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UConn All-Time Greatest

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BfromCT

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Subject: UConn All-Time Greats



I posted a variation of this message on June 26 on the subject of Mt. Rushmore and Beyond, but it got lost as the string was losing momentum and going on to other subjects. It had occurred to me that it would be an interesting exercise to rate the top five players at five year intervals from 1995 to the present and I enjoyed preparing the lists. I tried to avoid both the recency bias and championship bias. In addition, these ratings are based solely on their college performances not on subsequent pro careers and the players chosen must had to have completed their college careers. The bias, if there is one, happens to be in the direction of scoring, something that I only realized in retrospect. There is a general consensus on the top four, yet a number of wonderful players could fill the fifth spot. My choice happens to be Nykesha Sales, yet strong cases could be made for others, like Napheesa Collier and Tina Charles.

As of 1995 - Laura Lishness, Kris Lamb, Kerry Bascomb, Meghan Pattyson, Rebecca Lobo

As of 2000 - Kerry Bascomb, Rebecca Lobo, Nykesha Sales, Jen Rizzotti, Kara Wolters

As of 2005 - Diana Taurasi, Rebecca Lobo, Nykesha Sales, Sue Bird, Kara Wolters

As of 2010 - Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Tina Charles, Nykesha Sales, Rebecca Lobo

As of 2015 - Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Tina Charles, Nykesha Sales

As of 2020 - Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Nykesha Sales, Napheesa Collier

As of 2025 - Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckers, Nykesha Sales

Note that this list does not include even a single listing for a number of great UConn All-Americans - Svetlana Abrosimova, Shea Ralph, Swin Cash, Renee Montgomery, Stephanie Dolson, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Moriah Jefferson, Gabby Williams, and Katie Lou Samuelson.

If a list as of 2025 was based solely on professional careers, it would be Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, and either Napheesa Collier or Tina Charles.
 
Nykesha Sales tends to get lost in the sea of great UConn players over the decades. I suspect that part of it may be that her only NCAA title came as a first year player, although that is also the case with Napheesa.

But she is still the all time steals leader (447, next closest 353) and at one point was the (controversial) all time leading scorer. Also still holds the single game scoring record with 46.

I just checked her WNBA career stats and found that she was an eight time all star and a model of consistency, averaging 14.2 points per game over her nine year career but never having a season below 13.0 ppg. Although she came off the bench on the 1995 championship team, she started 274 of 278 games in the WNBA and averaged between 27.7 and 32.6 minutes per game every season.

So while her inclusion in the 2025 list is somewhat controversial I think she should definitely be included in the conversation.
 
BfromCT said:
Subject: UConn All-Time Greats



I posted a variation of this message on June 26 on the subject of Mt. Rushmore and Beyond, but it got lost as the string was losing momentum and going on to other subjects. It had occurred to me that it would be an interesting exercise to rate the top five players at five year intervals from 1995 to the present and I enjoyed preparing the lists. I tried to avoid both the recency bias and championship bias. In addition, these ratings are based solely on their college performances not on subsequent pro careers and the players chosen must had to have completed their college careers. The bias, if there is one, happens to be in the direction of scoring, something that I only realized in retrospect. There is a general consensus on the top four, yet a number of wonderful players could fill the fifth spot. My choice happens to be Nykesha Sales, yet strong cases could be made for others, like Napheesa Collier and Tina Charles.

As of 1995 - Laura Lishness, Kris Lamb, Kerry Bascomb, Meghan Pattyson, Rebecca Lobo

As of 2000 - Kerry Bascomb, Rebecca Lobo, Nykesha Sales, Jen Rizzotti, Kara Wolters

As of 2005 - Diana Taurasi, Rebecca Lobo, Nykesha Sales, Sue Bird, Kara Wolters

As of 2010 - Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Tina Charles, Nykesha Sales, Rebecca Lobo

As of 2015 - Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Tina Charles, Nykesha Sales

As of 2020 - Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Nykesha Sales, Napheesa Collier

As of 2025 - Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckers, Nykesha Sales

Note that this list does not include even a single listing for a number of great UConn All-Americans - Svetlana Abrosimova, Shea Ralph, Swin Cash, Renee Montgomery, Stephanie Dolson, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Moriah Jefferson, Gabby Williams, and Katie Lou Samuelson.

