Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball
Encyclopedia
The Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee
in Knoxville
, Tennessee
in NCAA
women's basketball
competition. Coached by Pat Summitt
, the team has been a contender for national titles for over thirty years, having made every NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
tournament since the NCAA began sanctioning women's sports in the 1981-82 season.
The team is more frequently referred to as the Lady Vols; the formal "Volunteers" nickname is regularly shortened by many fans of both men's and women's teams to "Vols", and sports media in the U.S. more commonly refer to Tennessee women's teams by the shortened version. The university considers either "Lady Volunteers" or "Lady Vols" acceptable.
The Lady Vols have won 15 SEC regular season championships, most recently in 2011, 15 SEC tournament championships, most recently in 2011, made 18 Final Four appearances, most recently in 2008, and won 8 national championships, most recently in 2008.
for over three decades. Under Summitt, the Lady Vols have won numerous SEC titles, appeared in 18 NCAA Final Fours and 4 AIAW Final Fours
, and won 8 NCAA titles including an undefeated season. Additionally, Tennessee is the only team to have appeared in all 29 NCAA Tournaments, including 27 Sweet 16s (23 of which were consecutive). Summitt's teams are known for participating in a grueling regular season schedule, often toughest in the nation, in order to prepare the team for the NCAA tournament. This tough schedule has caused Tennessee to build up rivalries with many prominent teams, including Texas
, Stanford
, Louisiana Tech
, Old Dominion
, and, most notably, Connecticut
. Like all other Tennessee teams, the Lady Vols compete in the SEC
, which has historically been the most dominant conference in the sport. Within the conference, Tennessee's main rivals are LSU
, Vanderbilt
, and Georgia
. Summitt has led Tennessee to 1000 victories, with an 84.2% win rate. The numbers at home are even stronger, as Tennessee has won 91% of home games and 93.1% of in-conference home games.
In 1974, Pat Head was named the new coach. Head had previously played women's basketball for the UT-Martin Pacers
(now known as the Skyhawks), and had just graduated.
. After finishing 16–11 her second season, Head directed two 20-win teams, winning back-to-back AIAW Region-II championships. 1976 also included the Lady Vols defeating 3-time AIAW champion Delta State
by 20, and Tennessee's first number one ranking. 1978 saw the Lady Vols participate in their first AIAW Final Four, where they finished 3rd. Head also recorded her 100th win during this season, a 79–66 victory over NC State
. Tennessee finished up the 70's by winning the first ever SEC tournament, and returning to the Final Four, where they finished runner-up to Old Dominion, 68–53.
The 1981–1982 season featured the first ever NCAA Women's basketball tournament
. The Lady Vols were one of 32 teams invited and named a 2 seed in their region. In the region championship, the Lady Vols upset first seeded USC
91–90 in overtime to advance to the Final Four. They would lose their Final Four match-up with Louisiana Tech who ended up winning the tournament.
The next season, the Lady Vols won the regular season SEC title, but fell in the SEC tournament to Georgia. Tennessee was invited to the now-36 team NCAA tournament
and was given their first ever 1 seed. Tennessee made it to the regional championship, but fell to Georgia again, 67–63. Summitt won her 200th game on December 3, a 69–56 victory over St. John's
during the Coca-Cola Classic in Detroit.
The 1983–1984 season saw Tennessee start out poorly, 6–4. However, Summitt got her team together and finished 22–10, for her 8th straight twenty-win season, a streak that is still on-going. Tennessee not only made it to the NCAA Final Four for the second time out of the three tournaments, but also made it to the title game. However, Tennessee lost by 11 to USC, who had also won the title the previous year. Pat Summitt earned Coach of the Year honors. This season was followed up by another twenty-win year in which Tennessee earned both the regular season SEC title (despite only going 4–4) and the tournament title. However, the Lady Vols fell in the NCAA Tournament to Mississippi
during the Round of 16. The next season was a similar story—the Lady Vols had a decent regular season, played a great tournament (reaching the Final Four for the second time in three years), but fell before winning the title.
