UConn Huskies Women's Basketball: A Legacy of Dominance
The University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies women's basketball program stands as a colossus in the landscape of NCAA Division I women's basketball. Representing the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut, the program boasts an unparalleled record of success, marked by a record 12 NCAA Division I National Championships and over 50 conference regular season and tournament championships. The Huskies have etched their name in history with two of the longest winning streaks in college basketball history, a testament to their sustained excellence. Under the guidance of head coach Geno Auriemma, who joined the team in 1985, UConn has become a symbol of women's basketball, drawing significant attendance to their home games at both Harry A.
Early Years and the Auriemma Revolution
The UConn Huskies embarked on their basketball journey in the 1974-75 season. Their inaugural game, a 40-27 victory over Eastern Connecticut State University on December 5, 1974, marked the beginning of a long and storied program history. The team, however, struggled through their first season, winning only two of their ten games. The trajectory of the program shifted dramatically with the arrival of Geno Auriemma in 1985. Tasked with revitalizing the team, Auriemma brought a new vision and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Auriemma's early recruiting coup in 1987, when he persuaded All-American Kerry Bascom from New Hampshire to join UConn, proved pivotal. Bascom's immediate impact led UConn to its first Big East regular season and tournament titles in 1989, along with their first NCAA tournament appearance. Although their first tournament ended in a first round loss to La Salle, Bascom won the Big East Player of the Year award as a sophomore, and again in her junior and senior years.
Breaking Through on the National Stage
The 1990-91 season marked a turning point for UConn. Capturing both the Big East regular season and tournament titles again, they earned a #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Bascom's record-breaking 39 points in the opening round against Toledo propelled the Huskies to the Sweet Sixteen, where they upset North Carolina State. A victory over Clemson in the Elite Eight secured their first-ever Final Four appearance, a milestone for any Big East school. While their journey ended with a loss to Virginia in the national semifinals, the 1990-91 season is widely credited with bringing UConn's women's basketball program into the national spotlight.
The Lobo Era and the Perfect Season
After modest success in Lobo's first 2 seasons, losing early in the NCAA Tournament in both seasons. The arrival of Rebecca Lobo further elevated the program. In 1993-94, UConn achieved its most successful season to that point. Led by Lobo and teammates Jamelle Elliott, Jennifer Rizzotti, Pam Webber, Kara Wolters and Carla Berube, UConn won 30 games for the first time in program history, winning the Big East tournament and regular-season titles. In the NCAA tournament, the Huskies were awarded a #1 seed for the first time ever, having achieved a 27-2 record prior to the tournament. The addition of Connecticut Player of the Year Nykesha Sales set the stage for an unforgettable 1994-95 season.
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The 1994-95 season was a historic one for the Huskies. They dominated their opponents, including a resounding victory over North Carolina State. This season also marked the beginning of the intense UConn-Tennessee rivalry. An undefeated run through the regular season and conference tournament led to an NCAA tournament berth. A narrow win against Virginia in the Elite Eight propelled them to the Final Four.
In the championship game against Tennessee, UConn overcame early foul trouble for Lobo to secure a 70-64 victory and their first national title. The team's perfect 35-0 record made them only the fifth Division I women's basketball team to achieve an undefeated season en route to a national championship. The 1994-95 UConn team is 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.
The UConn-Tennessee Rivalry
Starting with their two meetings in 1995, the rivalry between the Tennessee Lady Vols and UConn escalated through the late 1990s and into the 2000s, becoming the marquee matchup in all women's sports, and taking on parallels to the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry in Major League Baseball. In the 1995-96 season, UConn ended Tennessee's home court winning streak at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. UConn defeated Tennessee during the 1996-97 regular season yet again. Tennessee defeated Connecticut in the 1997-98 regular season.
Controversy and Triumph
Auriemma found himself in a national debate following a decision he made during the 1997-98 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 one 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 Perretta, 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. Many people weighed in on the decision on both national and local levels. Auriemma felt guilty that he put Sales through the ordeal and was angry that some columnists chose to fault her and not him.
Despite the controversy, Auriemma continued to build a powerhouse program. In 1998, he signed five top 15 nationally ranked players, including Swin Cash, Tamika Williams, Sue Bird, Asjha Jones, and Keirsten Walters, who were dubbed "TASSK Force" by Connecticut fans. The first season for the highly ranked class in 1998-99 featured mixed results and featured many injuries: Sue Bird tore her ACL and went out for the season after only 10 games. In their 1999 meeting at Gampel Pavilion, Tennessee prevailed over the Huskies again. During the game there was a scuffle involving Tennessee's Semeka Randall and Connecticut's Svetlana Abrosimova where Randall threw the ball down, hitting Abrosimova's head. Motivated by their previous disappointing season, UConn returned in 1999-2000 with the clear goal of reaching championship level again. Led by upperclassmen Shea Ralph, Kelly Schumacher, Svetlana Abrosimova and the TASS Force (the K was dropped when Keirsten Walters had to give up basketball due to knee problems), UConn went through the regular season with a 27-1 record, with their only loss being a single-point defeat to Tennessee at home. In the NCAA tournament, the Huskies easily advanced to their first Final Four since 1996 and handily defeated Penn State in the National Semifinals, winning 89-67. The team then met the Lady Vols for the championship game in Auriemma's hometown of Philadelphia. Despite the two regular season meetings being close battles, UConn used tenacious defense and backdoor cuts to overwhelm Tennessee 71-52 for their second national championship.
