by Baylor
and the 6-foot-8 freshman Brittney Griner. Baylor trailed only 39-26 at halftime, but UConn would pull away for a final score of 70–50.
The National Championship Game against Stanford was a completely different story. UConn started the game with their worst first half in school history by scoring only 12 points. Only eleven teams in tournament history have been held to 12 points or less in the first half, three of them were against UConn teams, and two of them (Southern and Temple) just days earlier in the 2010 Tournament. However, Stanford only managed to score 20 points in the first half themselves. Maya Moore gave UConn the lead in the second half with a three-pointer (making it 23–22 UConn) and led the team on a scoring run of 30 to 6 which secured the national championship with a final score of 53–47. It was the only game in the Huskies' 78-game winning streak that they won by fewer than 10 points. Moore was named the Tournament Most Outstanding Player, to go along with her State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year Award. Charles, who won the John R. Wooden Award
and Naismith College Player of the Year
Awards was chosen first overall in the WNBA draft
days later.
A New Record, But No Three-Peat
The 2010-11 season began with high hopes, but much uncertainty for the Huskies. Maya Moore returned for her senior season after a summer with the U.S. National team, but UConn lost major contributors Tina Charles and Kalana Green who graduated in 2010. Additionally, junior guard Caroline Doty would be out the entire season due to a second leg injury. In an early test, UConn squeaked by #2 Baylor in their second game of the season. They powered their way through 8 more consecutive wins for their 88th straight victory, beating #10 Ohio State at Madison Square Garden. Their 89th win came at home against #20 Florida State to set the college basketball record for most consecutive wins, previously held by the UCLA men's team. After a break in the schedule for the holidays, UConn traveled out west and beat the Pacific Tigers to stretch the streak to 90 games. That game, however, was largely a warm up match for their biggest test of the season, a December 30 matchup at the powerhouse Stanford Cardinal. There, UConn trailing for the entire game and lost for the first time since their April 6, 2008 Final Four appearance (also against the Cardinal). The loss ended the highly publicized winning-streak
, as well as their long held spot as the top ranked team in women's basketball which was taken over by Baylor. Connecticut recovered focus after the loss and got through the rest of the regular undefeated, regaining the #1 ranking along the way after Baylor's loss to Texas Tech in February. They marched through the Big East tournament, including their 3rd victory of the year over Notre Dame in the Big East Tournament Championship Game.
In the NCAA tournament Final Four they met Notre Dame for the fourth time, and similarly to Baylor's fourth game of the year against Texas A&M in the regional final, the underdog prevailed to advance in the tournament. Notre Dame's upset ended UConn's bid for a third straight National Championship. They won with hot shooting (making over 50 percent from the field, a first against a UConn club in 262 games), while UConn had a lack of support for Moore who had 36 points. Notre Dame went on to the National Championship Game, but were defeated by The Texas A&M Aggies.
During 2010-2011 season Maya Moore posted career highs in scoring, assists, steals, and free throws, and was named as a fourth straight First-Team All-American(2nd player ever). On February 28 she was enshrined in the Huskies of Honor (3rd time ever for an active player). During the NCAA tournament Moore became the 7th member of the 3000-points club, finishing with 3036 (4th all-time), and earlier in the season she passed 1000 rebounds (4th Huskie ever), finishing with 1276 for her career (2nd all time at UConn). She won the Elite 88 Award
, and was voted an Academic All-American(3rd time for Moore), as well as repeating as Academic All-America of the Year (1st player to ever repeat), and graduated with a 3.7 GPA. She won The Wade Trophy (3rd straight), was voted Big East Player of The Year (3rd time), named AP Player of The Year (2nd straight), was selected 1st overall in the 2011 WNBA draft (4th time for a Huskie) by the Minnesota Lynx, and became the first female basketball player signed to the Jordan Brand. In her career as a Connecticut Huskie she won 150 games and only lost 4.
"She will go down as the greatest player to ever play the game." ---Diana Taurasi
selected the top 25 sports franchises of the decade (2000–2009). The Connecticut Huskies were the number three selection on the list. The sports under consideration were the four major professional sports (NFL
, MLB
, NBA
and NHL
) along with the three most prominent college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The top two sports teams were the professional basketball Lakers
and the professional football Patriots
, making the Connecticut women's basketball team the highest ranked of the collegiate teams for the three sports under consideration.
During this period, UConn won five national titles, while making the Final four seven of the ten years. Two of the seasons results in perfect records—the team record was 39–0 in both 2002 and 2009.