If a list as of 2025 was based solely on professional careers, it would be Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, and either Napheesa Collier or Tina Charles.
Expand ...
A couple of things, how was Charles ahead of Sales in 2010 and 2015, then behind her in 2020?

Also, in the one of these things is not like the others,
DT - 3 AA / 2 NPOY / 3 NC
Moore - 4 AA / 3 NPOY / 2 NC
Stewart - 3 AA / 3 NPOY / 4 NC
Bueckers - 3 AA/ 2 NPOY / 1 NC
Sales - 2 AA / 0 NPOY / 1 NC

For comparison
Charles - 2AA / 1 NPOY / 2 NC
Collier - 2 AA / 0 NOY / 1 NC
Lobo - 2 AA / 1 NPOY / 1 NC

and for stats
Sales Top 5 - steals #1 Top 10 - points
Charles Top 5 - points/rebounds #1/ blocks/ FG%
Collier Top 5 - points / rebounds / FG% Top 10 - blocks
Lobo Top 5 - rebounds / blocks
 
jazz said:
BS, DT, MM, PB, SB. Apologies to NS, KW, RL, NC and TC.

SS will pass all of them...
Expand ...
To date, I believe that Maya Moore is the all-time greatest player at UConn (maybe not necessarily if you include everyone's professional careers as Maya retired relatively early into her's, but at UConn she was the greatest). Eventually however, I believe Sarah Strong will be the all-time greatest. I agree with you, but we will have to wait and see.
 
Huskee11 said:
Nykesha Sales tends to get lost in the sea of great UConn players over the decades. I suspect that part of it may be that her only NCAA title came as a first year player, although that is also the case with Napheesa.

But she is still the all time steals leader (447, next closest 353) and at one point was the (controversial) all time leading scorer. Also still holds the single game scoring record with 46.

I just checked her WNBA career stats and found that she was an eight time all star and a model of consistency, averaging 14.2 points per game over her nine year career but never having a season below 13.0 ppg. Although she came off the bench on the 1995 championship team, she started 274 of 278 games in the WNBA and averaged between 27.7 and 32.6 minutes per game every season.

So while her inclusion in the 2025 list is somewhat controversial I think she should definitely be included in the conversation.
Expand ...
The only reason that I see why she still holds the single game scoring record is because Geno pulled KLS out after only playing 28 minutes scoring 40 points. KLS went 12-14 in shots, 10-10 in 3 pt shots and 6-6 from the line. If she had played 38 minutes like Nykesha did, she would have scored more than 46 points. Nykesha in her game against Stanford went 18-27 in shots, 6-7 in 3 pt shots and 2-4 from the line.
 
MSGRET said:
The only reason that I see why she still holds the single game scoring record is because Geno pulled KLS out after only playing 28 minutes scoring 40 points. KLS went 12-14 in shots, 10-10 in 3 pt shots and 6-6 from the line. If she had played 38 minutes like Nykesha did, she would have scored more than 46 points. Nykesha in her game against Stanford went 18-27 in shots, 6-7 in 3 pt shots and 2-4 from the line.
Expand ...
Geno will never let that record be broken for whatever reason. Kind of cheapens it TBH.
 
BfromCT said:
If a list as of 2025 was based solely on professional careers, it would be Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, and either Napheesa Collier or Tina Charles.
Expand ...
Everyone has their own criteria for list of UConn all time greats, but professionally, the ONLY person Tina is behind is Diana, and possibly Sue, and frankly it's not even close.

It continues to mystify me as to why Tina is so often overlooked as an all time great WNBA player. Here's where Tina stands on the "all time" stats lists:

2nd in points scored
1st in rebounds
7th in minutes played
8th in free throws made
13th in blocks
2nd in field goals made
1st in o-boards

These are unbelievable stats for an all time WNBA great who has been in the league 14 years and continues to be elite. Oh, and she's "only" played 463 games, less than a LOT of people who scored less points and yet played more games (Bonner - 526, Thompson - 496, Dupree - 494, Bird - 580, Katie Smith - 482, Milton-Jones - 499, Whalen - 480, Cash - 479).

Maya, Breanna, and Napheesa (all of who I LOVE) are not close to the level Tina is/was...
 
