Maya Moore and Tina Charles played little more than half the minutes of every game, with Moore averaging one point per minute played, and the team outscoring its opponents by an average of 47 points. Attendance and interest in the women's championship have grown over the years, especially from 2003 to 2016, when the final championship game was moved to the Tuesday following the Monday men's championship game. UConn's current head coach is Luigi "Geno" Auriemma, who joined the team in 1985. [17] The team was honored with a parade in Hartford, CT that drew over 100,000 spectators. Women's Basketball Records Books (since 2001) Women's Final Four Records Books (since 2001) Women's Basketball Championships Results and Geno Auriemma is now the only coach in college basketball to have won 11 titles, passing UCLA legend John Wooden (who has 10) and reaching former NBA coach Phil Jackson. The final, since 2023, is played the Sunday afternoon following the Men's Final Four; from 2017 to 2019, 2021 and 2022, Sunday evening. Discovery Sports),[15] and golf (which is held by Golf Channel). Annual college basketball tournament for women, NCAA women's college basketball tournaments, NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. They are one of nine ACC teams slated to be in the mix for a postseason bid in some capacity. [51] 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. Mosqueda-Lewis was another State Farm/WBCA High School Player of the Year for UConn,[55] Banks was a highly rated guard,[56] and Stokes, a 6'3 post player, was highly ranked as well. WebThe UConn Huskies are the most successful women's basketball program in the nation, having won a record 11 NCAA Division I National Championships and a women's With the Hawkeyes' Caitlin Clark and the Tigers' Angel Reese leading the way, count them as favorites to get to Cleveland in 2024 as both teams open as No. This season also saw the birth of one of the greatest rivalries in college sports, the UConn-Tennessee rivalry, that began when the two teams met for the first time on Martin Luther King Day at Gampel Pavilion. [3], After losing the stellar trio of Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck, many predicted a sub-par season for UConn standards; the AP Poll ranked the team third in the nation, and coach Auriemma had designed a very tough non-conference calendar to test the strength of his young team. With 11 national titles, the UConn Huskies hold the record for the most NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships, which included four straight championships from 2013 through 2016. [4], The tournament begins with four opening-round games known as the First Four. The trio of Stewart-Jefferson-Tuck ended its college career with a 1515 record, the most victories for college basketball players; they are the only 4-time winners in college basketball history (freshmen were not eligible to play during UCLA men's streak). ODU has always used on-campus arenas, first the ODU Fieldhouse and since 2002 Chartway Arena. [33], In the NCAA Tournament UConn easily advanced to the Final Four at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Geno Auriemma jokingly once referred to Pat Summitt and Tennessee as the "evil empire", like Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino said of the Yankees. The remaining teams of the former Big East (Connecticut and Cincinnati) joined the new American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC), thus ending the UConnNotre Dame rivalry in conference tournaments. The #1 seed is 1071 against the #16 seed (.991). [2] The tournament is often overshadowed by the more-prominent men's tournament; after a gender equality review following the 2021 tournament, the NCAA expanded it to the current 68-team format of the men's tournament, and extended the "March Madness" branding to the tournament as well. 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. In the Final Four UConn was finally challenged by Baylor and the 6-foot-8 freshman Brittney Griner;[47] Baylor trailed 3926 at halftime, cut the deficit to 4138 with 15 minutes remaining in the game, but UConn finally pulled away for a final score of 7050. On February 28 she was enshrined in the Huskies of Honor (3rd time ever for an active player). The 201112 season would inevitably be a new era after Maya Moore's graduation. Since the expansion to 64 teams in 1994, each seed-pairing has played 108 first-round games with these results: Since the expansion to 64 teams in 1994, the following results have occurred for each pairing: note: The 3 losses by the #1 seed vs #8/9 were: Duke (vs Michigan St, 2009), Ohio St (vs Boston College, 2006), Texas Tech (vs Notre Dame, 1998). Two other teams have played the Final Four in their home cities, and seven others have played the Final Four in their home states. In the 2002 WNBA draft, the four UConn players tabbed "TASS Force" (Tamika Williams, Asjha Jones, Sue Bird, Swin Cash) were all first round selections, each having immediate impact with their WNBA team. Some of its highly touted recruits did not play up to expectations while others suffered injuries. 