The 2010 UConn women's basketball team, players, and alumni in the WNBA where nominated for eight separate 2010 ESPY Awards
in six categories:
, the UConn Fab Four players (Tamika Williams
, Sue Bird
, Asjha Jones
and Swin Cash
) were all first round selections. Each player had immediate impacts with their 2002 WNBA Teams. Cash, Bird and Williams accounted for 21.3, 19.9 and 17.3 percent, respectively, of their teams’ total points, rebounds and assists. Jones, a reserve, posted 8.8 percent of the Mystics' total output in those three key categories.
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
in Storrs
Storrs, Connecticut
Storrs is a census-designated place and part of the town of Mansfield, Connecticut located in eastern Tolland County. The population was 10,996 at the 2000 census...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
women's 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...
competition. Under head coach Geno Auriemma
Geno Auriemma
Luigi "Geno" Auriemma is the head coach of the University of Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team, which he has led to seven National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I national championships...
, the Huskies have won 7 NCAA Division I national championships, advanced to 12 Final Fours, and won over 30 Big East Conference Championships. UConn has also been one of the leaders in women's basketball attendance and has produced several Olympians and WNBA All-Stars. The team has been especially successful on its home courts at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut and the XL Center in Hartford. They tied an NCAA women's basketball record with 69 consecutive home wins between 2000 and 2004 and broke it on January 5, 2011, with their 70th win in a home victory streak that began March 18, 2007.
Since losing to Stanford in the Final Four in 2008, the UConn Huskies didn't lose a game until December 2010. This loss was also against Stanford. They went 39-0 during the 2008-09 season, winning their 6th national championship, and followed it up in 2009-2010 with another 39-0 season and their 7th national title. Their winning streak went to 90 games, lasting until a 71-59 loss to Stanford on December 30, 2010. Therefore, the UConn Huskies have the longest winning streak in NCAA college basketball (men’s or women’s) history.
1991 Dream Season
Auriemma's early years showed steady signs of progress. After going 12–15 in his first season in 1985–1986, Auriemma would lead UConn to winning seasons in 1987 and 1988. Auriemma pulled off one of his biggest and most important early recruiting successes in 1988 when he convinced an All American from New Hampshire, Kerry BascomKerry Bascom
Kerry Bascom is a retired basketball player. She played forward and center for the Connecticut Huskies from 1987–1991, scoring 2,177 points, a school record until broken in 1998 by Nykesha Sales...
, to come to UConn. Bascom made an immediate impact on the UConn program. In 1989, Bascom won the Big East Player of the Year award as a sophomore and led UConn to its first ever NCAA tournament appearance in program history. UConn would also win its first Big East Regular Season and Tournament Championship. It would be Bascom's first of three Big East Player of the Year awards.
UConn under Bascom's leadership as well as a solid group of role players in Laura Lishness, Megan Pattyson, Wendy Davis, and Debbie Baer would make the NCAA Tournament in 1989 and 1990, losing in their first round both years. In Auriemma's 6th season in 1991, the program broke through in a surprising way on the national scene. UConn would end up with a 29–5 record that season and once again took home the Big East Tournament and Regular Season titles.
UConn earned their highest seed ever in the NCAA Tournament that year as a 3 seed in the East. UConn won a thrilling opening round game against Toledo at Gampel Pavilion, 81–80. UConn moved on to the regionals at The Palestra in Auriemma's hometown of Philadelphia. UConn would upset heavily favored ACC power NC State in the Sweet 16 and then defeated Clemson 60–57 to advance to their first ever Final Four. They became the first Big East school ever to advance to the Final Four.
UConn's dream season would end in the National Semi Finals at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans with a 61-55 loss to top seeded Virginia. Bascom was hit with early foul trouble and Virginia held off a late UConn rally. Bascom's career would come to an end, having set UConn's scoring record, a record that would later be broken in the controversial Nykesha Sales lay up in 1998.
Rebecca Lobo and the 1995 National Championship
UConn followed up its surprise run to the Final Four in 1991 by landing All-American Rebecca LoboRebecca Lobo
Rebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin is an American television basketball analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2003...
from Southwick, Massachusetts
Southwick, Massachusetts
Southwick is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,502 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
.
UConn had modest success in Lobo's first 2 seasons in 1992 and 1993 but lost early in the NCAA Tournament in both seasons. In 1994, UConn had its most successful season to that point. Led by Lobo and players Jamelle Elliott, Jennifer Rizzotti
Jennifer Rizzotti
Jennifer Rizzotti is a retired American collegiate and professional basketball player, and current Division I coach. She is the daughter of Tom Rizzotti and Carol Rizzotti.-College:...
