[53], After graduation Maya Moore was selected by the Minnesota Lynx as the 1st overall pick in the 2011 WNBA draft (4th time for a Husky), also becoming the first female basketball player signed to the Jordan Brand.[54]. UConn beat Toledo 8180 at Gampel Pavilion in the opening round game, with Bascom scoring a team NCAA tournament single-game record 39 points, and moved on to the regionals at The Palestra in Auriemma's hometown of Philadelphia. Jasmine Carson #2 and Angel Reese #10 of the Louisiana State Tigers celebrate a three-point goal against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the 2023 NCAA During her tenure, shooting guard Karen Mullins was the first UConn woman to receive a basketball scholarship; that number had increased to 12 by 1980. Under his watch, UConn has become the winningest team in women's college basketball, and he has made a strong case as one of the best coaches ever. In addition to all players returning from the 2007 team, #1 ranked high school player Maya Moore joined the team after a bitter recruitment battle between UConn and Tennessee. The #5 seed is 8523 against the #12 seed (.787). The loss ended the highly publicized winning streak, as well as their long held spot as the top ranked team in women's basketball which was taken over by Baylor. Division regular season champion Because of the automatic bids, only 36 teams (the at-large bids) rely on the selection committee to secure them a spot in the tournament. [22], UConn defeated Tennessee during the 199697 regular season; after a season-ending injury for Shea Ralph in the first round of the NCAA tournament, UConn reached the Regional Final where the two teams met again, with Tennessee prevailing and ending Connecticut's unbeaten season by winning 9181.[23]. The Women's Final Four and championship remained exclusive to ESPN. 1 in AP National poll, women's (250), Most consecutive NCAA Championships, any Division, women's (4, 20132016), Most consecutive NCAA Division I Final Fours, men's or women's (14, 20082023), Most consecutive NCAA Division I Elite Eights, men's or women's (16, 20062023), Most consecutive NCAA Division I Sweet Sixteen, men's or women's (29, 19942023), Most consecutive NCAA Division I tournament wins, women's (28, 20132017), Most consecutive NCAA wins, any Division, men's or women's (111, 20142017), Most consecutive NCAA Division I regular-season wins, men's or women's (126, 20142019), Most consecutive NCAA Division I home court wins, women's (99, 20072012), Most consecutive NCAA Division I road wins, men's or women's (62, 20142019), Most consecutive NCAA Division I 30-win seasons, men's or women's (14, 20062019), This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 16:18. Taurasi finished her high school career ranked second to Cheryl Miller in state history with 3,047 points.[29]. The longest streak, 111 straight wins, started with a win against Creighton University on November 23, 2014, and ended on March 31, 2017 when a buzzer-beater at the end of overtime caused a 6664 loss in the 2017 NCAA Final Four to Mississippi State. In her career at UConn, Taurasi led the team to four consecutive Final Fours and three straight national titles. The stage appeared set for a rematch with Mississippi State in the championship game, but historic rival Notre Dame beat UConn in the semifinal with another overtime last second shot by Arike Ogunbowale. ODU has always used on-campus arenas, first the ODU Fieldhouse and since 2002 Chartway Arena. Despite the two regular season meetings being close battles, UConn used tenacious defense and backdoor cuts to overwhelm Tennessee 7152 for their second national championship. The first NCAA women's basketball tournament was held in 1982. The next game, with Bascom's blessing, and assistance from friend and Villanova head coach Harry Perretta, Auriemma arranged to have Sales, who was on crutches, score a basket and then allow Villanova to score a basket to start the game at 22. Connecticut defeated Maryland 8158, while Notre Dame narrowly beat South Carolina, 6665, in the semifinals. She was also named the 2000 Naismith and Parade Magazine National High School Player of the Year. Old Dominion enjoyed nearly as large an advantage in 1983 when the Final Four was played at the Norfolk Scope in its home city of Norfolk, Virginia, but also lost its semifinal. [4], The tournament begins with four opening-round games known as the First Four. Attendance and interest in the women's championship have grown over the years, especially from 2003 to 2016, when the final championship game was moved to the Tuesday following the Monday men's championship game. In 202021, UConn rejoined several of its former conference mates in the current Big East