“If I can be part of a team the rest of my life, then I’m going to be a lucky guy and I've tried to do that all of my life -- be part of a team.”
Championship Timeline
95
The First Win And Birth of a DynastyIt has been called the team that made women’s basketball. Led by Rebecca Lobo and fellow all-tournament team members Jen Rizzotti, Jamelle Elliott, and Kara Wolters, the Connecticut women bested Tennessee 70-64 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, capping off a perfect 35-0 season.
16
An 11th TitleSets a Coaching RecordThe UConn women wrapped up a sixth undefeated season by overwhelming Syracuse 82-51 for a fourth consecutive NCAA title—a Division I women's college basketball record. That makes 11 overall for Geno Auriemma, surpassing the 10-title record set by legendary UCLA coach John Wooden.
00
The Rematchand A 2nd TitleThe highly anticipated championship rematch between the Lady Huskies and the Lady Vols resulted in a 71-52 UConn victory for their second NCAA championship. Shea Ralph, with 15 points, was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
02
A 3rd NCAA Titleand an Undefeated SeasonWith a dream team including Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, the Lady Huskies dispatched the Lady Vols in the semifinals and went on to notch a third championship with an 82-70 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners. With that win, UConn became the first team in NCAA history with two undefeated seasons.
03
A 4th NCAA Titleand Back to Back WinsOn April 8, the UConn Women bested Tennessee 73-68 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta to win a second straight national championship. UConn’s Diana Taurasi, who made 20 three-pointers in the tournament, was named Most Outstanding Player.
04
A Three-Peatfor the HuskiesThe Lady Huskies became the second women’s college basketball team in history to win three straight titles with a 70-61 win over archrival Tennessee at New Orleans Arena. UConn’s Diana Taurasi was named Most Outstanding Player for the second consecutive year.
09
Cutting the Netswith a 6th ChampionshipWith a team largely intact from the previous season—including All-Americans Maya Moore, Renee Montgomery and Tina Charles—the Lady Huskies posted their sixth NCAA championship, beating Louisville and capping off their third undefeated season.
10
It's the Alamo forA 7th NCAA TitleUConn successfully defended their title in San Antonio, Texas, beating Stanford 53-46. The win capped the team’s second consecutive undefeated season—UConn’s fourth overall and the first back-to-back undefeated seasons in NCAA history.
13
An 8th Title andA Freshman MOPWith a 93-60 win over Louisville Cardinals at New Orleans Arena, the most points the UConn women ever put up in a final, the Huskies tied the record set by Pat Summit’s Tennessee Vols for the most NCAA women’s basketball titles. Freshman Breanna Stewart was named the Most Outstanding Player—the first freshman to win the honor since 1987.
14
2 Unbeatens CollideAnd UConn Gets 9Unstoppable throughout the season behind sophomore Breanna Stewart, the UConn women beat every opponent by double digits and met undefeated Notre Dame in the final in Nashville—the first time two undefeated teams met in the championship game. UConn beat Notre Dame 79-58.
15
A Coaching Record is Matched at 10After a season-opening loss to Stanford, the Huskies tore through the rest of the season undefeated. Again, UConn met Notre Dame in the championship game. UConn won again, 63-53, for its second title three-peat and the 10th championship overall, tying Geno with the record set by legendary UCLA coach John Wooden.
16
Undefeated Againwith 11 ChampionshipsWith the victory, UConn ties the UCLA Bruins men's team for the most college basketball championships and becomes the first Division I women's team to win four straight national championships.
Maya Moore is just the second freshman NCAA Division I women's basketball history to be named to the Associated Press All-America First Team.
UConn wins its first national championship, defeating Tennessee 70-64 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rebecca Lobo is named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player.
The UConn women win their second national championship, beating Tennessee 71-52. Connecticut's Shea Ralph is named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
UConn routs Oregon State in the National Semifinal game 80-51. The 29 point margin of victory becomes the largest in women's Final Four history set by Tennessee in 1998.
With a semifinal win over Oregon State, Moriah Jefferson moves into first place on UConn's all-time assist list, passing Diana Taurasi's mark of 648. Jefferson had 10 points and 7 assists for the night.
Maya Moore puts up 36 points versus Notre Dame in the NCAA semifinal in Indianapolis. UConn lost to Notre Dame 72-63 and Texas A&M won the NCAA championship that year.
The first women's basketball game is played in San Francisco between Stanford University and the University of California. Stanford wins 2-1.
Jennifer Rizzotti, who started every game in her 135-game career at UConn and went on to coach at the University of Hartford, is inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
The UConn Huskies defeat Syracuse 82-51 in the NCAA Championship game and cap off a perfect 38-0 season. The win marks Coach Auriemma's 11th championship.
Kara Wolters—at 6'7'' the tallest player in UConn women's basketball history—is taken by the Houston Comets as the 36th pick in the WBNA draft.
The UConn women defend their title, beating Stanford 53-47 at the Alamodome in San Antonio Texas to win their seventh NCAA title.
Coach Geno Auriemma is named winner of the 2009 Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year award. With honors in 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002 and 2008 as well, he has now won more than any other coach.
Geno Auriemma leads the UConn women to their 10th NCAA title with a 63-53 win over Notre Dame.
Cathy Bochain, who became UConn’s all-time leading scorer with 1,534 points before graduating in 1983 (she is now #21 on that list), is inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2010, UConn star Tina Charles is chosen #1 in the WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun.
The undefeated UConn women meet undefeated Notre Dame in the NCAA final—the first time two undefeated teams met in the final matchup. UConn triumphs over Notre Dame 79-58 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville to win their ninth NCAA title.
Breanna Stewart ends her sophomore year by setting a new single-season record for most free throws made, with 147.
The UConn women win title #8, beating Louisville 93-60, the most points UConn ever put up in a final. UConn and Aureimma are now tied with Tennessee and Pat Summit for the most NCAA championships.
Kerry Bascom Poliquin, who played 120 career games with UConn and was on the team that earned UConn’s first trip to the Final Four in 1991, is inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Maya Moore is the #1 pick in the WNBA draft, going to the Minnesota Lynx.
Former Husky Rebecca Lobo marries Sports Illustrated writer Steve Rushin at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Today, the couple has three children.
Laura Lishness, who was a junior when UConn won its first Big East Conference title and as a senior in 1991 helped lead Huskies to their first ever NCAA Final Four, is inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
After averaging 36.2 points and 12.3 rebounds for Bloomfield High, Nykesha Sales is named girls basketball Player of the Year by USA Today. She will enter UConn in the fall with a full scholarship.
Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck go 1-2-3 in the WNBA draft. It's a feat for three players that has never happened in any major sport. Stewart is the fifth UConn player selected No. 1 overall.
Diana Taurasi is picked #1 in the WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury.
Four of the top six WNBA draft picks were from the 2002 NCAA Champion University of Connecticut: Sue Bird (#1), Swin Cash (#2), Asjha Jones (#4) and Tamika Williams (#6).
Rebecca Lobo is inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Kara Wolters, who played center for the team that won the 1995 NCAA Championship with a perfect 35-0 record, is inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. UConn and WNBA star Nykesha Sales is inducted on the same day in 2014.
Coach Geno Auriemma and Assistant Coach Chris Dailey are inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
The 2008-2009 Huskies, winners of the 2009 National Championship, pay a visit to President Barack Obama at the White House.
Maria Conlon, who played in four Final Four Tournaments and three National Titles while at UConn, is inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