In 1986–1987, after years of trying, the Lady Vols finally broke through and defeated perennial power Louisiana Tech for their first title, 67–44. The Lady Techsters had defeated the Lady Vols by 12 earlier in the season. Tennessee's Tonya Edwards
earned the honor of Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four. During this season, Summitt also earned her 300th win, an 87–66 victory over North Carolina
. The next year, the Lady Vols were poised to repeat, as the third-ranked and top seeded Tennessee made it to the Final Four yet again. However, Louisiana Tech avenged their championship loss with a nine point win, and went on to win the title.
In 1988–1989, the Lady Vols made it to the Final Four for the fourth straight year, and as a one-seed for the second straight year. After dispatching Maryland
by 12, Tennessee faced SEC rival Auburn
for the title. Auburn has lost by two to Louisiana Tech in the title game the previous year, and had been given its only loss in the SEC Championship. However, that loss was to Tennessee, who managed a fifteen point victory over the Tigers. The championship game was similar, and Tennessee took home its second title in three years with a 76–60 victory. Record-wise, this was Tennessee's best season yet, as they won 35 games while dropping only 2, one to Auburn in the regular season and the other a two point loss to Texas. Additionally, the Lady Vols won every NCAA tournament game by at least twelve points.
In the final season of the decade, the Lady Vols started off the season well, winning the SEC title. However, the team fell by one to Auburn in the SEC Championship, and then lost in overtime to Virginia
in the regional finals, one game shy of making a trip to the Final Four, which was being held in Knoxville. Summitt did accomplish another milestone during this season, however—her 400th win, a 70–69 victory over South Carolina
on January 25.
, Tennessee dispatched Auburn for the second time in three years. In the national semifinals, the Lady Vols beat Stanford, 68–60, to earn the opportunity to venge last year's tournament loss against Virginia. Just as the previous year's game had gone into overtime, so did this one. Down one at the half, the Lady Vols managed to tie the game at sixty by the end of regulation. Tennessee escaped in overtime with a 70–67 win, and their third national title in five years. However, the next year the Lady Vols did not even make it to the regional championship, falling to the same Western Kentucky team they had beaten in the same round the previous tournament, 75–70. The 1992-93 season was better, as Tennessee defeated the defending champions Stanford twice, and swept the SEC season for the first time ever. However, the Lady Vols were unable to grab the tournament title, and also fell in the NCAA tournament to Iowa
, a 72–56 loss in the regional finals.
Early in the 1993–1994 season, Summitt grabbed her 500th win, an 80–45 beating of Ohio State
on November 21. Tennessee also won both the regular season and tournament conference titles. However, the streak of years without a Final Four appearance extended to three with a 71–68 loss in the regional semifinals to Louisiana Tech. The next season would be Tennessee's return to the Final Four. Tennessee ran the table in the SEC regular season for the third straight year, but also failed to win the tournament title for the third straight year. The top-seed Lady Vols breezed their way to their fifth national championship game, with no game being closer than 21. However in the National Championship, the Lady Vols fell to the undefeated UConn Huskies
, 70–64. During the off-season, Pat Summitt acquired high school standout Chamique Holdsclaw
.
In 1995–1996, with freshman Holdsclaw and senior Michelle Marciniak
, the Lady Vols won the SEC tournament and made a second straight Final Four. The other three teams: UConn, Stanford, and Georgia, had all defeated the Lady Vols in the regular season. In the semi-finals, facing the UConn Huskies who had knocked them off for the title the previous year, the Lady Vols shot out to an 11 point lead. However, UConn cut it to 4 by the half, and tied later on. With twelve seconds to go, Tennessee led by three, but the Huskies hit a three to send the game into overtime. This was not enough though, as UT prevailed by 5 in overtime. The championship game was not this close. Tennessee won their fourth title easily, an 83–65 win over Georgia.
With regard to record, the 1996–1997 season was one of Summitt's worst seasons ever. In addition to losses to powerhouses such as Louisiana Tech (twice), Stanford, Old Dominion, and Connecticut, Tennessee also lost to teams such as Florida
, whom they had been previously undefeated against. After their tenth loss of the season, in the SEC semi-finals to Auburn, the team pulled together in time for the NCAA Tournament. Avenging their loss to undefeated Connecticut, Tennessee continued on their way to the championship game, where they avenged another loss, defeating Old Dominion by 9 for their second straight national title. Summitt also earned her 600th win during the season, a 15 point victory over Marquette
on November 23, 1996.
