The University of Connecticut women’s basketball team was in full dynasty mode.
The Huskies took the court in the national semifinals at American Airlines Center in Dallas on March 31, 2017. UConn was riding a 111-game winning streak and looking for its fifth NCAA title in a row, seventh in nine years, and 12th overall.
But, as amusing as it may sound, the Huskies are still “stuck” on 11 national championships after six years.
UConn, the No. 2 seed in the 2023 NCAA women’s tournament, will face third-seeded Ohio State in a Sweet 16 matchup in the Seattle 3 Regional on Saturday (5 p.m. ET, ABC). The Huskies are attempting to make their 15th consecutive women’s Final Four appearance.
A trip to Dallas, on the other hand, would mean returning to the scene of the crime, the arena where Mississippi State’s buzzer-beater ended the Huskies’ 2017 title hopes – and began a run of historic upsets, bad luck, and two of the most memorable shots in March Madness history. UConn had lost in the national semifinals for four consecutive tournaments before losing in last season’s title game, the first time the program had reached the NCAA final without winning.
In a season when the spotlight has been on other teams, most notably unbeaten No. 1 South Carolina, which won it all in Dallas in 2017, UConn’s dynasty has dimmed. The Final Four streak remains the gold standard for consistent excellence in either women’s or men’s college basketball, with no other program coming close. However, dynasties require championships.
And the Huskies are always in contention for a championship. The Huskies easily won their NCAA tournament first-round games with guard Azzi Fudd back in the lineup after missing much of the season due to injuries. They’ve overcome numerous injuries and illnesses this season, both with the players and with coach Geno Auriemma, but they’re now back on familiar ground with a Final Four in sight.
“Everything was difficult. “Everything was difficult,” Auriemma said after her team’s second-round victory over Baylor on Monday. “And for us to be in this position — to go to the same place that so many other UConn teams have gone, despite having gone through so much more than I believe any other UConn team has had to go through — I was really proud of them.” Because I’ve seen a lot of these, but they haven’t.”
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