, Pam Webber, and new freshmen Kara Wolters
Kara Wolters
Kara Wolters is a retired American collegiate and professional basketball player.Standing at six feet and seven inches , she was appropriately nicknamed "Big Girl". She is the tallest player in University of Connecticut women's basketball history and one of the tallest women to ever play in the WNBA...
and Carla Berube, UConn won 30 games for the first time in program history. They again won the Big East tournament and regular-season titles. UConn reached the Elite 8 in 1994 but came up short in their hopes to make it back to the Final Four, losing to eventual champion North Carolina.
With every major player back from 1994, and the addition of Auriemma's most highly ranked recruit to date (Connecticut Player of the Year Nykesha Sales), UConn was in for a season to remember in 1995. UConn captured the program's first national title in 1994–95, when Auriemma led the Huskies to a perfect 35–0 record. UConn became only the fifth Division I women's basketball team to go undefeated en route to a national championship, and only the second in the NCAA era (since 1982). The Huskies also became the first unbeaten team in NCAA history (all divisions, men or women) to win 35 games in a season.
UConn and Tennessee met for the first time during the 1994-1995 season on Martin Luther King Day at Gampel Pavilion. UConn defeated Tennessee 77–66 in front of a sold-out crowd in a game televised on ESPN and soon afterwards was ranked #1 in the polls for the first time in program history.
UConn advanced to the Final Four at the Target Center in Minneapolis after a thrilling win in their closest game of the year in the regional final against Virginia. UConn blew out Stanford in the semi-finals, reaching the championship game for a rematch against Tennessee. UConn rallied from a 9-point 2nd-half deficit and a key Rizzotti layup gave UConn the lead with less than 2 minutes to go en route to winning the championship 70–64. Lobo was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player.
The 1995 UConn team was widely credited with increasing interest in women's basketball. The team was honored with a parade in Hartford, CT that drew over 100,000 spectators. The team won the Team of the Year Award at the ESPN ESPY awards that year, and Lobo became a popular symbol of the sport.
UConn also signed a landmark deal during the season with Connecticut Public Television to broadcast their games. Today, all of UConn's games are televised, the only women's team to have that luxury.
On July 25, 2009, Lobo became the first Connecticut player inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, leading a class of six inductees. The six individuals in the Class of 2010 will be formally inducted as members of the Hall of Fame on June 12, 2010, in Knoxville, Tenn.
Escalation of rivalry with Tennessee (1996–1999)
Starting with their two meetings in 1995, the rivalry between the Tennessee Lady VolsTennessee Lady Volunteers basketball
The Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA women's basketball competition...
and UConn escalated throughout the late 90's and would end up becoming the marquee matchup in all of women's sports.
In the 1996 season, UConn would end Tennessee's home court win streak at Thompson Boiling Arena in Knoxville. Tennessee would get their revenge in the Final Four that year in Charlotte, defeating UConn in a thrilling overtime game 88–83. The game is often thought to be one of the more memorable tournament games in tournament history with many back and forth swings of momentum.
UConn defeated Tennessee during the 1997 regular season. The two teams would end up meeting in the Regional Final and Tennessee would beat then undefeated UConn 91–81, spoiling UConn's attempt at another undefeated season.
Tennessee would defeat UConn in the 1998 regular season. A mini controversy erupted in the days after the game when a Tennessee player was quoted in the papers as saying UConn looked scared during the game. Auriemma denounced that quote.
In the 1999 meeting at Gampel Pavilion, Tennessee would prevail again. During the game there was a mini scuffle involving Tennessee's Semeka Randall and UConn's Svetlana Abrosimova where Randall threw the ball down, hitting Abrosimova's head. UConn fans booed Randall the rest of the game and Tennessee fans would later give her the nickname "BOO."
The tension was also increased during this time as Tennessee would win 3 straight national titles and UConn would suffer some disappointing losses in the regionals falling short of the Final Four.
The rivalry continued into the 2000s and became like the Red Sox-Yankees of women's basketball. Geno Auriemma jokingly once referred to Pat Summitt and Tennessee as the "evil empire", like Red Sox president and CEO Larry Luchinno said of the Yankees.
The season series between the two rivals would come to an end after the 2007 after Tennessee decided to not renew the contract. The reason is said to be that Pat Summitt didn't want to play UConn because the recruitment of star player Maya Moore
Maya Moore
Maya April Moore is an American basketball forward for the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA and Ros Casares Valencia of Euroleague. Moore was the winner of the 2006 and 2007 Naismith Prep Player of the Year. She was selected as the John Wooden Award winner in 2009 after leading Connecticut to the...
. Summitt accused UConn of recruiting violations. UConn held a 13–9 advantage head to head against the Lady Vols including a perfect 4–0 in championship games head to head.