Conference. Margin of 10 points: Louisiana Tech (1982), Tennessee (1987 & 1989), Purdue (1999), UConn (2000, 2002, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016), and Baylor (2012) are teams to win every game in the tournament by 10 points or more on their way to a championship. Syracuse womens basketball: the Orange picked to make 2024 Rallying from a 14-point deficit in the NCAA regional final they beat conference rival Rutgers and advanced to their first Final Four since Taurasi graduated. In 1997, UConn entered the tournament 300, but lost in the Midwest Regional Final to Tennessee. Mosqueda-Lewis was another State Farm/WBCA High School Player of the Year for UConn,[55] Banks was a highly rated guard,[56] and Stokes, a 6'3 post player, was highly ranked as well. [58], In 2015 UConn landed another top recruit in #1 High School prospect Katie Lou Samuelson; she quickly earned a spot in the starting five alongside sophomore Kia Nurse and seniors Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck. NCAA Women's The 2016 UConn team won every game by more than 20 points. Bascom was hit with early foul trouble and Virginia held off a late UConn rally. [38], In the 200506 season, UConn showed some signs of improvement, winning the Big East tournament and beating Georgia in the Sweet Sixteen thanks to a fadeaway 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left by senior Barbara Turner. Conference tournament champion, UConn played in the Big East Conference from the 198283 season, the first in which the league sponsored women's basketball and held a tournament, until the conference split in 2013. Which school has won the most NCAA womens tournament Taken together during the three years 20052007, UConn never made a Final Four, something that had become almost routine (17 final fours in 22 years from 1995 to 2016). This is the case for California Baptist, which began a transition from Division II in 2018 and thus cannot play in the NCAA tournament until 2023. After a brief stint at a small college in Pennsylvania, she applied for the job at UConn, starting in 1975 and leading the team to a 3866 record in five seasons. Auriemma's training skills had an immediate impact and the team showed steady signs of progress: after going 1215 in his first season in 198586, Auriemma led UConn to winning seasons in 198687 and 198788. [18] In 2011, ESPN renewed this agreement through the 202324 season, in a deal reported to be worth $500 million in total. The first season for the highly ranked class in 199899 was up and down and featured many injuries: Sue Bird tore her ACL and was lost for the season after only 10 games. They dominated the Big East tournament, winning the championship game 6032. Ultimately Notre Dame found its revenge with an upset win in the NCAA Tournament Final Four, ending the season with a 31 record against the Huskies, a record that would be repeated the following year. UConn defeated 7958 Notre Dame (hindered by the loss of one of their stars, Natalie Achonwa, who had torn her ACL in the Elite Eight), to finish the season 400, tying Baylor for the most wins in a season and setting the new record for Championship with nine. Who Has the Most NCAA Basketball Championships? In 2010 Lobo became the first Connecticut player inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, among a class of six inductees,[19] followed by teammate Jennifer Rizzotti in the class of 2013.[20]. In the National Tournament, both Connecticut and Notre Dame were seeded first in their respective playoff brackets; each advanced to the Final Four held in Tampa, Florida. In 1980 the university hired Jean Balthaser, who had coached at the University of Pittsburgh. Together with sophomore Katie Lou Samuelson and junior Kia Nurse, the only returning starters, the duo of sophomore Napheesa Collier and junior Gabby Williams quickly rose to national attention; even senior Saniya Chong, who had played few minutes in her first three seasons, showed great improvements, leading the nation in assists-to-turnovers ratio. The team is serving a postseason ban due to NCAA sanctions. [15] UConn blew out Stanford in the semifinals behind Wolters' 31 points, reaching the championship game for a rematch against Tennessee. Those tournament victories were largely credited to senior Charde Houston, a top recruit out of San Diego viewed as not living up to expectations from Geno Auriemma and the UConn fans up to that point, who came up with key rebounds and clutch points in those games. Lobo graduated in 1995 receiving countless accolades: the Naismith College Player of the Year award, the Wade Trophy, the Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year award, the USBWA Women's National Player of the Year award, the