The Best Uconn Women's Basketball Team Ever

[MilfordHusky]

Recalling what Tara said about 4-5 years ago, a team with Maya and 4 middle schoolers would be pretty good.

 

[60'sfan]

Recalling what Tara said about 4-5 years ago, a team with Maya and 4 middle schoolers would be pretty good.

I am surprised that no one is touting the 2008/9 team that had Renee Montgomery, Tina Charles and Maya Moore. 39-0 and very few games that were even close. Tina was arguably the best center we ever had.

 

[hoophuskee]

When Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Morgan Tuck return, could we be looking at the best women's team at Uconn ever? All nine scholarship players would start for almost any other program.

The competition would be the 2008/9 team that went 39-0 and featured Tina Charles, Renee Montgomery, Maya Moore, Kalana Greene, Carolina Doty and Tiffany Hayes.

Plus the 2001/2 team that also went 39-0 and featured Swin Cash, Tamika Williams, Asjha Jones, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi.

Plus the 1994/5 team that went 35-0 and featured Rebecca Lobo, Jennifer Rizzotti, Nykesha Sales, Kara Wolters and Jamelle Elliott.

Interestingly, the most talented team ever may have been the 2000/1 team that had all of the players from the 2002 team except for Diana, but also had Shea Ralph and Svetlana Abrosimova. That team came up short due to injuries.

We had a thread this summer - someone created the 8 title teams and put them in brackets and we voted on who would win. The 01-02 team won.

I voted for the 01-02 team. We'll see how this team shakes out. It's still early. One thing though. In 01-02 we needed a basketball late vs Oklahoma. The ball went Taurasi and she backed down the defender, scored and fouled out All-Amercian Stacey Dales who tried to help out. Our current guards, other than Banks, are very small. DT was a strong, big guard in the mold of KML but more athletic, better ball handler and quicker.

 

[tomcat]

I will always be partial to the team that won it all in 2000 because I saw those championship games. Diana's various years were great, but this one was special.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I am surprised that no one is touting the 2008/9 team that had Renee Montgomery, Tina Charles and Maya Moore. 39-0 and very few games that were even close. Tina was arguably the best center we ever had.

They were 3 of the best 5-7 players in the country.

 

[baggerbob]

Stef, Bria, KML have already been All-Americans, Stewie, Moriah, Morgan, if they stay healthy will be, Stokes, Banks, Chong have talent. If everyone is healthy at the end of the season, this team could be one for the ages.

 

[UcMiami]

I am surprised that no one is touting the 2008/9 team that had Renee Montgomery, Tina Charles and Maya Moore. 39-0 and very few games that were even close. Tina was arguably the best center we ever had.

I did mention the three from that team earlier and said I just didn't think they could balance the strength of the 02 team 1-5. I agree that Tina and Maya are in that best ever discussion world wide not just at Uconn but I think the same can be said of Sue and Diana.

 

[UcMiami]

Stef, Bria, KML have already been All-Americans, Stewie, Moriah, Morgan, if they stay healthy will be, Stokes, Banks, Chong have talent. If everyone is healthy at the end of the season, this team could be one for the ages.

I agree that this is an outstanding team and certainly belongs in the discussion, but ... 2009 and 2002 both had a pair of players that were not just AAs but also are in the conversation for being the best ever to play their positions in the world, and college wise:
Sue: 3 time Lieberman winner and 1 Wade trophy, 114-4 record, 2 NCs
Diana: 2 Liebermans and 1 Wade, 2 Naismith, 139-8, 3NCs
Tina: 1 Wooden award and 2 other POY awards, 146-6, 2 NCs
Moore: 3 Wades, 1 Wooden, 2 Hondas, etc. 150-4, 2 NCs

Stewart is probably headed toward that kind of elite status, KML is almost there, but as great as the rest of the team is, and they are great, they are not quite that kind of elite. Add into that 2002 class two other Olympic gold medalist (3 total medals) and they really do stand out.

 

[Suebird10fan]

I agree that this is an outstanding team and certainly belongs in the discussion, but ... 2009 and 2002 both had a pair of players that were not just AAs but also are in the conversation for being the best ever to play their positions in the world, and college wise:
Sue: 3 time Lieberman winner and 1 Wade trophy, 114-4 record, 2 NCs
Diana: 2 Liebermans and 1 Wade, 2 Naismith, 139-8, 3NCs
Tina: 1 Wooden award and 2 other POY awards, 146-6, 2 NCs
Moore: 3 Wades, 1 Wooden, 2 Hondas, etc. 150-4, 2 NCs

Stewart is probably headed toward that kind of elite status, KML is almost there, but as great as the rest of the team is, and they are great, they are not quite that kind of elite. Add into that 2002 class two other Olympic gold medalist (3 total medals) and they really do stand out.

IMO KML is as good as Sue was and as you probably know I LOVE Sue. Also Diana didn't really enter into GPE territory until 2003 IMO. She was outstanding but I think she needed to be undisputed team leader for her fukk abilities to shine.

More generally I don't think the 02 team was a great defensive team which is why I lean to one of the Tina/Maya teams. But I think this team could be right there. None of those teams could bring players of a Stokes/Tuck caliber off the bench, which hopefully we'll be able to do again in a couple months.