BfromCT said:
Subject: UConn All-Time Greats



I posted a variation of this message on June 26 on the subject of Mt. Rushmore and Beyond, but it got lost as the string was losing momentum and going on to other subjects. It had occurred to me that it would be an interesting exercise to rate the top five players at five year intervals from 1995 to the present and I enjoyed preparing the lists. I tried to avoid both the recency bias and championship bias. In addition, these ratings are based solely on their college performances not on subsequent pro careers and the players chosen must had to have completed their college careers. The bias, if there is one, happens to be in the direction of scoring, something that I only realized in retrospect. There is a general consensus on the top four, yet a number of wonderful players could fill the fifth spot. My choice happens to be Nykesha Sales, yet strong cases could be made for others, like Napheesa Collier and Tina Charles.

As of 1995 - Laura Lishness, Kris Lamb, Kerry Bascomb, Meghan Pattyson, Rebecca Lobo

As of 2000 - Kerry Bascomb, Rebecca Lobo, Nykesha Sales, Jen Rizzotti, Kara Wolters

As of 2005 - Diana Taurasi, Rebecca Lobo, Nykesha Sales, Sue Bird, Kara Wolters

As of 2010 - Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Tina Charles, Nykesha Sales, Rebecca Lobo

As of 2015 - Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Tina Charles, Nykesha Sales

As of 2020 - Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Nykesha Sales, Napheesa Collier

As of 2025 - Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckers, Nykesha Sales

Note that this list does not include even a single listing for a number of great UConn All-Americans - Svetlana Abrosimova, Shea Ralph, Swin Cash, Renee Montgomery, Stephanie Dolson, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Moriah Jefferson, Gabby Williams, and Katie Lou Samuelson.

If a list as of 2025 was based solely on professional careers, it would be Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, and either Napheesa Collier or Tina Charles.
Expand ...
I think everyone has 3 of the 5 without arguments... Diana, Maya and Stewart will probably always be there... I agree with you about Sales because she belongs there too. (Saw most of her games and is definitely overlooked) but I would put Collier as the 5th over Paige. I just gotta.

An honorable mention might be Svetlana. Talk about an overlooked player. Or Jefferson too. (Stewart might not have been Stewart without Jefferson) I don't think I have ever seen a better true point guard than Jefferson.

For the record Strong will be knocking either Sales or Collier out of that top 5 list soon.
 
MSGRET said:
The only reason that I see why she still holds the single game scoring record is because Geno pulled KLS out after only playing 28 minutes scoring 40 points. KLS went 12-14 in shots, 10-10 in 3 pt shots and 6-6 from the line. If she had played 38 minutes like Nykesha did, she would have scored more than 46 points. Nykesha in her game against Stanford went 18-27 in shots, 6-7 in 3 pt shots and 2-4 from the line.
Expand ...
December 1997,UConn beat Stanford 94-78 but it was a six point game with about four minutes to go. UConn’s other players on the floor were Hansmeyer, Rita Williams, Kelly Hunt, and Amy Duran. So Sales was far and away their best player. Stanford had no one who could guard Sales so she just drove it and hit a bunch of midrange shots.

I just watched part of the game on YouTube. That was the era of the floppy shorts. The uniforms all look about two sizes too big.

II was at the 10-10 game and was disappointed that Geno took Lou out. But, it was a blowout and who knows, the 10-10 might have become 10-12. I think the 10-10 game is actually more memorable than the 46 point game.
 
Only the 2009 and 2010 UConn teams went undefeated back to back, largely due to Maya Moore and Tina Charles. Diana was close. Sue was close. Stewie was close. Gabby and Kia were close. Phee and Lou were close. But only Maya and Tina accomplished it.
 
Huskee11 said:
December 1997,UConn beat Stanford 94-78 but it was a six point game with about four minutes to go. UConn’s other players on the floor were Hansmeyer, Rita Williams, Kelly Hunt, and Amy Duran. So Sales was far and away their best player. Stanford had no one who could guard Sales so she just drove it and hit a bunch of midrange shots.

I just watched part of the game on YouTube. That was the era of the floppy shorts. The uniforms all look about two sizes too big.

II was at the 10-10 game and was disappointed that Geno took Lou out. But, it was a blowout and who knows, the 10-10 might have become 10-12. I think the 10-10 game is actually more memorable than the 46 point game.
Expand ...
Where did you go on YouTube to find that 1997 game?
 
It's Maya Moore and then choose whomever else.

Of course DT, Sue, Rebecca, Tina and Breanna. but when you think of UConn basketball at its highest pinnacle I see Maya Moore
 
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