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The Taurasi Era: A Dynasty is Cemented
Auriemma pulled off another huge recruiting coup when he convinced All-American guard Diana Taurasi to travel across country to attend Connecticut. 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. She was also named the 2000 Naismith and Parade Magazine National High School Player of the Year. With Taurasi joining the core of the 2000 Championship team, Auriemma confidently predicted another championship in 2001, but the season turned out to be more difficult than expected. UConn won the Big East tournament over rising powerhouse Notre Dame in a game remembered for the Bird at the Buzzer shot, but lost key players Abrosimova and Ralph to season-ending injuries. As a consequence, Taurasi had to play a much larger role than anticipated in the NCAA Tournament. She led UConn to the Final Four, but in the National Semifinals against Notre Dame in St. Louis, Taurasi had a poor shooting game, and despite UConn having attained a 16-point lead at one point, the team lost 90-75.
As with the 2000 champions, who had also come off a disappointing loss the year before, UConn returned hungrier than ever in 2001-02. With the TASS force in their senior season and Taurasi emerging as a star in her sophomore year, UConn rolled through all its opponents throughout the year and maintained an undefeated record going into the NCAA Tournament. The team easily won the Big East regular season and tournament trophies, defeating Boston College 96-54 in the Big East championship game. In the NCAA Tournament, the Huskies were once again awarded the #1 overall seed and then demolished their opponents in the early rounds to ultimately advance to their 3rd consecutive Final Four. Their smallest margin of victory was an 18-point win over Penn State in the Sweet 16. In the National Semifinals, UConn used tenacious offensive play to defeat rival Tennessee by a whopping 23 points, winning 79-56. In front of a record-breaking crowd at the Alamodome in San Antonio, UConn defeated Oklahoma 82-70 in the championship game to complete a perfect 39-0 season.
With the TASS force graduated, Diana Taurasi had to carry most of the load in her junior season, with help from returning teammates Maria Conlon, Jessica Moore and Ashley Battle and a top-ranked recruiting class that included Ann Strother, Barbara Turner, Willnet Crockett and Nicole Wolff. With no seniors on the roster, 2003 was supposed to be a rebuilding year for UConn, but as the year progressed it became clear that Taurasi was up to the challenge of carrying a group of young players to the championship game. UConn finished the regular season undefeated and established a 70-game winning streak, shattering the previous mark of 54 set by Louisiana Tech; the streak ended in the Big East championship game with a 52-48 loss to Villanova. Notable wins during the season included a 63-62 victory over No. 5 Tennessee in overtime on January 4, 2003, as well as a 77-65 win at No. In the NCAA Tournament, UConn easily advanced to the Final Four at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. UConn rallied from a 9-point deficit to beat Texas 71-69 in the National Semifinals and advance to the National Championship. Aided by Taurasi's 28 points in the championship game, the Huskies defeated rival Tennessee 73-68 to claim the program's fourth national championship.
Although the entire team returned and expectations were sky high for a "three-peat" in Taurasi's senior year, UConn had an uneven season. The Huskies finally found their rhythm during the NCAA Tournament, in which they were a #2 seed; in the Elite Eight they beat top-seeded Penn State 66-49 to advance to their 5th straight Final Four at the New Orleans Arena. After beating Minnesota in the National Semifinals 67-58, UConn again defeated Tennessee to win their 3rd consecutive national championship, winning 70-61. The teams overall record for the season was 31-4. The 2004 women's National Championship was especially notable as the UConn men's basketball team won the men's title the previous night, marking the first time one University won both the men's and women's basketball championships in one season, a feat UConn repeated in 2014.
In her career at UConn, Taurasi led the team to four consecutive Final Fours and three straight national titles. Taurasi received many personal accolades at UConn including the 2003 and 2004 Naismith College Player of the Year awards, the 2003 Wade Trophy, the 2003 Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year award, the 2003 USBWA Women's National Player of the Year award and the 2004 Best Female Athlete ESPY Award. Taurasi was the third basketball player to receive this final honor, after former UConn star Rebecca Lobo and Tennessee star Chamique Holdsclaw.
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Post-Taurasi Era and Continued Success
Relative to their high standards, UConn struggled during the first two years following Taurasi's graduation in 2004. Some of its highly touted recruits did not play up to expectations while others suffered injuries. The 2004-05 season was marked with sloppy play and ragged offense; UConn lost 8 games and failed to win the Big East regular season crown for the first time since 1993. In the 2006-07 season, the team improved their record with the additions of Renee Montgomery, Mel Thomas, Ketia Swanier, and the #1 ranked high school player Tina Charles, helping UConn emerge as a national contender again. UConn was a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but eventually lost to LSU 73-50 in the regional final (Elite Eight) to end their season with a 32-4 record.
After three down years by UConn standards, the team emerged as a heavy contender for the championship in the 2007-08 season. In addition to all of the star players returning from the 2006-07 team, #1 ranked high school player Maya Moore joined the Huskies after a bitter recruitment battle between UConn and Tennessee. Shortly after Moore's commitment to UConn, Tennessee announced they were cancelling the annual series with UConn, thus ending one of the biggest rivalries in the sport. Even if both coaches remained vague and unspecific about the reasons of the cancellation, Tennessee filed a complaint to the NCAA about UConn's recruitment of Moore. Despite losing Mel Thomas and Kalana Greene to season-ending knee injuries, UConn went through the 2007-08 regular season with only a single loss at Rutgers …
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