Honda-Broderick Cup, the Best Female Athlete ESPY Award (first basketball player ever), the Associated Press Athlete of the Year (second basketball player after Sheryl Swoopes), the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, the Academic All-America of the Year and also All-sports Academic All-America of the Year. Odds to win Women's March Madness 2023. [28], Auriemma pulled off another huge recruiting coup when he convinced All-American guard Diana Taurasi to travel across country to attend Connecticut. In her amazing college career Maya Moore won 150 games and only lost 4, amassing a total 3036 points (1st Husky ever and 4th all-time in NCAA division I women's basketball), 1276 rebounds (2nd Husky ever), 310 steals (3rd Husky ever), 544 assists (6th Husky ever) and 204 blocks (4th Husky ever); she is the only women's basketball player in Division I history to record 2500 points, 1000 rebounds, 500 assists, 250 steals and 150 blocked shots. The Orange fell short in their NCAA tournament bid, falling to NC State 83-58 in the ACC Tournament, but they received a bid for this years Womens National In 1995, UConn entered the tournament 290, beat Tennessee for the national title, and ended the season 350. LSU defeats Iowa, winning its first NCAA women's basketball title They have taken part in every NCAA tournament since 1989; as of the end of the 201819 season, this is the third-longest active streak in Division I. The teams met again on April 7, 2015 in the national championship game. Here is the complete history of the DI women's basketball championship note: The #9 vs. #16 game was Arkansas over Harvard in 1998. No longer a member of NCAA Division I (as of 201920). Teams were moved outside of its geographic region only if it was necessary to balance the bracket, or if the proximity of an opponent outside of its region would be comparable and a more competitive game would result. The Huskies found their rhythm during the NCAA Tournament, in which they were a #2 seed; in the Elite Eight they beat top-seeded Penn State to advance to the Final Four at the New Orleans Arena. After beating Minnesota in the semifinals, UConn again defeated Tennessee for the national championship. The #4 seed is 1017 against the #13 seed (.935). Under coach Geno Auriemma, Connecticut has been seeded #1 a record 22 times. Whether you're a 2023 college baseball conference tournaments: Schedules - He was head coach of the United States women's national basketball team from 2009 until stepping down from that role after the 2016 Summer Olympics. The remaining teams of the former Big East (Connecticut and Cincinnati) joined the new American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC), thus ending the UConnNotre Dame rivalry in conference tournaments. [25], Many people weighed in on the decision on both national and local levels. This season also saw the birth of one of the greatest rivalries in college sports, the UConn-Tennessee rivalry, that began when the two teams met for the first time on Martin Luther King Day at Gampel Pavilion. Although the entire team returned and expectations were sky high for a "three-peat" in Taurasi's senior year, UConn had an uneven season. Women's NCAA Division I basketball champions. [20] In 2023, the national championship game aired on ABC for the first time. [85], In the 2016 WNBA draft UConn performed even better, with the three seniors Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck sweeping the first three picks for the first time in the history of any major sport.[86]. America East Conference commissioner Amy Huchthausen argued that the ESPN contract "provides a measure of financial certainty, but it does not provide women's basketball (or any of the other sports, for that matter) an incentive to grow". UConn defeated Tennessee 7766 in front of a sold-out crowd in a game televised on ESPN and soon afterwards was ranked No. In the NCAA tournament, UConn lost to Stanford in the Sweet Sixteen. Connecticut's final season record was 361 and Shea Ralph was named the Final Four's MVP. In 2015, Princeton entered the tournament 300, but lost in the second round to Maryland. [69], 2021-2022 First National Title Game in Six Years. [14] The season started with an 80-point win over Morgan State; two weeks later, UConn defeated powerhouse North Carolina State by 23 points on the road. Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Record p 58, Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Record p 67, Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Record p 6,7, Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Record p 9, Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Record p 75, 2023 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, NCAA basketball tournament selection process, NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship upsets, List of NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament Final Four broadcasters, NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament, NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament, "March Madness Finals Ratings Set A Record High For Women, Record Low For Men", "DI Women's Basketball Championship History", "Greg Christopher named chair of DI Women's Basketball Committee", "Expansion of 2022 DI women's basketball tournament to 68 teams approved", "Official 2020 NCAA Women's Final Four Records Book", "College basketball's only undefeated women's team isn't going to NCAA tournament", "Long-awaited NCAA gender equity review recommends combined Final Four for men's, women's basketball at same site", "NCAA External Gender Equity Review Phase I: Basketball Championships", "ESPN Sports NCAA women's basketball tourney gets new TV contract", "NCAA agrees long-term Golf Channel extension", "ESPN 'Tweets' Fans To Enhance NCAA Women's Tournament Coverage", "ESPN acquires NCAA rights for US$500 million", "2021 NCAA National Collegiate Women's Gymnastics Championships to Make Broadcast Debut on ABC", "Nearly ten million viewers for NCAA women's title game", "Women's March Madness Is Growing in Popularityand Undervalued", "Women's sports can do at least one thing men's can't, experts say: Get bigger", "March Madness Daily: The NCAA's Undervalued Women's TV Rights", "NCAA president strongly hints women's tournament will get separate media deal", "Iowa's Win Over South Carolina Was a Hit for ESPN, With 5.5 Million Viewers", NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament, Division I Women's Basketball Championships Records Books (Through 2020), Major women's sport leagues in North America, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NCAA_Division_I_women%27s_basketball_tournament&oldid=1152097681, Postseason college basketball competitions in the United States, Recurring sporting events established in 1982, College women's basketball competitions in the United States, NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament Final Four, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2009, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from March 2009, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008, 2017, 2022, 2023, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013, Regional semifinals (Sweet Sixteen): #13 seed, National semifinals (Final Four): #9 seed, National Finals (Championship Game): #5 seed, Austin Peay lost to UNC in 2003 (2 points, 7270), Eastern Michigan lost to Boston College in 2004 (2 points, 5856), Creighton lost to St. John's in 2012 (2 points, 6967), Long Beach State lost to Oregon State in 2017 (1 point, 5655). UConn was a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but eventually lost to LSU in the regional final to end the season with a 324 record. The national championship game against Stanford was a completely different story. In front of a record-breaking crowd at the Alamodome in San Antonio, UConn defeated Oklahoma for the championship 8270 to complete a perfect 390 season. The NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, sometimes referred to as Women's March Madness,[1] is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 women's college basketball teams from the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), to determine the national championship. During the game there was a scuffle involving Tennessee's Semeka Randall and Connecticut's Svetlana Abrosimova where Randall threw the ball down, hitting Abrosimova's head. By Charlie Creme Updated: 4/18/2023 at 9:00 a.m. Her absence and the loss of 6th-man Lorin Dixon left significant holes to fill in the roster. Amid scrutiny of inequality between the men's and women's tournaments that year, it has been suggested by critics that the structure of the NCAA's contract undervalues the media rights to the women's tournament. In his 38 years as head coach of the University of Connecticut women's basketball team, the Italian-born Luigi "Geno" Auriemma has inextricably linked his name with that of the team. Leading up to the Final Four in San Antonio, UConn dominated teams from Southern, Temple, Iowa State and Florida State. [10] As, by definition, a team would have to win its conference tournament, and thus secure an automatic bid to the tournament, to be undefeated in a season, the only way a team could finish undefeated and not reach the tournament is if the team is banned from postseason play. The Connecticut Huskies were the #3 selection on the list, behind only the professional basketball Lakers and the professional