Connecticut is back in the Final Four.
The third-seeded Huskies, one of the most powerful teams in the history of the sport, lost in the national semifinals last season for the first time in 15 years, but defeated Southern California 80-73 to earn a second chance at the championship. title.
The program is led by junior guard Paige Backers, who has scored 20 or more points in seven consecutive games. This year is also her year of redemption after missing last season with a torn ACL.
Head coach Geno Auriemma is in his 39th season at the helm of the Huskies. He has worked with basketball icons Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Rebecca Lobo and Brianna Stewart to put UConn on the map as a historic program.
The Huskies will face Caitlin Clark and top-seeded Iowa in the Final Four in Cleveland for another chance at the national championship.
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Here's UConn's Final Four history:
How many times has UConn reached the Final Four?
The University of Connecticut has advanced to the Final Four 23 times, all under head coach Geno Auriemma. This is the most Final Four appearances by any Division I college basketball team, men's or women's.
The Huskies first reached the Final Four in 1991, losing 61-55 to Virginia in the semifinals. Since then, they have performed in 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, They reached the Final Four in 2016, 2017, 2018, and again in 2019. , 2021, 2022 and 2024. The tournament was not held in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A streak of 14 consecutive Final Four appearances from 2008 to 2022 ended when Ohio State defeated UW 73-61 in the Sweet 16 last season.
How many national championships has UConn won?
The Huskies have won 11 national championships, tied with the UCLA men's team for the most of any program in Division I college basketball, all under head coach Geno Auriemma. He won the Connecticut title in 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. Six of those seasons (1995, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016) were undefeated.
“What these 11 championships mean to me is how many great players I've had the opportunity to coach,” Auriemma said after winning the 2016 title. “How many great people have come through this program. It doesn't matter whose name is up there or whose name I am. As long as those players remain in my memory. i'm good.”
How many times has UConn been to the national championship?
Connecticut has appeared in the national championship 12 times. The Huskies have won all but one title in 2022, when they lost 64-49 to South Carolina.
If the Huskies and Siamcocks each win their Final Four semifinals, that game could be rematched this year.
UConn 1995 National Champion Team
Connecticut won its first title in 1995 under head coach Geno Auriemma, defeating Tennessee 70-64. His 35-0 finish for the Huskies was his first of six undefeated seasons. The team was led by Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo, who averaged 17.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. She became a WNBA All-Star and won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA a year later. Point guard Jennifer Rizzotti averaged 12.5 points and 4.6 assists per game that season, and was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated after the championship with the headline, “Perfect!”
UConn 2000 National Champion Team
Connecticut defeated Tennessee again in 2000 to win its second national championship. This time she avenged her only loss of the season with a decisive score of 71-52. Tamika Catchings and Volanti previously defeated the Huskies in the regular season, finishing 36-1. Junior guard Shea Ralph was named the Most Valuable Player of the Final Four and won the Honda Award, given to the top athlete in women's college basketball. After finishing her collegiate career with 1,678 points, 456 assists and 252 steals, she returned to the program as an assistant coach. A player named Sue Bird was also starting to spread her wings.
UConn 2002 National Champion Team
After losing in the Final Four to Notre Dame in 2001, Geno Auriemma quickly returned to the Big Dance and started a run of three straight championships. In 2002, the first year of the streak, the Huskies defeated Oklahoma 82-70 to win their third title with a 39-0 record. Swin Cash scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the final game and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Sue Bird averaged 14.4 points and 5.9 assists per game and was named National Player of the Year. She was then drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm and went on to win four WNBA championships.
UConn 2003 National Champion Team
The Huskies' second of three consecutive wins came in 2003 when they defeated Tennessee for the third time in the title game, by a score of 73-68. After Sue Bird left, Diana Taurasi took the reins and averaged a career-high 17.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in her junior season. She was named the most outstanding player of the tournament. Connecticut lost to Villanova in the Big East Tournament championship game, but finished 37-1. This loss ended his winning streak at 70.