Since ending the meetings in 2007, they have both gone on to win the National Championship. Tennessee won in 2007 and 2008, while UConn went undefeated 39-0 to win the 2009 National Championship, but they have not faced each other since the UConn-Tennessee rivalry
UConn-Tennessee rivalry
The women's basketball rivalry between the University of Tennessee Lady Vols and the University of Connecticut Huskies is one of the fiercest rivalries in college basketball, and perhaps the only one to reach national consciousness out of the women's game...
ended.
Nykesha Sales controversy
Auriemma found himself in a national debate following a decision he made during the 1998 season. Senior Nykesha Sales
Nykesha Sales
Nykesha Simone Sales is a former professional basketball player in the WNBA, most recently for the Connecticut Sun. Her primary position is the small forward. Her second position is shooting guard. In 1999 Sales was added to the roster of the USA FIBA Senior National Team team...
suffered a season ending injury in one of the final games of the regular season. At the time of her injury, she was only 1 point shy of Kerry Bascom's school scoring record. The next game, with Bascom's blessing, and assistance from friend and Villanova head coach Harry Paretta, Auriemma arranged to have Sales, who was on crutches, score a basket and then allow Villanova to score a basket to start the game at 2-2. Sales then held the school scoring record.
Many people weighed in on the decision on both a national and local levels. Auriemma felt guilty that he ended up putting Sales through the stress of the ordeal and was angry that some columnists chose to take shots at her and not him. Auriemma was criticized for compromising the integrity of the game. Auriemma defended the decision saying it was a school record and he would never had done it had Bascom not given him her blessing.
TASSK & Taurasi era
Auriemma would sign his best recruiting class in school history in 1998 when he signed 5 top 15 nationally ranked players in All Americans Swin Cash, Tamika Williams, Sue Bird, Ashja Jones, and Keirsten Walters. The fans of the program nicknamed this class the TASSK Force based on the first letters of the players names. The class renewed hope of bringing more championships to Storrs after watching arch rival Tennessee win 3 in a row.The first season for the highly ranked class in 1998-1999 was up and down and featured many injuries. Sue Bird tore her ACL and was lost for the season after only 10 games. UConn would end up losing in the Sweet 16 to Iowa State.
2000 National Championship
Motivated by the Iowa State loss in the 1999 tournament, UConn came back with intent to reach the championship level again. Led by upperclassmen Shea Ralph, Kelly Schumacher, and Svetlana Abrosimova and the TASS Force (the K being dropped due to Keirsten Walters having to give up basketball due to knee problems) UConn went through the regular season with a 27-1 record. Their only loss was a 1 point loss to Tennessee at home. UConn beat Tennessee earlier in the season in Knoxville and this was the first year the teams met twice. UConn advanced to their first Final Four since 1996 and beat Penn State in the semi-finals. UConn would face Tennessee for the championship in the rubbermatch that year in Auriemma's hometown of Philadelphia. Despite the 2 regular season meetings being close battles, UConn used tenacious defense and dazzling backdoor cuts to blow out the Vols 71-52 for their 2nd National Championship. UConn's final record was 36-1 and Shea Ralph was named the Final Four's MVP.
Arrival of Diana Taurasi (2001)
Auriemma pulled off another huge recruiting coup when he convinced All American guard Diana Taurasi
Diana Taurasi
Diana Lorena Taurasi is a professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and Galatasaray Medical Park from Turkey...
to travel across country to attend UConn. Taurasi hailed from Chino
Chino
Chino is a Spanish proper word for "Chinese", also used informally to refer to people with Asian features who may not be actually Asian. Chino, in Spanish can colloquially refer to curly hair....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and attended Don Lugo High School where she was the recipient of the 2000 Cheryl Miller Award, presented by the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
to the best player in southern California. Her high school accolades didn't stop there as she was named the 2000 Naismith and Parade Magazine National High School Player of the Year. Taurasi finished her prep career ranked second to Miller in state history with 3,047 points.
With Taurasi joining the core of the 2000 Championship team, Auriemma confidently predicted another championship in 2001. But after season ending injuries to Abrosimova and Ralph and a poor shooting game by Taurasi, UConn would suffer a devastating loss to Notre Dame in St. Louis at the Final Four, a game in which UConn had a 16 point lead.
2002 National Championship: Undefeated (39–0)
Like the 2000 champions, coming off a disappointing loss the year before, UConn came back hungrier than ever in 2001-2002. With the TASS force in their senior seasons and Taurasi emerging as a star in her sophomore year, UConn would roll through its opponents throughout the year. The only close game the Huskies received all year long was a win at Virginia Tech.
