When I began my undergraduate education, UConn did not even have a women's basketball team. It was a club sport. But with Title IX recently passed, there was a womandate to get a team. The first few years, the team was bad. But Athletic Director John Toner decided that he would upgrade the program and hired a young assistant coach at the University of Virginia, one of the strongest women's programs. He tabbed Geno Auriemma to build a program. Geno came to Storrs in 1985 and soon began the winning tradition. In 1990, made it to the third round of the NCAA tournament before falling to national power Stanford. The following year, UConn made it to the school's first Final Four in New Orleans. Auriemma said he felt like he was crashing someone else's party. The Huskies lost in the national semifinal to Virginia and Geno's mentor (womentor) Deb Ryan. But UConn served notice that it would be a player on the national scene. Karrie Bascom was the star of that UConn team.
This is a familiar scene: Geno rants at the refs and Assistant Coach Chris Dailey tries to restrain him
Virginia would prove to be a roadblock to the Final Four in 1995. By the 1994-95, Auriemma had put together a powerful team. Rebecca Lobo was a senior forward and was named the national player of teh year. She was joined on the front line by one of the great unsung heroines in UConn history, Jamelle Elliot, a great rebounder. Sophomore Kara Wolters was just coming into her own offensively. The team was quarterbacked by one of the greatest point guards in women's college basketball history, Jennifer Rizzotti, who would be the college player of the year the following year. Freshman star Nykesha Sales (the national high school player of the year and a local product, came off the bench. The team roared through the season undefeated, knocking Tennessee off along the way, 77-66 to claim the number one spot in the polls, for the first time. The Huskies ran roughshod through the Big East, but were in serious trouble in the Elite Eight game with Virginia, trailing by seven at half before rallying for a 67-63 to reach the Final Four. The team departed for Minneapolis to meet traditional power Stanford.
In the national semifinal, it all came together for UConn. The Huskies demolished the Cardinal, 87-60. The frontline was brilliant. Wolters had 31 points and Stanford clearly had no answer for her. Elliot added 21 and Lobo had 17 and 9 rebounds. The Huskies appeared to be peaking at the right time. The reward was a date with Tennessee, still smarting from the regular season defeat. The Huskies appeared tight in the finals and when Rebecca Lobo picked up three fouls in a 94 second span, it looked like the storybook run was over. Wolters had two fouls and Rizzotti was on the bench with three. At half, UConn trailed 38-32. They were fortunate to still be in the game. In retrospect, Tennessee's failure to put the game away in the first half may have been a portend of the finals. Tennessee had swarmed over Lobo, keeping her in check. UConn fell behind by as many as 9 points. But in the second half, after a challenge from Auriemma, she stepped up to prove her mettle and to show that the Player of Year trophy was well-deserved. Over an eight minute span, she simply took over the game. Meanwhile the Volunteers went cold over the final ten minutes as UConn provided the defensive clamps. Jamelle hit a key shot to tie the score. It was 61-61 when Rizzotti made the most memorable play of the game and the season. She collected a long rebound, dashed the length of the court and spun past her defender, point guard Michelle Marciniak, with a crossover dribble and laid the ball in left-handed. Connecticut never lost the lead and wound up winning, 70-64. At crunch time, the two All Americans took over.
Here is Jennifer Rizzotti with her
Player of the Year trophy
Kara Wolters celebrates and Nykesha
Sales dribbles
UConn captured the program’s first national title in 1994-95 and the Huskies finished with a perfect 35-0 record for good measure. UConn was only the second team in Division I women’s basketball history to go undefeated on the way to the national championship. The Huskies became the first unbeaten team in NCAA history to win 35 games in a season. And they set an NCAA record by winning by an average of 33.2 points per game.
Rebecca Lobo cuts down the nets
Although Rebecca had
graduated, the cupboard was far from bare. Kara, Jamelle, Jen, and
Nykesha headlined the returning players. The Huskies returned to the
Final Four but lost in the national semifinals. The team then missed
making it to the Final Four in 1997-1999. Injuries often derailed the
express: including a devastating knee injury to Nykesha Sales, multiple
injuries to Shea Ralph, and an injury to Sue Bird.