In many aspects, the 1997—1998 team was Summitt's best. With the top-ranked recruiting class as well as Holdsclaw, the Lady Vols ran the table to a 39–0 season while playing one of the top-ranked schedules in the country. Only three teams came within 10 points of beating the team, and the Lady Vols won a 93–75 victory over Louisiana Tech for their third straight national championship.
Chamique Holdsclaw had declared that the 1998–99 team would be the greatest ever. However, this proved not to be the case. Injuries to several players decimated the team, and the Lady Vols ultimately fell to Duke in the regional finals. With this, the Chamique Holdsclaw era ended. A landmark was set during this season however, as "The Meeks"—Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings
, and Semeka Randall
—became the first trio from one team to be named Kodak All-Americans.
The Lady Vols ended the decade with their third straight 30-win season, third straight SEC title, and third straight SEC Tournament title. Additionally, the Lady Vols defeated UConn in the regular season, 72–71, in what would ultimately be the Huskies' only loss of the year. In the NCAA tournament, Tennessee breezed its way to the title game, winning all 5 games by at least ten points. However, in the championship the Lady Vols fell to the Huskies, by a 71–52 score. During the season, Summitt earned her 700th win, 85–62 at Wisconsin
.
At the 2000 ESPY Awards
, the Lady Vols basketball team was named co-team of the decade, along with the Florida State Seminoles football
team. Additionally, Pat Summitt was named the Naismith Coach of the Century, and Chamique Holdsclaw earned recognition as player of the century.
, their worst finish since 1993–1994. Despite this, Pat Summitt earned her 750th win, in the second game against UConn, a 92–88 victory. Additionally, the team finished with their fourth straight thirty win season.
The 2001–2002 season marked the first time since the beginning of the rivalry that Tennessee and Connecticut played each other only once in the regular season. UConn won this match-up by 14. However they would see each other later in the tournament. Tennessee suffered other losses during the season, losing to Texas by a point and getting badly beaten by the Duke Blue Devils
. Additionally, despite winning their fifth straight SEC championship, the Lady Vols fell once again in the tournament, this time to LSU. In the NCAA tournament, Tennessee was able to reach the Final Four yet again, with a 5 point win over Vanderbilt. This trip to the Final Four marked Summitt's 13th appearance, which broke Coach John Wooden
's record of 12, as well as her 788th win, which tied her with Jody Conradt
for winningest coach in women's basketball history. However, the Lady Vols fell in the national semifinals to Connecticut. This loss ended the season at 29–5, one win shy of extending Summitt's streak of 30-win seasons. Summitt did achieve more milestones during this season. A 106–66 win over USC
marked her 200th win at home, a victory against Louisiana Tech was her 300th win against a ranked opponent and her 93–65 win over Arkansas was her 1,000th game as a coach, including international contests.
During the 2002–2003 season, the Lady Vols compiled their 6th perfect SEC season, and additionally beat powerhouses Duke and Louisiana Tech among others. However, the Lady Vols dropped their second straight to Texas and lost yet another game in the series against UConn. This streak would continue as the Lady Vols made it to the title game only to lose to the Huskies again, 73–68. During the season, Summitt earned her 800th win, 76–57 over DePaul
, and was the fastest coach to reach this milestone.
The 2003–2004 season was quite similar to the previous year. The Lady Vols defeated most of their opponents, including Duke and Louisiana Tech, but dropped games to UConn and Texas. The Lady Vols again went 14–0 in the regular season against SEC competition and again fell in the tournament. And once again, the Lady Vols won five games in the NCAA tournament only to lose in the championship game to Connecticut.
By 2004–2005, Connecticut's Diana Taurasi
had finally graduated and Tennessee was able to break their losing streak against Connecticut with a 68–67 victory. As Taurasi left, Tennessee received Candace Parker
, a highly regarded and nationally known player. However, due to injuries, she was redshirted
and did not play that year. Tennessee suffered losses during the season to Duke, Rutgers
, and LSU, while beating teams which included Stanford and Louisiana Tech. LSU's win over Tennessee gave the Tigers the SEC title, breaking Tennessee's streak of 7 straight. However Tennessee was able to break their streak of four years without a tournament title, by avenging their loss with a 67–65 victory over LSU in the SEC Championship. In the NCAA tournament, Tennessee defeated the Rutgers team which had beaten them earlier in the year to advance to their fourth Final Four in a row. In the Final Four, the Lady Vols fell to Michigan State
by a mark of 68–64. Tennessee had led by 16 at one point, but the Spartans made a record-tying come back to advance to the title game. In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Lady Vols defeated Purdue
. This victory gave Pat Summitt her 880th win, breaking North Carolina coach Dean Smith
's record of 879 wins, making her the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history.