UConn advanced to the Final Four and trounced rival Tennessee in the semi-finals by 23 points. In front of a record breaking crowd at the Alamodome in San Antonio, UConn defeated Oklahoma for the championship 82-70 to complete a perfect 39-0 season. The starting 5 of Bird, Taurasi, Cash, Jones, and Williams is widely regarded as the best starting 5 in women's college basketball history and the team was ranked the #4 team of all time by ESPN. The championship game that year shattered ratings for ESPN and at the time was the highest rated college basketball game to air on the network, men's or women's.
2003 National Championship Repeat
With the TASS force having graduated, Diana Taurasi was going to have to carry the load in her junior season. She had help in classmates Maria Conlon, Jessica Moore, and Ashley Battle. Auriemma also was able to replace the TASS force with a top ranked class of Ann Strother, Barbara Turner, Willnet Crockett, and Nicole Wolff. But with no seniors on the roster, 2003 was supposed to be a rebuilding year for UConn.
But as the year progressed, it was obvious Taurasi was up to the challenge to carry a group of role players and freshman to a championship. UConn would amazingly finish the regular season undefeated and had a 70 game winning streak established. Connecticut shattered the previous mark of 54 set by Louisiana Tech with its 55th-straight win on January 18, 2003, versus Georgetown in the Hartford Civic Center. UConn's win streak would come to an end in the Big East championship game to Villanova.
UConn advanced to the Final Four at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. UConn rallied from a 9 point deficit to beat Texas in the semi-finals and behind Taurasi's 28 points defeat rival Tennessee for UConn's 4th national championship. UConn became the first team to win a championship without a senior on their roster.
2004 National Championship Three-peat
With the entire team back and expectations sky high for a threepeat in Taurasi's senior year, UConn would go through a bit of an up and down regular season. The team ended up blowing a big lead against Duke and suffered losses to Notre Dame and Villanova and then a loss in the semi finals of the Big East Tournament
Big East Tournament
Big East Tournament or Big East Championship may refer to:*Big East Men's Basketball Tournament, the men's basketball championship*Big East Women's Basketball Tournament, the women's basketball championship...
to Boston College.
UConn was a 2 seed in the tournament. The Huskies would find their groove in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies beat top seeded Penn State to advance to the Final Four at the New Orleans Arena
New Orleans Arena
New Orleans Arena is an indoor arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is located in the city's Central Business District, adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome....
in New Orleans. After beating Minnesota in the semi-finals, UConn would once again beat Tennessee for the National Championship. The win was even more special as the UConn men's basketball team won the men's national championship the previous night marking the only time one University won both the men's and women's basketball championships in one season.
Taurasi would end her career on top leading UConn to 3 straight national titles. Leading up to that final championship, her coach, Geno Auriemma, would declare his likelihood of winning with the claim, "We have Diana, and you don't."
Taurasi also received many personal accolades at UConn including the 2003 and 2004 Naismith College Player of the Year
Naismith College Player of the Year
The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....
awards, the 2003 Wade Trophy
Wade Trophy
The Wade Trophy is an award presented annually to the best women's basketball player in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition. It is named after three–time national champion Delta State University coach Lily Margaret Wade. The award debuted in 1978 as the first–ever...
, and the 2003 Associated Press Player of the Year award. She achieved legendary status among UConn fans.
Interbellum (2005–2007)
UConn would struggle following Taurasi's graduation in 2004. UConn lost 8 games in the 2004-2005 season and failed to win the Big East regular season crown for the first time since 1993. The season was marked with sloppy play, and ragged offense. In the NCAA tournament UConn lost in the Sweet 16 to Stanford.UConn's attendance decreased in the 2005-2006 season. Some reasons given for the decrease was the poor play in 2005 accompanied with the lack of new engaging personalities of the players in the wake of losing the larger than life personality of Diana Taurasi. UConn did show some signs of improvement late in the year. They won the Big East Tournament Title, and then had a thrilling Sweet 16 against Georgia where senior Barbara Turner hit a game winning 3-pointer for UConn at the buzzer. Behind a home state crowd, UConn almost upset #1 ranked Duke in the regional final, before falling in overtime by 2 points. Maryland Then won the 2006 title over Duke.
In 2007 guard play improved with Renee Montgomery
Renee Montgomery
Renee Danielle Montgomery is an American basketball player who won a national championship with the UConn Huskies in 2009. She currently plays for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA.-High school:...
, Mel Thomas
Mel Thomas
Melanie Eileen "Mel" Thomas was born August 26, 1985 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Jeff and Mary Thomas She is an American basketball player who played for the University of Connecticut Huskies from 2004-2008.-High school:...
, and Ketia Swanier
Ketia Swanier
Naketia "Ketia" Marie Swanier is an American professional basketball player. She currently plays the guard position for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.-College career:...