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. Two of the seasons (200102 and 200809) resulted in perfect 390 records. In comparison, the contract for the men's tournament is valued at over $700 million annually. After the end of the NCAA tournament, the Associated Press selects a Most Outstanding Player. [18] In 2021, ESPN adopted a broadcast arrangement similar to the men's tournament, with all games airing nationally in their entirety on either an ESPN linear channel or, for the first time, ABC. In 202021, UConn rejoined several of its former conference mates in the current Big East Conference. [6] The second streak counts 90 consecutive wins, including two undefeated seasons (200809 and 200910), and was delimited by two losses against Stanford, the first on April 6, 2008 in the National Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament, and the second three seasons later on December 19, 2010. The team is transitioning from a lower NCAA division, during which time it is barred by NCAA rule from participation in NCAA-sponsored postseason play. [16] ESPN has held exclusive rights to the tournament since 1996; beginning with an 11-year, $200 million contract renewal in 2003, ESPN would televise all 63 games in the tournament on television (increasing from 23), with games in the first and second rounds airing regionally on ESPN and ESPN2. UConn defeated Tennessee 7766 in front of a sold-out crowd in a game televised on ESPN and soon afterwards was ranked No. [44] In the National semifinals played at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa UConn lost to Stanford, ending its season with a 362 record. [18] In 2011, ESPN renewed this agreement through the 202324 season, in a deal reported to be worth $500 million in total. UConn has featured a great number of star players, All-Americans, Hall of Famers and recipients of individual trophies. Among the report's findings was that U.S. television rights for the women's tournament would be worth at least $81 million annually by the time the current broadcast contract with ESPN expires in 2024. The class renewed hope of bringing more championships to Storrs after watching archrival Tennessee win three in a row. The following table shows the UConn players recipients of the major individual awards in women's college basketball. Seven UConn players received this award since its induction in 1982: Rebecca Lobo (1995), Shea Ralph (2000), Swin Cash (2002), Diana Taurasi (2003 and 2004), Tina Charles (2009), Maya Moore (2010), and Breanna Stewart for a record 4 times (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016). In 1996, seeds were assigned on a national basis using an "S-Curve" format[clarification needed] similar to the process used in selecting the field for the men's tournament. The only team to play on its home court was Texas in 1987, which lost its semifinal game at the Frank Erwin Special Events Center. The Women's Final Four and championship remained exclusive to ESPN. 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. In December Griner led #1 ranked Baylor against #2 UConn, scoring 25 points to go along with nine blocks. 16 FDU 70 | Watch highlights No. 4 are shown with .mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}dotted underline. Twenty UConn players have been selected in the first round of WNBA drafts. 2 and No. Despite the two regular season meetings being close battles, UConn used tenacious defense and backdoor cuts to overwhelm Tennessee 7152 for their second national championship. A special selection committee appointed by the NCAA determines which 68 teams will enter the tournament, and where they will be seeded and placed in the bracket. The selection process and tournament seedings are based on several factors, including team rankings, winloss records, and NET data..mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}, Since 2022, 68 teams qualify for the tournament played in March and April. The regional seeding resumed in 1994. ET. They powered their way through 8 more consecutive wins for their 88th straight victory, beating #10 Ohio State at Madison Square Garden. [4] As of 2022, they have also appeared in a record 14 consecutive Final Fours. Auriemma was criticized for compromising the integrity of the game, but defended the decision saying it was a school record and he would never had done it without Bascom's blessing.[26]. [39] Behind a home state crowd, UConn almost upset #1 ranked Duke in the regional final, before falling in overtime by 2 points. In 2010 Lobo became the first Connecticut player inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, among a class of six inductees,[19] followed by teammate Jennifer Rizzotti in the class of 2013.