football Patriots, making the Connecticut women's basketball team the highest ranked of the collegiate teams for the three sports under consideration. [3], After losing the stellar trio of Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck, many predicted a sub-par season for UConn standards; the AP Poll ranked the team third in the nation, and coach Auriemma had designed a very tough non-conference calendar to test the strength of his young team. Auriemma found himself in a national debate following a decision he made during the 199798 season. In an early test, UConn squeaked by #2 Baylor in their second game of the season. [39] Behind a home state crowd, UConn almost upset #1 ranked Duke in the regional final, before falling in overtime by 2 points. Known as LouisianaMonroe since 19992000; alternately branded athletically as ULM. Connecticut's Auriemma, that's who", "Case for UConn's Geno Auriemma being best coach ever goes beyond basketball", "UConn Women's Basketball 2015-2016 Media Guide", "UConn Women's Basketball 2020-2021 Media Guide", "2021-22 Women's Basketball Schedule - University of Connecticut Athletics", "UConn Women's Basketball 2022-2023 Media Guide", "Ray Allen, Rebecca Lobo to have UConn numbers retired", "UConn women's basketball retires Swin Cash's number at Gampel Pavilion: 'I'm humbled, I'm honored', "Connecticut's Fab Four Makes Pro Basketball History", "Breanna Stewart top pick in WNBA, leading 1-2-3 UConn sweep", "March Madness 2023: Stats and reactions to Ohio State-UConn upset", "UConn Huskies' NCAA-record win streak snapped at 111 games", "Despite loss, UConn women still have incredible streak going", "St. John's women stun UConn, end 99-game streak", Connecticut State Museum of Natural History, Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States, Thomas J. Dodd Prize in International Justice and Human Rights, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=UConn_Huskies_women%27s_basketball&oldid=1152671077, Articles containing potentially dated statements from April 2022, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 11 NCAA Tournament Championships (1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), 27 Conference tournament Championships: 19 Big East Conference (1989, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2021, 2022) and 7 American Athletic Conference (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), 28 Conference regular season Championships: 20 Big East Conference (1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2021, 2022) and 7 American Athletic Conference (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), Most NCAA Championships, any Division, men's or women's (11), Most NCAA Division I Final Fours, men's or women's (22), Most NCAA Division I tournament #1 seeds, men's or women's (22), Most NCAA Division I undefeated seasons, men's or women's (6), Most NCAA Division I 30-win seasons, men's or women's (25), Most NCAA Division I weeks ranked No. The four lowest-seeded automatic bids, and the four lowest-seeded at-large bids, compete in the First Four games to advance to the 64-team bracket in the first round. The current contract, which includes rights not only to the women's tournament but also 28 other NCAA championship events, provides the NCAA an average of $34 million over the life of the contract. In the NCAA tournament UConn reached the Elite Eight but came up short in its hopes to make it back to the Final Four, losing to eventual champion North Carolina. In its announcement, UConn stated that going forward, number retirement would be reserved for former Huskies players inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as Lobo was in 2017. Additionally, junior guard Caroline Doty would be out the entire season due to a third knee injury. [62] The #6 seed is 7533 against the #11 seed (.694). Five of them have been first overall picks: Sue Bird (2002), Diana Taurasi (2004), Tina Charles (2010), Maya Moore (2011), and Breanna Stewart (2016). In 1998, Tennessee (330) and Liberty (280) both entered the tournament unbeaten; Liberty lost in the first round to Tennessee, which went on to beat Louisiana Tech for the national title and ended the season 390. Of the other teams to play in their home states, Stanford (1992) won the national title; Notre Dame (2011) lost in the championship game; and Western Kentucky (1986), Penn State (2000), Missouri State (2001), LSU (2004), and Baylor (2010) lost in the semifinals. The only close game the Huskies played all year long was a win at Virginia Tech. In 2023, South Carolina entered the tournament 32-0, but lost in the Final Four to. Duke biggest winner in latest D1Baseball rankings, Enter your information to receive emails about