, and the addition of #1 ranked high school player Tina Charles
Tina Charles (basketball)
Tina Charles is an American women's basketball player with the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association and the Galatasaray Medical Park of the TWBL. Originally from Jamaica, New York, Charles was drafted 1st overall in the 2010 WNBA Draft...
in the post, helped turn the corner for UConn to emerge as a contender again. UConn was a 1 seed in the tournament, but would fall in the regional Final to LSU to end the season at 32–4.
Maya Moore era (2008–2011)
After 3 down years by UConn standards, the team emerged as a heavy contender for the championship in the 2008 season. They returned every player from the 2007 team and added #1 ranked high school player Maya MooreMaya Moore
Maya April Moore is an American basketball forward for the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA and Ros Casares Valencia of Euroleague. Moore was the winner of the 2006 and 2007 Naismith Prep Player of the Year. She was selected as the John Wooden Award winner in 2009 after leading Connecticut to the...
. UConn beat out Tennessee in a bitter recruitment battle for Moore. Shortly after Moore's commitment to UConn, Tennessee announced they were canceling the annual series with UConn bringing an end to the biggest rivalry in the sport. Both coaches have remained vague and unspecific as to why the series was canceled, but Tennessee did file a complaint to the NCAA about UConn's recruitment of Moore. UConn was found to have committed a secondary violation and no punishment was handed out.
Despite losing Mel Thomas and Kalana Greene to season ending knee injuries, UConn went through the 2007-2008 regular season with only a single loss at Rutgers by two points. They won the Big East regular season and tournament titles. Rallying from a 14 point deficit in the NCAA regional final they beat conference rival Rutgers and advanced to their first Final Four since Taurasi graduated. Those tournament successes were largely attributed to senior Charde Houston
Charde Houston
Charde Lakishia Houston is a professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Minnesota Lynx....
(a top recruit out of San Diego viewed as not living up to expectations from Geno Auriemma and the UConn fans up to that point) who came up with key rebounds and clutch points in those games. However, at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, UConn's season ended in the National Semi-Finals to Stanford ending their season with a 36-2 record. This would be the team's last loss for some time.
2009 National Championship: Undefeated (39–0)
2008–09 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team
The 2008–09 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2008–2009 NCAA Division I basketball season. Coached by Geno Auriemma, the Huskies played their home games at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and on campus at the Harry A....
Elena Delle Donne
Elena Delle Donne is an American college basketball and volleyball player at the University of Delaware.Delle Donne was a high school basketball player at Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Delaware. She led Ursuline to three straight Delaware State Championship titles and was ranked as the...
. However, Delle Donne requested a release from her scholarship before enrolling at UConn, giving up basketball in order to stay closer to home and play volleyball at the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
(Delle Donne would play basketball the following season at Delaware, garnering the Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
Player of the Year award). Despite losing Delle Donne the Huskies were ranked the 2008–09 preseason #1. The Huskies returned 10 players from their 2008 Final Four team, including All-Americans Maya Moore, Renee Montgomery, and Tina Charles, in addition to Kalana Greene
Kalana Greene
Kalana Lanette Greene , is a basketball guard, currently for the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA, and CCC Polkowice in Poland. She played her college career at the University of Connecticut, where the Huskies were the 2009 and 2010 NCAA national Champions.-Early life:Greene grew up in St...
who recovered from her 2008 knee injury.
UConn finished the regular season undefeated for the 5th time in school history with a 30-0 record. They won their 17th Big East Regular Season Title and their 15th Big East Tournament title by beating the Louisville Cardinals. The Huskies advanced to their 10th Final Four with an 83-64 victory over Arizona State, and then to the 6th NCAA Championship Game in program history by defeating Stanford, also by the score of 83-64. Charles' 25 points, 19 boards pushed UConn to a 39-0 record, and sixth national title defeating Louisville 76-54. In doing so, they became the first team to not only go undefeated, but also to win every one of their games by at least ten points.
2010 National Championship Repeat: Undefeated (78–0)
2008–09 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team
The 2008–09 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2008–2009 NCAA Division I basketball season. Coached by Geno Auriemma, the Huskies played their home games at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and on campus at the Harry A....
For the second consecutive year (and the sixth time in school history) UConn finished the regular season undefeated, with an average margin of victory of 35.9 points. During the regular season UConn played 11 games against ranked opponents (including 6 in the top ten) with an average margin of victory of 24. They dominated the Big East Tournament, winning the championship game 60-32. Throughout the regular season and the Big East Tournament, UConn's closest win was against Stanford, by 12 points.