2005–2006 was Candace Parker's first year as a college athlete. After being redshirted the previous year she was recovered from her injuries and became a starter. During the season, the Lady Vols dropped three games to SEC foes LSU, Florida, and Kentucky
, their worst SEC season since the 1996–1997 season. The Lady Vols also suffered a bad loss to Duke. However they won their second straight game against Connecticut and rebounded from the poor SEC season to win the tournament for the second year in a row. In the tournament, Tennessee controversially received a two seed instead of the one seed Summitt believed her team deserved, and in the regional finals played North Carolina. Parker tied Ivory Latta
for leading scorer with 20 points, but it was not enough. Tennessee trailed from the beginning, falling behind by as many as 16. Late in the second half, the Lady Vols were able to cut the lead down to five, but ultimately fell, 75–63. This loss meant that for the first time in five years Summitt would not be appearing in the Final Four.
Early in the 2006–2007 season, Tennessee defeated three ranked teams in a row, Stanford, Arizona State, and Middle Tennessee
. After Tennessee lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels again, by 13, the Lady Vols defeated a strong Notre Dame
team and defeated UConn for the third time in a row. In Knoxville, Summitt's team fell to top-ranked Duke, 74–70, in a game which Duke scored the first nineteen points, with Tennessee not scoring for nearly the first six minutes. Later, in Baton Rouge
, the Lady Vols clinched the SEC title against LSU in a game where Candace Parker scored 27. However in the tournament semifinals, Tennessee fell to the Tigers. In that second game, Parker only scored 4 points. In the NCAA tournament, Summitt's team easily made it to the Final Four, dispatching teams that included SEC foe Mississippi
and 13-seeded Cinderella, Marist
, winning each game by at least 14. In the Final Four, Tennessee again faced North Carolina. Despite shooting just 27%, the team came back from a 12 point deficit with 8:18 remaining to win, 56–50. In the championship game against Rutgers, Tennessee finally won its seventh title. Down by 11 at the half, Rutgers mounted a small comeback, taking the lead down to 7 with 13:33, only to have Shannon Bobbitt hit three three-pointers. Rutgers responded with a 7–0 run, cutting the lead down to 8, but Parker hit 6 free throws to ice the win for Tennessee.
The 2007-08 season started off with the top-ranked Lady Vols going 3-0, including wins over 9th-ranked Oklahoma and 22nd-ranked Texas. The win over Texas was Summitt's 950th. After two more wins, #1 Tennessee knocked off fourth-ranked North Carolina, 83-79, in a rematch of a Final Four match-up last year, to advance to 6-0 on the season.
Tennessee won their next four games, then headed out to California for a match-up with 5th-ranked Stanford. Down 4 with less than 30 seconds remaining, the Lady Vols managed to tie the game up and send it to overtime, but still lost, 73-69.
The Lady Vols responded by winning their next seven games, giving them a 17-1 record going into a match-up with Duke. Candace Parker's 17 points and 12 rebounds, including a bucket with 22 seconds remaining, helped the Lady Vols defeat the Blue Devils for the first time in four years, 67-64. After winning their next three games, all against SEC opponents, the Lady Vols met with a top-5 Rutgers squad who had just defeated top-ranked UConn. Down 5 with under 90 seconds remaining, the Lady Vols hit back-to-back threes pointers to regain the lead, but Rutgers' Carson responded with a jumper to give Rutgers a one point lead. On the other end, Candace Parker missed a shot with time winding down. Tennessee's Nicky Anosike got the rebound and was fouled, sending her to the free throw line where she made both free throws to give Tennessee a one-point victory. However, the finish proved to be controversial, as replays revealed that the game clock had paused with 0.2 seconds remaining, giving Anosike enough time to be fouled. In the following game, against LSU, Tennessee soared out to a 21-2 lead, but led only 33-30 at halftime. In the second half, the Lady Tigers took a quick lead, and never looked back, winning 78-62. Tennessee won the remainder of its regular season games and finished second in the SEC, giving them a first-round bye in the conference tournament. The Lady Vols went on to win the SEC tournament, defeating LSU.(61-55)
Tennessee advanced to their 18th Final Four, defeating LSU by only one point to advance to a second consecutive NCAA Tournament Championship Game. The Lady Vols defeated the 2-seeded Stanford Cardinal 64-48 to take home their 8th National Championship.
