Admittedly, picking UConn’s GOAT, a program whose Mount Rushmore is better depicted by the Terracotta Sculptures of China, is significantly perilous. For how can anyone truly say Maya Moore, the program ‘s all-time leading scorer, second highest rebounder-- has top five stats in the top five stats is second to anyone?
So let me differentiate in this way: Just as Magic Johnson said about his contemporary and greatest rival: “Nobody could do all the things that Larry Bird could do”, the same could be said of Stewie—she was the most composite player—male or female, mind you--that the collegiate sport has ever known. No one could do all the things Stewie could do: great post player, great mid-range shot ,even good behind the arc. Incredibly gifted great footwork, soft hands; with those immensely long arms of hers, she was a great defender, shot-blocker and rebounder.
I’m also going to respectfully disagree with Carl Adamec and the rest who say that the ’02 team lead by DT was UConn’s best edition of basketball. IMO, the 13-14 team, 40 and 0, was dominant as any team ever, three All-Americans, 6 players eventually going to the pro rank; and with that incomparable line up, they were never really challenged all year; They were the best--it’s not even close. Alongside Stewie was dependable, reliable Stephanie Dolson, a superb post player; and at guard, another All-American, Bria Hartley; then we have the lizard quick Mo Jeff; and don't forget the program’s all-time trey shooter, KML, and as well the great defender and rebounder, Kiah Stokes coming off the bench to provide an almost impenetrable front court. I mean they had it all, in every imaginable way. Gutty and gritty, sleek and splendid at the same time.
Another way the 14 team outshines the 02 team is by their respective competition. By the 2013-14 season, women’s teams were much better—not necessarily better players, but more better players, deeper rosters on each team. More depth. By this time, UConn, Tenn. et al, had grown college basketball to more competitive levels. Case in point, ND’s 18-19 squad quite possibly its best and most talented team ever (all five starters went in the first round of the WNBA) does not win the national championship that year. The notion that UConn was bad for the sport was the most ridiculous thing ever uttered by anyone paid to write copy for public consumption. As been said, this is akin to saying that peerless Secretariat was bad for horse racing…. OF course the opposite was true—UConn brought more attention to the sport and set the bar higher for all schools to reach. When the school’s impossible win streak was finally broken, hey it’s not just lead story for ESPN, it’s a top story for CNN as well…
And as far as head to head, apologies in advance for I am going to be rather bodacious in my prediction: the Stewie-led Huskies shows the 02 greats truly who the lead dogs are, and easily win a head-to-head match up by double digits. No one’s stopping Stewie and her supporting cast When you have a program’s best all-around player on its best team, what would you expect?
(I mean, Moriah WAS better than Ann Strother but that's here nor there.)