Leading up to the Final Four in San Antonio, UConn dominated teams from Southern, Temple, Iowa State, and Florida State. Maya Moore and Tina Charles played little more than half the games, while Moore averaged a point per minute played, and UConn out scored their opponents by an average of 47 points. In the Final Four, UConn was finally challenged by Baylor
Baylor Lady Bears basketball
The Baylor Lady Bears basketball team represents Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in NCAA Division I women's basketball competition. They currently compete in the Big 12 Conference...
and the 6-foot-8 freshman Brittney Griner. Baylor trailed only 39-26 at halftime, but UConn would pull away for a final score of 70–50.
The National Championship Game against Stanford was a completely different story. UConn started the game with their worst first half in school history by scoring only 12 points. Only eleven teams in tournament history have been held to 12 points or less in the first half, three of them were against UConn teams, and two of them (Southern and Temple) just days earlier in the 2010 Tournament. However, Stanford only managed to score 20 points in the first half themselves. Maya Moore gave UConn the lead in the second half with a three-pointer (making it 23–22 UConn) and led the team on a scoring run of 30 to 6 which secured the national championship with a final score of 53–47. It was the only game in the Huskies' 78-game winning streak that they won by fewer than 10 points. Moore was named the Tournament Most Outstanding Player, to go along with her State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year Award. Charles, who won the John R. Wooden Award
John R. Wooden Award
The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award and recognizes the All–America Teams.The awards, given by the Los...
and Naismith College Player of the Year
Naismith College Player of the Year
The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....
Awards was chosen first overall in the WNBA draft
2010 WNBA Draft
The 2010 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 8, 2010. The first round was shown on ESPN2 , while the second and third rounds were shown on NBA TV and ESPNU.A lottery was...
days later.
A New Record, But No Three-Peat
The 2010-11 season began with high hopes, but much uncertainty for the Huskies. Maya Moore returned for her senior season after a summer with the U.S. National team, but UConn lost major contributors Tina Charles and Kalana Green who graduated in 2010. Additionally, junior guard Caroline Doty would be out the entire season due to a second leg injury. In an early test, UConn squeaked by #2 Baylor in their second game of the season. They powered their way through 8 more consecutive wins for their 88th straight victory, beating #10 Ohio State at Madison Square Garden. Their 89th win came at home against #20 Florida State to set the college basketball record for most consecutive wins, previously held by the UCLA men's team. After a break in the schedule for the holidays, UConn traveled out west and beat the Pacific Tigers to stretch the streak to 90 games. That game, however, was largely a warm up match for their biggest test of the season, a December 30 matchup at the powerhouse Stanford Cardinal. There, UConn trailing for the entire game and lost for the first time since their April 6, 2008 Final Four appearance (also against the Cardinal). The loss ended the highly publicized winning-streak
Basketball winning streaks
On January 19, 1974, the UCLA Bruins lost a basketball game to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 71–70. It ended a streak of 88 consecutive victories, ironically begun after losing to Notre Dame almost three years earlier, on January 19, 1971. The streak encompassed 88 games, an NCAA division I...
, as well as their long held spot as the top ranked team in women's basketball which was taken over by Baylor. Connecticut recovered focus after the loss and got through the rest of the regular undefeated, regaining the #1 ranking along the way after Baylor's loss to Texas Tech in February. They marched through the Big East tournament, including their 3rd victory of the year over Notre Dame in the Big East Tournament Championship Game.
In the NCAA tournament Final Four they met Notre Dame for the fourth time, and similarly to Baylor's fourth game of the year against Texas A&M in the regional final, the underdog prevailed to advance in the tournament. Notre Dame's upset ended UConn's bid for a third straight National Championship. They won with hot shooting (making over 50 percent from the field, a first against a UConn club in 262 games), while UConn had a lack of support for Moore who had 36 points. Notre Dame went on to the National Championship Game, but were defeated by The Texas A&M Aggies.
During 2010-2011 season Maya Moore posted career highs in scoring, assists, steals, and free throws, and was named as a fourth straight First-Team All-American(2nd player ever). On February 28 she was enshrined in the Huskies of Honor (3rd time ever for an active player). During the NCAA tournament Moore became the 7th member of the 3000-points club, finishing with 3036 (4th all-time), and earlier in the season she passed 1000 rebounds (4th Huskie ever), finishing with 1276 for her career (2nd all time at UConn). She won the Elite 88 Award
Elite 88 Award
The Elite 89 Award or more formally The Elite 89 Academic Recognition Award Program and formerly the Elite 88 Award is an award by the National Collegiate Athletic Association recognizing the student athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average who has reached the competition at the...
, and was voted an Academic All-American(3rd time for Moore), as well as repeating as Academic All-America of the Year (1st player to ever repeat), and graduated with a 3.7 GPA. She won The Wade Trophy (3rd straight), was voted Big East Player of The Year (3rd time), named AP Player of The Year (2nd straight), was selected 1st overall in the 2011 WNBA draft (4th time for a Huskie) by the Minnesota Lynx, and became the first female basketball player signed to the Jordan Brand. In her career as a Connecticut Huskie she won 150 games and only lost 4.