[20]. In front of a record-breaking crowd at the Alamodome in San Antonio, UConn defeated Oklahoma for the championship 8270 to complete a perfect 390 season. 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. Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Teams were allowed to play at home, if hosting. Below are the teams most likely to win the 2023 NCAA Women's Tournament (as of Friday, March 10), via With Faris and Doty graduated, sophomore Breanna Stewart was the undisputed leader of the 201314 UConn team, starting in all 40 games and leading the team with 19.4 points and 2.8 blocks per game; her 291 field goals made was the third-highest single-season total in UConn annals. [59], Senior Breanna Stewart was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player for a record 4th straight time; she also performed a back-to-back sweep of all individual honors, winning her 2nd straight Wade Trophy, a record 3rd Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year award, a record 3rd USBWA Women's National Player of the Year award, a record 3rd Naismith College Player of the Year award and her 2nd straight John R. Wooden Award. The top teams (eight in the 32-, 40-, and 48-team formats, and 16 in the 64-team format) were ranked and seeded on a national basis. Presently, the Women's Final Four uses a Friday/Sunday scheduling, with its games occurring one day prior to the men's Final Four and championship respectively.[2]. The Huskies won 18 tournaments in 31 years. [22][23] Based on average viewership, Emily Caron and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico estimated that the women's tournament could fetch at least $20 million per-year if its media rights were sold separately. The following table summarizes some of the key attributes of the seeding process:[6]. [45] Despite losing Delle Donne the Huskies were ranked No. 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 national championship game against Stanford was a completely different story. [32], 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 of Ann Strother, Barbara Turner, Willnet Crockett and Nicole Wolff. 1 in AP National poll, women's (250), Most consecutive NCAA Championships, any Division, women's (4, 20132016), Most consecutive NCAA Division I Final Fours, men's or women's (14, 20082023), Most consecutive NCAA Division I Elite Eights, men's or women's (16, 20062023), Most consecutive NCAA Division I Sweet Sixteen, men's or women's (29, 19942023), Most consecutive NCAA Division I tournament wins, women's (28, 20132017), Most consecutive NCAA wins, any Division, men's or women's (111, 20142017), Most consecutive NCAA Division I regular-season wins, men's or women's (126, 20142019), Most consecutive NCAA Division I home court wins, women's (99, 20072012), Most consecutive NCAA Division I road wins, men's or women's (62, 20142019), Most consecutive NCAA Division I 30-win seasons, men's or women's (14, 20062019), This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 16:18. Postseason bans can come about for one of two reasons: California Baptist was eligible for the WNIT because that tournament is not operated by the NCAA, unlike the men's version; the Lancers lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Rice. [53], After graduation Maya Moore was selected by the Minnesota Lynx as the 1st overall pick in the 2011 WNBA draft (4th time for a Husky), also becoming the first female basketball player signed to the Jordan Brand.[54]. This was during the AIAW era for women's basketball. (Other possibilities are that the team is independent, or is from a conference not yet eligible for an automatic bid.) The #7 seed is 7137 against the #10 seed (.657). With their eleventh championship win in 2016, the UConn Huskies have tied the UCLA Bruins men's team for most college basketball championships, and became the first Division I women's basketball team to win four straight national championships. 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. They completed a seven-season tenure in the American Athletic Conference in 201920, and came back to the Big East Conference for the 202021 season. [58], In 2015 UConn landed another top recruit in #1 High School prospect Katie Lou Samuelson; she quickly earned a spot in the starting five alongside sophomore Kia Nurse and seniors Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck. In an early test, UConn squeaked by #2 Baylor in their second game of the season. UConn's season ended with a 6155 loss to top-seeded Virginia in the national semifinals at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans. In 2018, UConn entered the tournament 320, but lost in the Final Four to Notre Dame, ending their 36-game winning streak to finish 361. One exception is Cal Baptist, who was excluded from the 2021 tournament as a transitional Division I member, despite a 240 record. UConn won the Big East tournament over Notre Dame in a game remembered for the Bird at the Buzzer shot, but lost key players Abrosimova and Ralph to season-ending injuries. [7] The Huskies also own the longest winning streak in regular-season games in college history; after an overtime loss to Stanford on November 17, 2014, they won their next 126 regular-season games until a 6857 loss to Baylor on January 3, 2019.