In 1999-2000, the Huskies began the domination that has propelled them to the top of the basketball world. It began with one of the great recruiting classes of all time, the freshwomen class of 1998-99. Geno got commitments from three Parade first team All-America and Sue Bird, who was somehow, inexplicably, a second team selection. From Piscataway, New Jersey came Ashja Jones, a 6'2" power forward. From McKeesport, Pennsylvania, Swin Cash, a smooth 6'2" forward signed on with teh Huskies. And for good measure, UConn got the national high school player of the year, Tamika Williams, another 6'2" forward from Dayton, Ohio. Along with Sue Bird, this was probably the greatest class ever. They would combine to win two national championships. At the end of their sterling careers as true scholar-athletes, they were selected 1 (Bird), 2 (Cash), 4 (Jones), and 6 (Williams) in the WNBA draft, unprecedented in any sport.
The 1999-2000 Huskies finished the regular season with a 30-1 record and ranked #1 in the nation. They lost at home 72-71 to old rival Tennessee in early February. In many ways, this may have been the most talented team in UConn history. The four sophomores joined Shea Ralph and Svetlana Abrasimova to form the most complete team in the nation. During the regular season, they averaged winning by 30 points a game. They held opponents to 33 percent shooting, while shooting 54 percent themselves. Their run through the tournament begam with a 117-45 thrashing of outwomaned Hampton. Six Huskies scored in double figures,, as the team shot 71 percent for the game. Hampton shot 28 percent and had turned the ball over 27 times. The Huskies buried Clemson 83-45 to make the sweet sixteen.
Shooting 57 percent and forcing 33 turnovers, the Huskies blasted Oklahoma 102-80 to join the Elite Eight. Five Huskies scored in double figures. The LSU game was a measure of how great the Huskies really were. LSU shot a blistering 74 percent in the first half. They hit 4 of 5 threes. They could not miss. How demoralizing it must have been to go into the locker room down by 5 points. UConn led 46-41 at half and opened it up from there. Behind 25 points from Svetlana, the Huskies finally pulled away from the Tigers 86-71. Whatever was said at halftime must have worked because UConn held LSU to 36 percent shooting in the second half, while shooting 60 percent on the offensive end. UConn was in the Final Four.
Playing in Geno's hometown of Philadelphia, the Huskies faced Penn State, the local favorites. The defense held the Nittany Lions to 38 percent in the first half, but UConn shot vitually the same percentage, 14 percent under their season average. At halftime, control of the boards was the difference as UConn led 37-28. In the second half, the Huskies got hot, hitting 64 percent of their shots from the field on the way to a convincing 89-67 victory. Sue Bird had 19 points and 5 assists and Svetlana led the rebounders with 10.
Next was the grudge match with Tennessee. A great deal was made of the fact that the two most famous cheese steak restaurants in town are Pat's and Gino's (should have been Geno's). The rematch was pretty much a mismatch. UConn ran out to a 21-6 lead and never really looked back. UConn held Tennessee under 20 percent shooting in the first half. At half, UConn led 32-19. Only Tennessee's tenanciousness on the boards kept the game that close. When the Huskies scored the first eight points of the second half to take the lead to 40-19, it was merely a question of waiting for the all the zeroes. UConn stretched the lead to 27 before the Tennessee subs made a run to lead to the 71-52 final. UConn shot 59 percent in the second half to shortcircuit any attempted comeback. Shea Ralph led the way with 15 points, 7 assists, and 6 steals on her way to be named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Kelly Schumacher, junior center, blocked nine shots to take the Volunteers out of their game. As basketball analyst Jay Bilas wrote, "It was an absolute clinic. I have not seen a more dominant performance this year in a college basketball game between two top-flight teams."
In 1999-2000, the Huskies began the domination that has propelled them to the top of the basketball world. It began with one of the great recruiting classes of all time, the freshwomen class of 1998-99. Geno got commitments from three Parade first team All-America and Sue Bird, who was somehow, inexplicably, a second team selection. From Piscataway, New Jersey came Ashja Jones, a 6'2" power forward. From McKeesport, Pennsylvania, Swin Cash, a smooth 6'2" forward signed on with teh Huskies. And for good measure, UConn got the national high school player of the year, Tamika Williams, another 6'2" forward from Dayton, Ohio. Along with Sue Bird, this was probably the greatest class ever. They would combine to win two national championships. At the end of their sterling careers as true scholar-athletes, they were selected 1 (Bird), 2 (Cash), 4 (Jones), and 6 (Williams) in the WNBA draft, unprecedented in any sport.
