Welcome back to another edition of Husky History. Sticking with the same theme as last week’s piece where we highlighted the 2006 UConn men’s basketball team that won the Big East regular season title, we’re going to highlight another legendary basketball squad from UConn.
As March Madness approaches, this week will focus on the 1994-95 women’s basketball team, known as the group that kickstarted this unparalleled college basketball dynasty. In his tenth season as head coach, Hall of Famer Geno Auriemma made history in little old Connecticut.
The season was historical in all aspects. Led by All-American centers in senior Rebecca Lobo and sophomore Kara Wolters, the balance on this team was unmatched as eight women scored 4.6 points or higher per night. The team’s 89.5 points per game ranked second in the country, highlighting their offensive dominance.
As previously mentioned, Lobo led this team to success in her final season and established herself as an all-time UConn legend. That season she averaged 17.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and an astonishing 3.5 blocks. She was an all-around threat on the court that was honored with a handful of awards, most notably the AP Player of the Year and the 1995 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
The Huskies entered the season with high expectations, ranking fourth in the AP Poll. As they came out of the gates blazing hot and built a winning streak that would never end, they climbed the poll until they reached No. 1. They went on to hold that position for the final nine weeks.
The season the Huskies had was best demonstrated in the drubbing of Morgan State with a score of 107-27. Twelve straight victories were collected following that win, leading up to an important matchup against Tennessee in Gampel Pavilion.
The game against the Lady Volunteers sparked the beginning of what would become one of the most historic sports rivalries in the country. Using the boost provided by the home-court advantage, the Huskies came out victorious 77-66. This meeting was not the last of the season, however.
More and more victories came the Huskies’ way as they wrapped up the regular season with a flawless record. They came into the Big East Conference Tournament the clear favorites and did not disappoint. They rattled off three straight wins over Providence, Pittsburgh and Seton Hall, all by an average of 32.3 points.
The 1995 NCAA Tournament was shaping up to be another collision for UConn and Tennessee in the championship game, and that’s exactly what happened. The Huskies had a relatively easy path to the final considering all games up to the Elite Eight were held at Gampel Pavilion.
The second edition of the rivalry game between these two impressive programs delivered everything it promised. Ultimately, UConn came out with a 70-64 win, declaring the Huskies and Auriemma first-time national champions.
It came down to the firepower UConn fielded in the final game of the season. In the five player All-Tournament Team, four of the five nominees were Huskies, including Lobo, Wolters and juniors Jennifer Rizzotti and Jamelle Elliott.
Auriemma did what only Texas and head coach Jody Conradt had done before: produce a perfect winning season capped off with a national championship. Like Lobo, he was given his flowers with all the awards he earned, including the Naismith College Coach of the Year honor.
It was truly a special year that will forever be remembered by all UConn supporters. As the best time of the year creeps up for Husky basketball fans, we all hope more hardware can be brought back by the women to its rightful place: Storrs.