25 Years of Dominance

[TWG236]

Between 1995 and 2019 the UCONN Huskies have made it to the Final Four twenty times. During that 25 year time span, every class (28) have reached the Final Four at least once during their careers.

FOUR FINAL FOURS: Eleven 2003, 2004, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019.

THREE FINAL FOURS: Four 2002, 2005, 2010 & 2020.

TWO FINAL FOURS: Seven 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2009, & 2021.

ONE FINAL FOUR: Six 1995, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2008, & 2022.

Having made it to the Final Four twenty times, they have won Eleven National Championships. Below is the breakdown of the number of championships each class have won.

FOUR NC: One: 2016

THREE NC: Five: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2015, & 2017.

TWO NC: Eight: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, & 2018.

ONE NC: Nine: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2009, & 2019.

NO NC: Five: 1999, 2008, 2020, 2021, & 2022). Of course 2020, 2021 & 2022 have yet to finish their careers.

For Baylor, Notre Dame and all of the other teams, only Tennessee has any semblance of this type of history. So congratulations to Baylor on winning #3, but you have a long way to go to catch up. So sad to see Notre Dame lose yet again in the National Championship game. For all the boasting they do when they beat us in the Final Four, they have only been able to win the National Championship twice.

 

[bballnut90]

Between 1995 and 2019 the UCONN Huskies have made it to the Final Four twenty times. During that 25 year time span, every class (28) have reached the Final Four at least once during their careers.

FOUR FINAL FOURS: Eleven 2003, 2004, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019.

THREE FINAL FOURS: Four 2002, 2005, 2010 & 2020.

TWO FINAL FOURS: Seven 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2009, & 2021.

ONE FINAL FOUR: Six 1995, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2008, & 2022.

Having made it to the Final Four twenty times, they have won Eleven National Championships. Below is the breakdown of the number of championships each class have won.

FOUR NC: One: 2016

THREE NC: Five: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2015, & 2017.

TWO NC: Eight: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, & 2018.

ONE NC: Nine: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2009, & 2019.

NO NC: Five: 1999, 2008, 2020, 2021, & 2022). Of course 2020, 2021 & 2022 have yet to finish their careers.

For Baylor, Notre Dame and all of the other teams, only Tennessee has any semblance of this type of history. So congratulations to Baylor on winning #3, but you have a long way to go to catch up. So sad to see Notre Dame lose yet again in the National Championship game. For all the boasting they do when they beat us in the Final Four, they have only been able to win the National Championship twice.

Pretty remarkable stats. Dangerfield and Co. appear to have an uphill battle to avoid being a no NC class but UCONN is well suited to be a strong title contender the next 3-4 years with your slew of #1 recruits.

Pat had a similar run with Final Fours that stretched around 30 years where every class reached a Final Four. I think UCONN's Final four streak actually dates back to 1991, so Geno's streak is at 29 years for every kid making a Final Four.

In terms of winning it all, both Baylor and Notre Dame are very far behind Tennessee and Connecticut. I I don't see Kim or Muffet coaching long enough to come close to Pat's 8.

Not sure when Muffet will have a realistic shot again at winning another one. I've learned never to count ND out since they almost always outperform preseason expectations, but their cupboard looks truly bare for the first time in a while.

Another interesting tidbit--with the loss Muffet falls to just 2-6 in title game appearances, having made 6 of the last 9 title games and only winning 1. She's had stellar teams but entering the title game they've gone up against some true juggernauts:
2011 Texas A&M, 32-5 (beat 36-1 UCONN in the semis)
2012 Baylor, 39-0
2014 UCONN, 39-0
2015 UCONN, 37-1 (beat 34-2 South Carolina in the semis)
2018 Mississippi State, 37-1 (after beating 36-0 UCONN in the semis)
2019 Baylor, 36-1 (beat 35-2 UCONN in the semis)

If you take out the outlier, the past 5 teams she's faced entering title games have had a combined record of 188-3. That is nuts. Add to that their road to get there has usually been brutal too, facing teams with 0, 1, or 2 losses in 4 of the 6 semifinals. It's easy to harp on her for struggling to win the big one, but the quality of teams she's had to go up against are ridiculously high.

