There couldn’t be a more befitting time to celebrate possibly the greatest women’s college basketball team of all time. The 2001-2002 Connecticut Huskies capped off a perfect season on March 31st, 2002, by defeating the Oklahoma Sooners in front of a then record crowd of 29,619 at the Alamodome. Now that 20 years have passed since their monumental achievement, let’s take a look back at ’02 Huskies.
The star power was unmatched as the team boasted 7 eventual WNBA draftees. Sue Bird won practically every individual award imaginable in her senior season. Asjha Jones was named Most Outstanding Player of the Big East Tournament and Swin Cash received top honors for her performance in the big dance. The team also featured the future #1 pick and recently recognized WNBA G.O.A.T., Diana Taurasi. And of course it would be downright irresponsible to not mention the architect of it all, Geno Auriemma. Bird, Cash and Taurasi were named All-Americans and the dominance was on full display from the first game of the season, all the way until they raised the trophy in March. Beating teams by 35 ppg, being laden with some of the greatest talent the college game has ever seen and ultimately finishing the season without a blemish on their record, will definitely earn you the tag of “Greatest Team Ever.”
Aside from the obvious domination on the court, in true “Made For The W” fashion, this team had some style icons as well. Swin Cash famously had two lockers during her UCONN days, one for the swag and the other for her hooping gear. Whenever a player has a second locker solely dedicated to her shoes and jewelry, that immediately tells you two things: she’s a hell of a player (let’s be honest, you don’t get those privileges unless you’re the absolute goods on the court) and the pre-game fits are always immaculate! Not to be outdone, some of Swin’s teammates made waves in the style department as well. Sue Bird has emerged as one of the most notable faces in sneaker culture. The “Keep Sue Fresh” collab is one of the most sought after shoes, every year. Sue has been so instrumental in making that endeavor a success, that Kyrie and Nike eventually just handed over the reins and she has not disappointed. Diana Taurasi has also made her presence felt in the fashion world. She has the distinction of being the last WNBA player to have her own signature shoe (although this will most likely not be the case for much longer) and she’s been blessed with several PE’s over the years by none other than LeBron James. That partnership was an organic development. Two of the best players in their respective leagues over the past 15+ years should definitely be linked in some way. Can’t think of any better way than to create some dope kicks together.
The 2002 Huskies are legendary in every sense of the word and we just wanted to show them some love during Women’s History Month. Those legacies are still being carved out to this day. Swin Cash is still doing her thing as VP of Basketball Operations and Player Development for the New Orleans Pelicans. Sue has carved out one of the most decorated careers in WNBA history and Diana Taurasi is still looking to add to her trophy case. After coming up short in the Finals last year, the Phoenix Mercury have reloaded their roster. Adding Tina Charles and Diamond DeShields puts them in a great place to get back to the promised land and possibly enough to get over the hump. The accomplishments of the ’02 UCONN mob will echo throughout history forever and they deserve all the flowers. This love letter is just our contribution to the bouquet.
