When one thinks of fierce sporting rivalries, many come to mind. When it comes to women's basketball, one rivalry stands out: Connecticut vs. Tennessee. UConn vs. Tennessee, Tennessee vs. UConn. No matter how you say it, it's still the fiercest women's basketball rivalry and one of the fiercest in all of college sports.
The bad blood began on Martin Luther King Day in 1995. ESPN had looked for a rival for Connecticut on that day, and this was the matchup the network had brokered. UConn very much wanted to play Tennessee, and Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt said many times that the Lady Vols would play any team, any time. Not only did she make good on her word, she was willing to play the game on the Huskies' home court, something the University of North Carolina would not do.
The game received tremendous attention from the media, and UConn ultimately won in dramatic style. The two teams met again that year in Minneapolis in March at the National Championship, which UConn won 70-64, and for the first time ever, a women's college basketball game was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The rivalry has continued to grow year by year since then.
It is impossible to discuss the rivalry without including the two charismatic head coaches: Pat Summitt of Tennessee and Geno Auriemma of Connecticut. Summitt is the all-time-winningest Division I college basketball coach, male or female. She has won seven national championships and has been the National Coach of the Year five times. Auriemma has won five national championships and has beaten Summitt four times in the finals. His teams have posted a 70-game winning streak, and he has four National Coach of the Year awards. In this lively narrative, both coaches offer significant insights into the rivalry.
Some of the greatest stars in the history of women's college basketball have played in the series: Sue Bird, Kara Wolters, Shea Ralph, Tamika Catchings, Chamique Holdsclaw, Diana Taurasi, and Candace Parker. Their careers and performances are legendary, and Lady Vols vs. UConn is a testimony to all of the dedicated, talented young women who have made this rivalry the high point of every season since 1995.