[8]. Postseason invitational champion The Lady Bears became the first team in NCAA college basketball history, for either women or men, to win 40 games in a season. [64], After easy wins in both conference regular season and conference tournament, UConn entered the NCAA tournament unbeaten, #1 overall and once again a heavy favorite to win it all; the season came to an unexpected end when Mississippi State's Morgan William hit a buzzer-beater to give its team a 6664 overtime victory in the NCAA Final Four. During her tenure, shooting guard Karen Mullins was the first UConn woman to receive a basketball scholarship; that number had increased to 12 by 1980. Notre Dame went on to win its first national championship. The move to [87] During this period, UConn won five national titles, while making the Final Four seven of the ten years. National champion Including these final tournament games, Bascom had set a new UConn scoring record with 2,177 points during her years at the school.[12]. [52] Notre Dame went on to the National Championship Game, but were defeated by the Texas A&M Aggies. Their play was uneven during the regular season, where UConn went 273 with a loss to Baylor and a pair of losses to Notre Dame (including a three-overtime game in South Bend); in the Big East tournament UConn lost a third straight time to Notre Dame that delivered a last-minute comeback. They have taken part in every NCAA tournament since 1989; as of the end of the 201819 season, this is the third-longest active streak in Division I. Auriemma's training skills had an immediate impact and the team showed steady signs of progress: after going 1215 in his first season in 198586, Auriemma led UConn to winning seasons in 198687 and 198788. From 1994 to 2021, 64 teams competed in each tournament. The women's tournament championship game had 9.9 million views, becoming the most-watched women's basketball game in history. Geno Auriemma has led UConn to all 11 of its championships, [24] With Shea Ralph and senior Nykesha Sales out for the entire season, freshman Svetlana Abrosimova led a young UConn team to the NCAA Tournament Regional Final where they eventually lost to North Carolina State 6052. The end of 201213 season saw the breakup of the Big East Conference. Moore was named the Tournament Most Outstanding Player, to go along with her second straight Wade Trophy award and Academic All-America of the Year award. [70] They lost to the number one overall seed South Carolina 64-49. "[36], 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. Note: Conferences are listed by all champions' affiliations at that time; these do not necessarily match current affiliations. In 2017, UConn entered the tournament 320, but lost in the Final Four to. 1 in WNBA draft - ESPN", "Connecticut Huskies' 90-Game Win Streak - Women's College Basketball Topics - ESPN", "Maya Moore Becomes First Women's Basketball Player Signed To Jordan Brand", "Breanna Stewart, Stefanie Dolson lead UConn to record 9th title", "UConn holds off Notre Dame to claim 10th national title", "Geno Auriemma passes John Wooden with his 11th NCAA title", "With fourth title in hand, Breanna Stewart delivers for UConn", "Geno Auriemma: "We Need A Good Old-Fashioned Ass-Kicking", "Kia Nurse, Gabby Williams have emerged as leaders as UConn women chase history", "UConn Women Win 90th Straight, Tying Their Own Record", "UConn women's basketball wins 100th straight game, beats South Carolina 66-55", "Connecticut's 111-Game Winning Streak Ends With Loss to Mississippi State", "UConn Is 1 Win From Being The Streakiest College Team Ever", "UConn Transfer Azura Stevens Talks Excitement To Play For Huskies", "Notre Dame, a UConn Nemesis, Topples the Huskies in a Final Four Thriller", "Geno Auriemma wins 1000th game as UConn beats Oklahoma 88-64", "DI Women's Basketball Championship History", "NCAA tournaments canceled over coronavirus", "Big East Conference Statistical Archives", "Connecticut's Geno Auriemma keeps making a case to be considered the greatest basketball coach", "Who's the best coach ever? [31] 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. [16], The 199495 UConn team was widely credited with increasing interest in women's basketball. Because of the automatic bids, only 36 teams (the at-large bids) rely on the selection committee to secure them a spot in the tournament. "[25] Interest in Caitlin Clark's tournament run had led to record viewership of Iowa's Women's Final Four and championship games, which both set records for ESPN/ABC.