The 1999-2000 Huskies finished the regular season with a 30-1 record and ranked #1 in the nation. They lost at home 72-71 to old rival Tennessee in early February. In many ways, this may have been the most talented team in UConn history. The four sophomores joined Shea Ralph and Svetlana Abrasimova to form the most complete team in the nation. During the regular season, they averaged winning by 30 points a game. They held opponents to 33 percent shooting, while shooting 54 percent themselves. Their run through the tournament begam with a 117-45 thrashing of outwomaned Hampton. Six Huskies scored in double figures,, as the team shot 71 percent for the game. Hampton shot 28 percent and had turned the ball over 27 times. The Huskies buried Clemson 83-45 to make the sweet sixteen.
Shooting 57 percent and forcing 33 turnovers, the Huskies blasted Oklahoma 102-80 to join the Elite Eight. Five Huskies scored in double figures. The LSU game was a measure of how great the Huskies really were. LSU shot a blistering 74 percent in the first half. They hit 4 of 5 threes. They could not miss. How demoralizing it must have been to go into the locker room down by 5 points. UConn led 46-41 at half and opened it up from there. Behind 25 points from Svetlana, the Huskies finally pulled away from the Tigers 86-71. Whatever was said at halftime must have worked because UConn held LSU to 36 percent shooting in the second half, while shooting 60 percent on the offensive end. UConn was in the Final Four.
Playing in Geno's hometown of Philadelphia, the Huskies faced Penn State, the local favorites. The defense held the Nittany Lions to 38 percent in the first half, but UConn shot vitually the same percentage, 14 percent under their season average. At halftime, control of the boards was the difference as UConn led 37-28. In the second half, the Huskies got hot, hitting 64 percent of their shots from the field on the way to a convincing 89-67 victory. Sue Bird had 19 points and 5 assists and Svetlana led the rebounders with 10.
Next was the grudge match with Tennessee. A great deal was made of the fact that the two most famous cheese steak restaurants in town are Pat's and Gino's (should have been Geno's). The rematch was pretty much a mismatch. UConn ran out to a 21-6 lead and never really looked back. UConn held Tennessee under 20 percent shooting in the first half. At half, UConn led 32-19. Only Tennessee's tenanciousness on the boards kept the game that close. When the Huskies scored the first eight points of the second half to take the lead to 40-19, it was merely a question of waiting for the all the zeroes. UConn stretched the lead to 27 before the Tennessee subs made a run to lead to the 71-52 final. UConn shot 59 percent in the second half to shortcircuit any attempted comeback. Shea Ralph led the way with 15 points, 7 assists, and 6 steals on her way to be named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Kelly Schumacher, junior center, blocked nine shots to take the Volunteers out of their game. As basketball analyst Jay Bilas wrote, "It was an absolute clinic. I have not seen a more dominant performance this year in a college basketball game between two top-flight teams."
Shea, the MOP, hits a
jumper
The Huskies hit the boards
At the buzzer, the starters, long out of the game, begin the celebration
With the team back intact, UConn was the prohibitive favorites to repeat as national champions. The fab four were now juniors, Shea and Svetlana were back, and Geno had recruited a player of some reknown, Diana Taurasi, the top high school player in the nation. There was a great deal of optimism. The Huskies served notice in the season's opening game: blasting highly rated Georgia 99-70. They were 8-0 having won by an average of 39.5 points. The Huskies were pressed against Tennessee, but beat the Volunteers 81-76. They returned to their dominant ways, before losing and losing big to Notre Dame. ND was a talented team with All-America center Ruth Riley and sharp shooting guard Alicia Ratay. They stunned UConn 92-76. That would be a portent of things to come. Giving up 92 points was quite surprising. The Huskies went back to dominance, winning the next four by an average of 33.5 points. But they stumbled in the rematch with Tennessee at Knoxville, giving up 92 points again and losing by 4. More importantly they lost Svetlana for the season in that game. They ran roughshod through the rest of the Big East schedule, winning nine straight by an average of 42.4 points to set up a rematch with Notre Dame in the Big East finals. Shea got hurt in the first half of the finals. They edged the Irish 78-76 at home to win the title when Sue Bird went coast to coast to hit the final shot just before the buzzer. The win meant #1 in the nation and the winner of the Big East.
