When it comes to women in sports, it is difficult to look past the prowess and proven ability of the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team.
The UConn Huskies hold the longest win streak in NCAA Division I athletics in any sport. The Huskies beat the previous record of 90 consecutive wins on Jan. 14. The previous record was held by none other than the University of Connecticut Huskies women’s basketball team, those wins coming from 2008–2011 seasons.
Both their current win streak (107 games) and their previous win streak (90 games) were enough to top the previous NCAA Division I record. That record of 88 was set by the UCLA men’s basketball team from 1971–1974. That team was coached by basketball legend John Wooden.
If the sheer number of wins doesn’t prove to their audience that the Huskies mean business, the rest of their numbers likely will. Regarding their current winning streak, the UConn women have won 104 out of 107 games by double digits, leaving just three games within single digits.
In case that doesn’t set them apart, here’s another tidbit: Sixty of those 104 wins were decided by 40 points or more. It has been over 850 days since the Huskies’ last loss, ending a 46 game win streak, meaning that UConn’s record is 152–1 over its last 153 games. That is a record completely unmatched in the realm of college athletics.
In an interview with ESPN, head coach Geno Auriemma talked about the team’s joy of being able to win, but also the fear of losing and not being able to continue to build their record.
“Fear paralyses you, but the desire to win inspires you,” Auriemma said. “We talk about eliminating that fear. There is nothing wrong with losing or coming up short. We just don’t want that to cripple us moving forward.”
Auriemma has led his team to an astounding record of 955-134 (.877) over his 31 seasons with the Huskies. That is the best record in the history of the sport, according to his biography provided by the University of Connecticut. He is only the fourth college coach to reach 900 wins, and he did it in the shortest amount of time.
The legacy of University of Connecticut women’s basketball is one that will go down in college athletics record books. Their spectacular 11 national titles, 17 Final Four appearances, and 43 conference titles have blown away the competition. The Huskies are matched only by dynasties such as University of Alabama football or Conor McGregor in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.
Katie Lou Samuelson, a sophomore on the team, recently broke a record and became the just the second player in NCAA history, men’s and women’s, to shoot 10-for-10 from behind the three-point line.
Samuelson feels it is important for women in sports know their worth and how important their participation in athletics is.
“I’ve always felt empowered playing basketball and going against the guys,” Samuelson told USA Today. “The negative conception comes from the early days when girls and guys were suppose to do different things. You get put into categories; it’s society’s way of molding things. Women playing sports is a great way to break those expectations.”
These women continue to make Huskies basketball great, proving that the grandiose feats of basketball aren’t confined to the men of the sports world. These athletes have made UConn basketball legendary, and they continue to do so every time they step out on the court.