In 2009 the team had a rebuilding season, due to the departure of the first pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft Candace Parker
. They finished the season at 22-11 and entered the NCAA tournament with the lowest seeding in the program's history at #5. In the opening round of the tournament they played a 26-8 Ball State Cardinals
team that was making their NCAA tourney debut. Ball State would go on to win the game 71-55 making history. The Lady Volunteers had never lost in the first two rounds of the tournament, going 42-0 through the years. Tennessee also became the first defending champ to lose its opening game in the women's tourney.
! colspan="30" style="text-align:center; background:#f93;"| Retired Basketball Jerseys
|-
{| class="wikitable" style="font-style:bold; font-size:125%; border:6px;"
|- style="text-align:center; background:#f93;"
|
Holly
Warlick
22
|
Bridgette
Gordon
30
|
Daedra
Charles
32
|
Chamique
Holdsclaw
23
|
Tamika
Catchings
24
|}
compiled a list of the 10 greatest Lady Vols basketball players of all time. In the order they were listed, they are:
|-
! Season
! Coach
! Record
! Notes
|-
| 1903
| Katherine Williams
| 0–2
|
|-
| 1904
| Jenny Morrill
| 0–2
|
|-
| 1905
| Leo Theodore Bellmont
| 0–4
|
|-
| 1906
| Essie Polk
| 0–3
|
|-
| 1907
| Thomas Snoddy Myers
| 1–1
|
|-
| 1908
| Willard C. Burnley
| 1–2
|
|-
| 1909
| Andrew Weisenburg
| 1–1–1
|
|-
| 1909–1910
| Howard Sandburg
| 0–2
|
|-
| 1920
| Mary Douglas Ayres
| 2–3
|
|-
| 1922
| Mabel Miller
| 1–1
|
|-
| 1923
| Mabel Miller
| 3–1
|
|-
| 1924
| Fay Morgan
| 4–3
|
|-
| 1925
| Ann Huddle
| 5–3—1
|
|-
| 1926
| Ann Huddle
| 7–1
|
|-
| colspan="4" |
|-
| 1969
| Joan Cronan
| 8–4
|
|-
| 1970
| Joan Cronan
| 0–6
|
|-
| 1971
| Margaret Hutson
| 6–6
| 2nd Place TCWSF Eastern District, 5th Place TCWSF
|-
| 1972
| Margaret Hutson
| 13–5
| 2nd Place TCWSF Eastern District, 5th Place TCWSF
|-
| 1973
| Margaret Hutson
| 16–5
| TCWSF Eastern District Champions, 2nd Place TCWSF, 4th Place AIAW Region II
|-
| 1974
| Margaret Hutson
| 25–2
| TCWSF Eastern District Champions, 2nd Place TCWSF, 3rd Place AIAW Region II
|-
| 1974–1975
| Pat Head
| 16–8
| TCWSF Eastern District Champions, 4th Place TCWSF
|-
| 1975–1976
| Pat Head
| 16–11
| 4th Place TCWSF, 6th Place AIAW Region II
|-
| 1976–1977
| Pat Head
| 28–5
| 2nd Place TCWSF, AIAW Region II Champions, 3rd Place AIAW
|-
| 1977–1978
| Pat Head
| 27–4
| 2nd Place TCWSF, AIAW Region II Champions, 4th Place AIAW South Satellite
|-
| 1978–1979
| Pat Head
| 30–9
| TCWSF Champions, 2nd Place AIAW Region II, AIAW East Satellite Champions, 3rd Place AIAW
|-
| 1979–1980
| Pat Head
| 33–5
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, TCWSF Champions, 2nd Place AIAW Region II, AIAW South Satellite Champions, 2nd Place AIAW
|-
| 1980–1981
| Pat Summitt (née
Head)
| 25–6
| TCWSF Champions, AIAW Region II Champions, 2nd Place AIAW
|-
| 1981–1982
| Pat Summitt
| 22–10
| NCAA Final Four
|-
| 1982–1983
| Pat Summitt
| 25–8, (7–1 SEC)
| NCAA Elite Eight
|-
| 1983–1984
| Pat Summitt
| 23–10, (7–1 SEC)
| NCAA Runner-up
|-
| 1984–1985
| Pat Summitt
| 22–10, (4–4 SEC)
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Sweet Sixteen
|-
| 1985–1986
| Pat Summitt
| 24–10, (5–4 SEC)
| NCAA Final Four
|-
| 1986–1987
| Pat Summitt
| 28–6, (6–3 SEC)
| National Champions
|-
| 1987–1988
| Pat Summitt
| 31–3, (8–1 SEC)
| SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Final Four
|-
| 1988–1989
| Pat Summitt
| 35–2, (8–1 SEC)
| SEC Tournament Champions, National Champions