The Huskies entered the NCAA tournament with injuries to two of their star players: Svetlana Abrasimova, a candidate for national player of the year, and Shea Ralph, the 1999-2000 MOP of the final four. The Huskies did not miss them in pounding Long Island 101-29 in round one. Colorado State was the victim in game 2, 89-44. In the sweet 16, UConn blasted North Carolina State 72-58 and won a rematch with Old Dominion 67-48 to advance to the Final Four with a chance to defend their title.
The Huskies are coming!!!! UConn was bringing its basketball show to my hometown of St. Louis. My friends, John Clark and Rosie Clawson had tickets and joined us for the Final Four. Rosie is a Purdue fan and the Boilers were in the Final Four, along with Southwest Missouri State and player of the year Jackie Stiles. They were to meet the Boilers in game 1, won by Purdue. The nightcap, which everyone assumed would be the de facto championship game, was the rubber match between UConn and Notre Dame. Diana was ice cold, but UConn was hitting on all other cylinders, running out to a 15 point lead. They hardly missed their two fallen stars. Inside Kelly Schumacher was more than holding her own against Riley and Swin Cash and Sue Bird led the Huskies to the big lead. But late in the first half, Ratay, who had been ineffective, hit a 3 to stem the momentum and, it turned out, change the dynamics of the game. The Irish had five women in double figures and smothered UConn in the second half. Diana ended up 1 for 15 before fouling out. ND, which trailed by 15 in the first half, won by 16. They went on to beat Purdue in a thrilling final to keep the championship in the Big East.
There was unfinished business for UConn as 2001-02 began. The fab four were now all seniors.
At the buzzer, the starters, long out of the game, begin the celebration
With the team back intact, UConn was the prohibitive favorites to repeat as national champions. The fab four were now juniors, Shea and Svetlana were back, and Geno had recruited a player of some reknown, Diana Taurasi, the top high school player in the nation. There was a great deal of optimism. The Huskies served notice in the season's opening game: blasting highly rated Georgia 99-70. They were 8-0 having won by an average of 39.5 points. The Huskies were pressed against Tennessee, but beat the Volunteers 81-76. They returned to their dominant ways, before losing and losing big to Notre Dame. ND was a talented team with All-America center Ruth Riley and sharp shooting guard Alicia Ratay. They stunned UConn 92-76. That would be a portent of things to come. Giving up 92 points was quite surprising. The Huskies went back to dominance, winning the next four by an average of 33.5 points. But they stumbled in the rematch with Tennessee at Knoxville, giving up 92 points again and losing by 4. More importantly they lost Svetlana for the season in that game. They ran roughshod through the rest of the Big East schedule, winning nine straight by an average of 42.4 points to set up a rematch with Notre Dame in the Big East finals. Shea got hurt in the first half of the finals. They edged the Irish 78-76 at home to win the title when Sue Bird went coast to coast to hit the final shot just before the buzzer. The win meant #1 in the nation and the winner of the Big East.
The Huskies entered the NCAA tournament with injuries to two of their star players: Svetlana Abrasimova, a candidate for national player of the year, and Shea Ralph, the 1999-2000 MOP of the final four. The Huskies did not miss them in pounding Long Island 101-29 in round one. Colorado State was the victim in game 2, 89-44. In the sweet 16, UConn blasted North Carolina State 72-58 and won a rematch with Old Dominion 67-48 to advance to the Final Four with a chance to defend their title.
The Huskies are coming!!!! UConn was bringing its basketball show to my hometown of St. Louis. My friends, John Clark and Rosie Clawson had tickets and joined us for the Final Four. Rosie is a Purdue fan and the Boilers were in the Final Four, along with Southwest Missouri State and player of the year Jackie Stiles. They were to meet the Boilers in game 1, won by Purdue. The nightcap, which everyone assumed would be the de facto championship game, was the rubber match between UConn and Notre Dame. Diana was ice cold, but UConn was hitting on all other cylinders, running out to a 15 point lead. They hardly missed their two fallen stars. Inside Kelly Schumacher was more than holding her own against Riley and Swin Cash and Sue Bird led the Huskies to the big lead. But late in the first half, Ratay, who had been ineffective, hit a 3 to stem the momentum and, it turned out, change the dynamics of the game. The Irish had five women in double figures and smothered UConn in the second half. Diana ended up 1 for 15 before fouling out. ND, which trailed by 15 in the first half, won by 16. They went on to beat Purdue in a thrilling final to keep the championship in the Big East.
There was unfinished business for UConn as 2001-02 began. The fab four were now all seniors.