 

[Bayareahusky]

yes Muffet has no apologies .... she is a great coach.... and has run a good program.... but all this highlights how tough it is to get to the pinnacle.... very hard.... ask Brenda or Tara.... or Vic... or G Blair... or Q.... or anyone who has been close but not been able to get the brass ring....

and of course it points to our Huskies and how exemplary they have been.... running a great program.... and taking everyones best shot.... dominating in an age where it is far more competitive than it was in the 70s and 80s..... it is not Delta State Old Dominion and USC any more.... it is many more teams vying for top team status.... and Geno Chris and staff have set records that will only be matched many years down the road

 

[Oldbones]

Sorry for the crepe-hanging, but

I'm still in mourning here, feeling a little better with the ND loss, but I am feeling as if we are In that final scene from Monty Python's Life of Brian, trying to "Always look on the bright side of life." Great accomplishments, but being so close so often recently, arguably one basket in each of the past three years, is making me wistful for the juggernauts of prior years, and being comforted by the banners on the walls. I dread our gradually becoming the UCLA (or even Kentucky) of the MCBB, or the Celtics, or the Yankees, or the Montreal Canadiens, with a glorious history, but very little to show for the past couple of decades. One year, or even two, of missing out, and the UCONN WCBB fan base can be called spoiled, but now we seem to be shifting to a longer period of drought, and angst, and trying to be comfortable with being close, and trying to make sense of the immediate future..

I'm sad for these wonderful young women. I'm sad for family, friends, Boosters, and Boneyarders and for everyone who wants total success, not such a tantalizingly close view of the Promised Land.

 

[bbsamjj]

Pretty remarkable stats. Dangerfield and Co. appear to have an uphill battle to avoid being a no NC class but UCONN is well suited to be a strong title contender the next 3-4 years with your slew of #1 recruits.

Pat had a similar run with Final Fours that stretched around 30 years where every class reached a Final Four. I think UCONN's Final four streak actually dates back to 1991, so Geno's streak is at 29 years for every kid making a Final Four.

In terms of winning it all, both Baylor and Notre Dame are very far behind Tennessee and Connecticut. I I don't see Kim or Muffet coaching long enough to come close to Pat's 8.

Not sure when Muffet will have a realistic shot again at winning another one. I've learned never to count ND out since they almost always outperform preseason expectations, but their cupboard looks truly bare for the first time in a while.

Another interesting tidbit--with the loss Muffet falls to just 2-6 in title game appearances, having made 6 of the last 9 title games and only winning 1. She's had stellar teams but entering the title game they've gone up against some true juggernauts:
2011 Texas A&M, 32-5 (beat 36-1 UCONN in the semis)
2012 Baylor, 39-0
2014 UCONN, 39-0
2015 UCONN, 37-1 (beat 34-2 South Carolina in the semis)
2018 Mississippi State, 37-1 (after beating 36-0 UCONN in the semis)
2019 Baylor, 36-1 (beat 35-2 UCONN in the semis)

If you take out the outlier, the past 5 teams she's faced entering title games have had a combined record of 188-3. That is nuts. Add to that their road to get there has usually been brutal too, facing teams with 0, 1, or 2 losses in 4 of the 6 semifinals. It's easy to harp on her for struggling to win the big one, but the quality of teams she's had to go up against are ridiculously high.

Here team also had played three times against two of the greatest women's basketball players in the world: Griner and Stewart. I guess another interesting question is--in these 6 championship games, how many were ND favored in? Maybe 2011, and maybe last night (though just barely, Baylor was the overall #1 seed).

 

[bballnut90]

Here team also had played three times against two of the greatest women's basketball players in the world: Griner and Stewart. I guess another interesting question is--in these 6 championship games, how many were ND favored in? Maybe 2011, and maybe last night (though just barely, Baylor was the overall #1 seed).

Very true. That's a pretty crazy task to go up against. They also would've won in 2013 had they knocked off UCONN. Last night Baylor was a slight favorite, and in 2011 I think it was pretty much a toss up since both ND and A&M were not expected to get there.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Here team also had played three times against two of the greatest women's basketball players in the world: Griner and Stewart.

Same can be said for Tara. Lost Title games against Parker and Moore/Charles.