UConn 2004 National Champion Team
The last time the Huskies won a national championship three years in a row was when Diana Taurasi did it in 2004. Connecticut State defeated Tennessee for the fourth time in the championship game, this time winning 70-61. Taurasi became the first player in program history to win back-to-back tournament Most Valuable Player and National Most Valuable Player awards. She was also the first Huskies player to record 2,000 points, 600 assists, and 600 rebounds during her time there. Taurasi was selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury and is a three-time WNBA champion. She is also the owner of five Olympic gold medals.
UConn 2009 National Champion Team
Connecticut's 2009 national championship team was one of the most likely. They won all 39 games by double digits and finished the season undefeated. They returned to the national championship game after missing the Final Four the year before and defeated Louisville 76-54. Junior Tina Charles was a star this season, scoring 25 points and grabbing 19 rebounds in the title game. She was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Sophomore Maya Moore added 18 points and nine rebounds in the final game, becoming the fastest player in program history to reach 1,000 points in 55 games.
UConn 2010 National Champion Team
The Huskies won the championship in 2010, winning back-to-back titles again. It was another undefeated season with 39 wins and 0 losses. The University of Connecticut defeated Stanford University 53-47 to win the title for the seventh time. Maya Moore had 23 points and 11 rebounds in this game. She averaged 18.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game and ended her junior season with the Most Valuable Player title. Moore reached the Final Four again the following year, but fell short of her third All-American title, and she was selected No. 1 overall in the 2011 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx. She won the WNBA Championship four times before she quit basketball to pursue her social justice cause.
UConn 2013 National Champion Team
After missing the Final Four for two years, Connecticut won its eighth national championship in 2013. Connecticut defeated Louisville 93-60 to win the first of four consecutive championships, the longest in Huskies history. Freshman Brianna Stewart started her reign with 23 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in the game, earning her the Most Valuable Player of the Final Four award. She recorded 497 points and 74 blocks, ranking fourth and third in program history among freshmen. Sophomore Karina Mosqueda-Ruiz led the Huskies with 17.6 points per game and wowed the nation with 118 3-point buckets, helping the team finish the season 35-4.
UConn 2014 National Champion Team
The Huskies won again in 2014, defeating Notre Dame 79-58 for a perfect 40-0 record. Brianna Stewart finished her second season as the other best player, leading the team with 19.4 points and 2.8 blocks per game, and had 21 points and nine rebounds in the title game. Stephanie Dolson added 17 points and 16 boards in the finale. Junior Karina Mosqueda-Ruiz suffered an elbow injury early in the season, but returned and earned Connecticut's third triple-double (NCAA) with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the Huskies' second game. It was the program's first in the tournament. – Round victory over St. Joseph.
UConn 2015 National Champion Team
The Huskies' third of four straight wins came in 2015 with a 63-53 victory over Notre Dame in a rematch of last year's title game. Karina Mosqueda-Ruiz scored 15 points in her senior final game and finished her college career as the all-time leading 3-point shooter in women's college basketball history with 398 points. (The record is currently held by Caitlin Clark). Mosqueda-Ruiz was selected by the Seattle Storm as the third overall pick in the WNBA draft. Her future pro teammate, sophomore Brianna Stewart, added eight points and 15 rebounds in the title game, earning her third consecutive Most Valuable Player title. She led the team with 17.6 points and 7.8 rebounds during the season, and the Huskies finished 38-1. Their only loss came early in the season in overtime to Tara VanDerveer's Stanford.
UConn 2016 National Champion Team
Connecticut State's four-game winning streak ended with an 82-51 victory over Syracuse in the 2016 national championship. Their perfect reign ended with their last perfect season, a 38-0 record. With this win, the school has won 75 consecutive games, all by double digits. Brianna Stewart finished her historic career as a member of the Huskies with 24 points and 10 rebounds in the title game. She was the only player in college basketball history to be named Final Four Most Valuable Player four times. She led the team with 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game. Her 2,676 career points ranked second in Connecticut history. Stewart was selected No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2016 WNBA Draft. She won two championships, was named league MVP twice, and was the first woman in more than a decade to wear a signature shoe.