"She will go down as the greatest player to ever play the game." ---Diana Taurasi
Team of the Decade
Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
selected the top 25 sports franchises of the decade (2000–2009). The Connecticut Huskies were the number three selection on the list. The sports under consideration were the four major professional sports (NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
and NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
) along with the three most prominent college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The top two sports teams were the professional basketball Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and the professional football Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, making the Connecticut women's basketball team the highest ranked of the collegiate teams for the three sports under consideration.
During this period, UConn won five national titles, while making the Final four seven of the ten years. Two of the seasons results in perfect records—the team record was 39–0 in both 2002 and 2009.
The 2010 UConn women's basketball team, players, and alumni in the WNBA where nominated for eight separate 2010 ESPY Awards
ESPY Awards
An ESPY Award is an accolade presented by the American cable television network ESPN to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. The first ESPYs were awarded in 1993...
in six categories:
- Best Female Athlete
- Maya MooreMaya MooreMaya April Moore is an American basketball forward for the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA and Ros Casares Valencia of Euroleague. Moore was the winner of the 2006 and 2007 Naismith Prep Player of the Year. She was selected as the John Wooden Award winner in 2009 after leading Connecticut to the...
- Diana TaurasiDiana TaurasiDiana Lorena Taurasi is a professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and Galatasaray Medical Park from Turkey...
- Maya Moore
- Best Record-Breaking Performance
- Connecticut Women’s Basketball, Longest winning streak in Women’s NCAA Basketball History
- Best Team
- Connecticut Women’s Basketball
- Best Coach/Manager
- Geno AuriemmaGeno AuriemmaLuigi "Geno" Auriemma is the head coach of the University of Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team, which he has led to seven National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I national championships...
- Geno Auriemma
- Best WNBA Player
- Diana TaurasiDiana TaurasiDiana Lorena Taurasi is a professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and Galatasaray Medical Park from Turkey...
- won award
- Diana Taurasi
- Best Female College Athlete
- Tina CharlesTina Charles (basketball)Tina Charles is an American women's basketball player with the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association and the Galatasaray Medical Park of the TWBL. Originally from Jamaica, New York, Charles was drafted 1st overall in the 2010 WNBA Draft...
- Maya MooreMaya MooreMaya April Moore is an American basketball forward for the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA and Ros Casares Valencia of Euroleague. Moore was the winner of the 2006 and 2007 Naismith Prep Player of the Year. She was selected as the John Wooden Award winner in 2009 after leading Connecticut to the...
- won award
- Tina Charles
Geno Auriemma head coaching record
WNBA success
In the 2002 WNBA Draft2002 WNBA Draft
2002 WNBA Draft – April 20, 2002On April 20, 2002, the regular WNBA draft took place.-College draft:-Round 1:-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:-UConn Fab Four:...
, the UConn Fab Four players (Tamika Williams
Tamika Williams
Tamika Maria Raymond is an Assistant Coach at Kansas University. She was a professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA...
, Sue Bird
Sue Bird
Suzanne Brigit "Sue" Bird is an American professional women's basketball player for the Seattle Storm and WBC Spartak Moscow Region....
, Asjha Jones
Asjha Jones
Asjha Takera Jones is a professional basketball player. She plays the power forward position for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA.-Early years:...
and Swin Cash
Swin Cash
Swintayla Marie Cash , better known as Swin Cash, is an American WNBA player who plays for the Seattle Storm. A prolific scorer and rebounder, as well as a capable ball handler and defender, she helped lead the University of Connecticut women's basketball team to national titles in 2000 and 2002...
) were all first round selections. Each player had immediate impacts with their 2002 WNBA Teams. Cash, Bird and Williams accounted for 21.3, 19.9 and 17.3 percent, respectively, of their teams’ total points, rebounds and assists. Jones, a reserve, posted 8.8 percent of the Mystics' total output in those three key categories.
See also
- Huskies of HonorHuskies of HonorHuskies of Honor is a recognition program sponsored by the University of Connecticut . Similar to a hall of fame, it honors the most significant figures in the history of the Connecticut Huskies—the university's athletic teams—especially the men's and women's basketball teams...
- 2008–09 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team2008–09 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball teamThe 2008–09 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2008–2009 NCAA Division I basketball season. Coached by Geno Auriemma, the Huskies played their home games at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and on campus at the Harry A....
- 2009–10 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team2009–10 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball teamThe 2009–10 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2009–2010 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Huskies were coached by Geno Auriemma, as the Huskies played their home games at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in the XL Center located in...