|-
| 1989–1990
| Pat Summitt
| 27–6, (8–1 SEC)
| SEC Champions, NCAA Elite Eight
|-
| 1990–1991
| Pat Summitt
| 30–5, (6–3 SEC)
| National Champions
|-
| 1991–1992
| Pat Summitt
| 28–3, (10–1 SEC)
| SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Sweet Sixteen
|-
| 1992–1993
| Pat Summitt
| 29–3, (11–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, NCAA Elite Eight
|-
| 1993–1994
| Pat Summitt
| 31–2, (11–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Sweet Sixteen
|-
| 1994–1995
| Pat Summitt
| 34–3, (11–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, NCAA Runner-up
|-
| 1995–1996
| Pat Summitt
| 32–4, (9–2 SEC)
| SEC Tournament Champions, National Champions
|-
| 1996–1997
| Pat Summitt
| 29–10, (8–4 SEC)
| National Champions
|-
| 1997–1998
| Pat Summitt
| 39–0, (14–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, National Champions
|-
| 1998–1999
| Pat Summitt
| 31–3, (13–1 SEC)
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Elite Eight
|-
| 1999–2000
| Pat Summitt
| 33–4, (13–1 SEC)
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Runner-up
|-
| 2000–2001
| Pat Summitt
| 31–3, (14–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, NCAA Sweet Sixteen
|-
| 2001–2002
| Pat Summitt
| 29–5, (13–1 SEC)
| SEC Champions, NCAA Final Four
|-
| 2002–2003
| Pat Summitt
| 33–5, (14–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, NCAA Runner-up
|-
| 2003–2004
| Pat Summitt
| 31–4, (14–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, NCAA Runner-up
|-
| 2004–2005
| Pat Summitt
| 30–5, (13–1 SEC)
| SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Final Four
|-
| 2005–2006
| Pat Summitt
| 31–5, (11–3 SEC)
| SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Elite Eight
|-
| 2006–2007
| Pat Summitt
| 34–3, (14–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, National Champions
|-
| 2007–2008
| Pat Summitt
| 36-2, (13-1 SEC)
| SEC Tournament Champions, National Champions
|-
| 2008–2009
| Pat Summitt
| 22-11, (9-5 SEC)
| NCAA First Round
|-
| 2009–2010
| Pat Summitt
| 32-3, (15-1 SEC)
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Sweet Sixteen
|-
| 2010–2011
| Pat Summitt
| 34-3, (16-0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Elite Eight
|}
External links
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
in Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
women's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
competition. Coached by Pat Summitt
Pat Summitt
Patricia "Pat" Head Summitt is an American women's college basketball coach. She is currently the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men's or women's team in any division...
, the team has been a contender for national titles for over thirty years, having made every NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
tournament since the NCAA began sanctioning women's sports in the 1981-82 season.
The team is more frequently referred to as the Lady Vols; the formal "Volunteers" nickname is regularly shortened by many fans of both men's and women's teams to "Vols", and sports media in the U.S. more commonly refer to Tennessee women's teams by the shortened version. The university considers either "Lady Volunteers" or "Lady Vols" acceptable.
The Lady Vols have won 15 SEC regular season championships, most recently in 2011, 15 SEC tournament championships, most recently in 2011, made 18 Final Four appearances, most recently in 2008, and won 8 national championships, most recently in 2008.
