Dominance

[TWG236]

As we prepare for the upcoming season. A few interesting facts pertaining to the dominance of the UCONN Women’s Basketball success. Since their first National Championship in 1995, over the next 30 years, nobody has controlled college basketball as have the UCONN Women’s programs. I don’t believe that this will ever be accomplished again. Here are some interesting facts to support my conclusion.

1: Gino’s Record: 1,250 – 165 (88.3) – NCAA Tournaments: 36, Final Fours: 24, Record: 132-24 (84.6), - Record VS Ranked Teams Record: 299-84 (78.1). Record VS Top 10 Ranked: 135-66 (67.2). Record One VS Two: 22-4 (84.6)

2: Since 1995 every one of the 33 classes has reached at least one Final Four.

3: 11 classes have participated in the final four in each of their 4 years. (2003, 2004, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019).

4: 7 classes have participated in three final fours. (2002, 2005, 2010, 2020, 2022, 2024 & 2025).

5: 9 classes have participated in two final fours. (1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2009, 2021, 2023, 2026 & 2027).

6: 6 classes have participated in one final four. (1995, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2008, & 2028).

7: Top 10 classes winning PCT. #1: 2017 152-2 (98.7), Chong & Lawlor). #2: 2018 148-3 (98.2), Nurse & Williams). #3: 2011 150-4 (97.4), Moore & Dixon. #4: 151-5 (96.8), Stewart, Tuck, & Jefferson. #5: 2019 135-5 (96.6), Collier & Samuelson. #6: 2003 144-5 (96.6), No seniors. #7: 2010 146-6 (96.1), Charles, Greene, Fernandez, Gardler & McLaren. #8: 2012 147-7 (95.5), Hayes. #9: 2004 139-8 (94.6), Colon, Taurasi & M. Valley. #10: 2020 136-8 (94.4), Bent, Dangerfield & Irwin – 1998 136-8 (94.4), Sales. *Only listed players who played in each of their classes 4 years. Doty had an injury redshirt year and didn’t graduate until 2005.

8: Only 6 out of the 33 classes have not won a National Championship. (1999, 2008, 2020, 2022, 2023, & 2024) *2021 NCCA Tournament cancelled due to COVID.

9: 4 NC – 2016. 3 NC - 2003, 2004, 2005, 2015, & 2017. 2 NC - 2002, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, & 2018. 1 NC – 1995 , 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2009, 2019, 2021, 2025, 2026, & 2027.

 

[Bone Dog]

Scary stats. I’m not sure I follow all of them. But I was struck by something Geno apparently told Holly or Rebecca at the NC game about how frustrating Paige’s experience has been, grinding for 4 years before winning an NC. “We usually take care of that by their sophomore year.”

It’s just an odd thing for him to have said, as though an NC were merely a matter of course for UConn kids. It’s unusual if they don’t get a ring, and get it pretty early on. But this is the reality of UConn and the legacy Geno and CD have built.

 

[ucmiami2]

Here is another one - of Geno's recruiting classes, only his first class of 1985 and his second class of 1986 did not make it to a final four. Every other player who stayed four years made a final four! (And he was hired as a rookie head coach to the doormat of the big east before it was the BE, so he was building from scratch.)

Also:
From 1985-86 through 1993-94, Geno was 192-81 winning at 70.3% before his first championship (and first undefeated season.

From the start of that 1994-95 season through the 2024-25 season his record is 1058-84 for 94.1% winning record.

For those 31 years his average team record is 34.1 - 2.7, making the FF 77% of the time and winning it all 40% of the time. (30 tournaments)

 

[CL82]

Only 6 out of the 33 classes have not won a National Championship

Out of a whole boatload of stunning statistics, this one stood out to me. That's pretty damn impressive.

 

[Bone Dog]

I just want to clarify something about that remark I mentioned above. I didn’t hear Geno actually say that. It was attributed to him.l by the on of the announcing team during the game. It sounded odd to me at the time, and maybe out of character. I should have made my reservation clearer earlier. It may well be an accurate description of the way things turn out at UConn — and the stats listed at the top of the thread suggest as much — but it doesn’t sound like the sort of thing Geno would say.

 

[FanSince17]

I just want to clarify something about that remark I mentioned above. I didn’t hear Geno actually say that. It was attributed to him.l by the on of the announcing team during the game. It sounded odd to me at the time, and maybe out of character. I should have made my reservation clearer earlier. It may well be an accurate description of the way things turn out at UConn — and the stats listed at the top of the thread suggest as much — but it doesn’t sound like the sort of thing Geno would say.

I heard Geno say the remark. It was in the context of the pressure to get Paige a championship, which was a theme circling around last year's team. It was truly about Paige, so I did not take the comment as arrogant. Therefore, the comment would have applied to UConn's iconic stars and maybe not all players that come through the program.

 

[Cuango]

I was not aware of this remark but I do not find it to be arrogant anyway. I think that when you have literally set a new standard in terms of dominating a sport, you have earned the right to make an occasional remark pointing out the greatness of your accomplishment! “It’s not bragging if you can back it up”: Muhammad Ali

 

[OldSchooler]

About midway through this current season, Geno's win total will exceed his loss total by 1100 games. That's insane. Nobody close. How many coaches would be satisfied with a W/L career average over .500?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

It was and hopefully will be an ongoing dominance, made all the sweeter by that lengthy interlude; an interlude that most would call a dynasty.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

As we prepare for the upcoming season. A few interesting facts pertaining to the dominance of the UCONN Women’s Basketball success. Since their first National Championship in 1995, over the next 30 years, nobody has controlled college basketball as have the UCONN Women’s programs. I don’t believe that this will ever be accomplished again. Here are some interesting facts to support my conclusion.