[21][26]. In 2016, UConn entered the tournament 320, beat Syracuse for the national title, ending the season 380. Prior to that final championship, her coach, Geno Auriemma, predicted his team's likelihood of winning with the statement, "We have Diana, and you don't. The women's basketball players list includes guards Sue Bird, Bria Hartley, Moriah Jefferson, Renee Montgomery, Shea Ralph, Jennifer Rizzotti, Nykesha Sales, and Diana Taurasi; forwards Svetlana Abrosimova, Swin Cash, Napheesa Collier, Maya Moore, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Katie Lou Samuelson, Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck, and Gabby Williams; centers Kerry Bascom, Tina Charles, Stefanie Dolson, Rebecca Lobo, and Kara Wolters. 2023 college baseball conference tournaments: Schedules - Even if the Huskies were still a strong national contender, they were no longer viewed as a favorite to win it all. The teams met again on April 7, 2015 in the national championship game. [40], In the 200607 season, the team improved with the additions of Renee Montgomery, Mel Thomas, Ketia Swanier, and the #1 ranked high school player Tina Charles, helping UConn emerge as a contender again. Charles, who won the John R. Wooden Award and Naismith College Player of the Year awards,[49] was chosen first overall in the WNBA draft days later.[50]. UConn followed up its surprise run to the Final Four in 1991 by landing All-American Rebecca Lobo from Southwick, Massachusetts. Out-of-market games were carried via pay-per-view. In addition to all players returning from the 2007 team, #1 ranked high school player Maya Moore joined the team after a bitter recruitment battle between UConn and Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Connecticut again in the 199798 regular season. In 1993, all teams except for the top four were explicitly unseeded. At the time of her injury, she was only one point shy of Kerry Bascom's school scoring record. [15] UConn blew out Stanford in the semifinals behind Wolters' 31 points, reaching the championship game for a rematch against Tennessee. These are the highest FCS first-round NFL draft picks ever - [28], Auriemma pulled off another huge recruiting coup when he convinced All-American guard Diana Taurasi to travel across country to attend Connecticut. While other #1 seeds Notre Dame, South Carolina and Baylor suffered early upsets in the NCAA Tournament, UConn easily advanced to the Final Four where they defeated Oregon State 8051 and then old Big East rival Syracuse 8251 in the Championship Game. 8 Tennessee. 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 was found to have committed a secondary violation (involving a tour of the ESPN campus) and no punishment was handed out.[42][43]. They won their 17th Big East Regular Season title and their 15th Big East tournament title beating the Louisville Cardinals. Lobo graduated in 1995 receiving countless accolades: the Naismith College Player of the Year award, the Wade Trophy, the Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year award, the USBWA Women's National Player of the Year award, the Honda-Broderick Cup, the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award (first basketball player ever), the Associated Press Athlete of the Year (second basketball player after Sheryl Swoopes), the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, the Academic All-America of the Year and also All-sports Academic All-America of the Year. During his tenure with Team USA, they won the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, plus Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016. Women's NCAA Division I basketball champions. Bascom was hit with early foul trouble and Virginia held off a late UConn rally. In the NCAA tournament UConn key-players Stewart, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Stefanie Dolson and senior Kelly Faris raised their level of play, and UConn easily advanced to the Final Four; in the semifinals they handily beat Notre Dame and in the finals they obtained a 9360 win over Louisville, who had earlier upset Baylor, for a record tying eighth national championship. The AIAW continued to conduct its established championship program in the same 12 (and other) sports; however, after a year of dual women's championships, the NCAA prevailed, while the AIAW disbanded. UConn completed their sixth undefeated season winning the 11th overall Championship (all-time record for both men's and women's college basketball) and 4th in a row (also a record for women's college basketball).