offers, promotions from NCAA.com and our partners. In 1992, Vermont entered the tournament 290, but lost in the first round to George Washington. [24], Following major media criticism of inequities between the 2021 men's and women's tournaments, the NCAA commissioned a comprehensive gender equity review of its championships by the law firm Kaplan Hecker & Fink. WebThe UConn Huskies are the most successful women's basketball program in the nation, having won a record 11 NCAA Division I National Championships and a women's [73], Sandra Hamm, a Terryville native, was employed part-time as the interim women's coach in the 19741975 season, when the team was 28. Of these teams, 32 earn automatic bids by winning their respective conference tournaments. NCAA Taurasi was the third basketball player to receive this final honor, after former UConn star Rebecca Lobo and Tennessee star Chamique Holdsclaw. Connecticut recovered focus after the loss and got through the rest of the regular season undefeated, regaining the #1 ranking along the way after Baylor's loss to Texas Tech in February. 8 Baylor stun top-ranked UConn 68-57", "1990-91 team built foundation for UConn women's greatness", "COLLEGE BASKETBALL; UConn Women Get Grades and Ranking", "Sneak peek at UConn '95: Birth of a Dynasty", "Uconn Women Survive Test, Beat Virginia For East Title", "The 1995 Connecticut Huskies: The Team That Made Women's Basketball", "Rebecca Lobo's page at Women's Basketball Hall of Fame", "Jennifer Rizzotti's page at Women's Basketball Hall of Fame", "COLLEGE BASKETBALL; Sales Is Given Free Shot, And Sinks It for Record", "Staged Shot Continues to Pick Up Controversy", "The Geno Auriemma Show: Recruiting Diana Taurasi", "UConn women's notebook: Huskies' 2002 team called the 'best ever', "And you thought last year's title run was good", "UConn's Taurasi proves why she's best in nation", "Diana Taurasi comes out on top of best women's basketball player ever bracket", "Ncaa Women Elite Eight: Duke 63, Uconn 61(ot)", "Fowles' double-double sends LSU to fourth straight Final Four", "Huskies win Big East tournament behind Houston's fantastic finish", "Delle Donne finds happiness at Delaware", "Louisville Cardinals vs. Connecticut Huskies - Recap - April 07, 2009 - ESPN", "Baylor Lady Bears vs. Connecticut Huskies - Recap - April 04, 2010 - ESPN", "Stanford Cardinal vs. Connecticut Huskies - Recap - April 06, 2010 - ESPN", "UConn's Tina Charles win John R. Wooden award - ESPN", "Connecticut Sun select Connecticut Huskies' Tina Charles at No. At the time of her injury, she was only one point shy of Kerry Bascom's school scoring record. The 6661 loss was UConn's first of the season, but not its last. UConn followed up its surprise run to the Final Four in 1991 by landing All-American Rebecca Lobo from Southwick, Massachusetts. In 1993, Vermont entered the tournament 280, but lost in the first round to Rutgers. The sports under consideration were the four major professional sports (NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL) along with the three most prominent college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. In 1986, Texas entered the tournament 300, beat USC for the national title, and ended the season 340. The remaining teams were then seeded based on their geographic region. [17] Coverage later expanded to include ESPN's college sports-oriented network ESPNU, and ESPN360 for streaming. Postseason bans can come about for one of two reasons: California Baptist was eligible for the WNIT because that tournament is not operated by the NCAA, unlike the men's version; the Lancers lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Rice. [61] Two key rivals were the usual conference foe Notre Dame and the new rival Baylor, who had the nation's top player in Brittney Griner. [48] It was the only game in the Huskies' 78-game winning streak that was won by fewer than 10 points. Connecticut returned every key player and added Duke's transfer Azur Stevens[67] and nation top ranked recruit Megan Walker; the team easily reached the Final Four with a 360 record that included solid wins over Stanford, Notre Dame, Louisville and South Carolina. UConn started the game with its worst first half in school history by scoring only 12 points; only 11 teams in tournament history have been held to 12 points or less in the first half: three of them were against UConn teams, and two of them (Southern and Temple) just days earlier in the 2010 Tournament. Sales then held the school scoring record. In the Championship Game UConn defeated Louisville 7654 behind Charles' 25 points and 19 boards, ending the season with a perfect 390 record (with every victory by at least 10 points, a record of its own) and sixth national title.[46].