1: Gino’s Record: 1,250 – 165 (88.3) – NCAA Tournaments: 36, Final Fours: 24, Record: 132-24 (84.6), - Record VS Ranked Teams Record: 299-84 (78.1). Record VS Top 10 Ranked: 135-66 (67.2). Record One VS Two: 22-4 (84.6)

2: Since 1995 every one of the 33 classes has reached at least one Final Four.

3: 11 classes have participated in the final four in each of their 4 years. (2003, 2004, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019).

4: 7 classes have participated in three final fours. (2002, 2005, 2010, 2020, 2022, 2024 & 2025).

5: 9 classes have participated in two final fours. (1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2009, 2021, 2023, 2026 & 2027).

6: 6 classes have participated in one final four. (1995, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2008, & 2028).

7: Top 10 classes winning PCT. #1: 2017 152-2 (98.7), Chong & Lawlor). #2: 2018 148-3 (98.2), Nurse & Williams). #3: 2011 150-4 (97.4), Moore & Dixon. #4: 151-5 (96.8), Stewart, Tuck, & Jefferson. #5: 2019 135-5 (96.6), Collier & Samuelson. #6: 2003 144-5 (96.6), No seniors. #7: 2010 146-6 (96.1), Charles, Greene, Fernandez, Gardler & McLaren. #8: 2012 147-7 (95.5), Hayes. #9: 2004 139-8 (94.6), Colon, Taurasi & M. Valley. #10: 2020 136-8 (94.4), Bent, Dangerfield & Irwin – 1998 136-8 (94.4), Sales. *Only listed players who played in each of their classes 4 years. Doty had an injury redshirt year and didn’t graduate until 2005.

8: Only 6 out of the 33 classes have not won a National Championship. (1999, 2008, 2020, 2022, 2023, & 2024) *2021 NCCA Tournament cancelled due to COVID.

9: 4 NC – 2016. 3 NC - 2003, 2004, 2005, 2015, & 2017. 2 NC - 2002, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, & 2018. 1 NC – 1995 , 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2009, 2019, 2021, 2025, 2026, & 2027.

Looking at records with no peer, but Pat Summit is closest in several of these categories during Geno's 36 straight NCAA tournaments (2020 was the one cancelled and Dawn put up a banner, OUCH! 😎 ):

1) 31 straight Sweet 16's, with a record of 29-3 all time {current streak}; {Pat had 27 straight}.
2) 16 straight wins in the Elite 8 {current streak}, with a record of 24-5 all time in the Regional Championship games (that is the Elite 8 after all, eh?); {Pat had 5 straight, and four straight twice (not counting the streak of 5)).
3) A record of 12-1 in NCAA championship games; the only place he has a shaky record is in the National Semi-final games at 13-11. {Pat was 8-5 in Championships (UConn beat UTenn 4 times); Pat was 16-6 in the regional finals, and 13-3 in the National Semi-Final games - the only spot Pat has on Geno with a better record or more wins; just need to make the NCAA finals this year to have more wins in the National Semis... That would also gain this edition 40 games, and Geno & CD could be 1290-165 (88.66%) to Pat's 1098-208 (84.07%) (4 others are between them, but all have less than 800 wins).

Hopefully, the Big O wants to commit to UConn to extend some of the above, and break the 100+ games won in a row, that started with the 2024-2025 edition of the Huskies in the game after they lost to the evil Orange Empire eight days before Valentine's Day!!!!

Go Huskies!!!

 

[ucmiami2]

Here is another one - of Geno's recruiting classes, only his first class of 1985 and his second class of 1986 did not make it to a final four. Every other player who stayed four years made a final four! (And he was hired as a rookie head coach to the doormat of the big east before it was the BE, so he was building from scratch.)

Also:
From 1985-86 through 1993-94, Geno was 192-81 winning at 70.3% before his first championship (and first undefeated season.

From the start of that 1994-95 season through the 2024-25 season his record is 1058-84 for 92.6% winning record.

For those 31 years his average team record is 34.1 - 2.7, making the FF 77% of the time and winning it all 40% of the time. (30 tournaments)

Realize I made an error in the above post - still an amazing win percentage at 92.6% and that number translates to another pretty amazing number:

For 31 years it has taken Geno an average of 108 games to add another century to his win total!

And considering Uconn has averaged 37 games/year for those 31 years, it has taken an average of 2.9 years to play those 108 games and to win another 100 games.

Geno is the only NCAA D1 basketball coach to have won 100 games in 100 games (111 game win streak from 2015-2017, and has also achieved 100 wins in 101 games 2009-2011 (90 game win streak plus 10-1)

Geno's most dominant extended stretch was from a loss in the BE tournament in 2013 through to a loss in game 12 of the 2018-19 season: 205 - 3 or a win percentage of 98.6% that included 2 undefeated seasons and three 1 loss seasons with 6 NCAA wins in the 2013 tournament to start and 11 wins into that 3 loss 2018-19 season.