Overview
The Lady Vols have been coached by Pat SummittPat Summitt
Patricia "Pat" Head Summitt is an American women's college basketball coach. She is currently the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men's or women's team in any division...
for over three decades. Under Summitt, the Lady Vols have won numerous SEC titles, appeared in 18 NCAA Final Fours and 4 AIAW Final Fours
AIAW Women's Basketball Tournament
-1973 tournament:The 1973 AIAW Women's Basketball Tournament was held on March 22–25, 1973. The host site was Queens College in Flushing, New York...
, and won 8 NCAA titles including an undefeated season. Additionally, Tennessee is the only team to have appeared in all 29 NCAA Tournaments, including 27 Sweet 16s (23 of which were consecutive). Summitt's teams are known for participating in a grueling regular season schedule, often toughest in the nation, in order to prepare the team for the NCAA tournament. This tough schedule has caused Tennessee to build up rivalries with many prominent teams, including Texas
Texas Longhorns women's basketball
The Texas Longhorns women's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin and competes in the Big 12 Conference.The team has long been a national power in women's basketball. Under head coach Jody Conradt, the second NCAA Division I basketball coach to win 900 career games , the...
, Stanford
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
, Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball
The Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball team represents Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. The current head coach of the Lady Techsters is Teresa Weatherspoon...
, Old Dominion
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
, and, most notably, Connecticut
UConn-Tennessee rivalry
The women's basketball rivalry between the University of Tennessee Lady Vols and the University of Connecticut Huskies is one of the fiercest rivalries in college basketball, and perhaps the only one to reach national consciousness out of the women's game...
. Like all other Tennessee teams, the Lady Vols compete in the SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
, which has historically been the most dominant conference in the sport. Within the conference, Tennessee's main rivals are LSU
LSU Lady Tigers basketball
The LSU Lady Tigers basketball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I women's college basketball. The team is currently coached by former UCLA head coach Nikki Caldwell, who accepted the job on April 2, 2011. Past coaches include Barbara Swanner, Jinks Coleman,...
, Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt Commodores
The Vanderbilt Commodores are the NCAA athletic teams of Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The university fields 16 varsity teams , 14 of which compete in the Southeastern Conference...
, and Georgia
Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball
The Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball team represents the University of Georgia in basketball. The Lady Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference . The "Lady Dawgs," as they are sometimes called, play in Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia...
. Summitt has led Tennessee to 1000 victories, with an 84.2% win rate. The numbers at home are even stronger, as Tennessee has won 91% of home games and 93.1% of in-conference home games.
Early years
Lady Vols basketball began at the beginning of the 20th century. However, most "seasons" consisted of three or four games. The sport was dropped in 1926 and was not picked up again until 1960. Coach Joan Cronan went 8–10 over two seasons before being replaced by Margaret Hutson, who coached for four years with a 60–18 record.In 1974, Pat Head was named the new coach. Head had previously played women's basketball for the UT-Martin Pacers
University of Tennessee at Martin
The University of Tennessee at Martin is a campus in the University of Tennessee system. Other campuses include the flagship campus in Knoxville, the Chattanooga campus, the Center for the Health Sciences in Memphis, and the Space Institute in Tullahoma...
(now known as the Skyhawks), and had just graduated.
Late 1970s
In the 1974–1975 season, Pat Head took over a 25–2 Lady Vols team. In her opening season, the Lady Vols won the TCWSF Eastern District Championship for the third straight year. However, the team finished only 4th overall in the TCWSF (they had been 2nd the previous two years), and were not invited to the AIAW Women's Basketball TournamentAIAW Women's Basketball Tournament
-1973 tournament:The 1973 AIAW Women's Basketball Tournament was held on March 22–25, 1973. The host site was Queens College in Flushing, New York...
. After finishing 16–11 her second season, Head directed two 20-win teams, winning back-to-back AIAW Region-II championships. 1976 also included the Lady Vols defeating 3-time AIAW champion Delta State
Delta State University
Delta State University, also known as DSU, is a regional public university located in Cleveland, Mississippi, United States, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta...
by 20, and Tennessee's first number one ranking. 1978 saw the Lady Vols participate in their first AIAW Final Four, where they finished 3rd. Head also recorded her 100th win during this season, a 79–66 victory over NC State
NC State Wolfpack
The athletic teams of the North Carolina State University, known as the Wolfpack, compete in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports. NC State is a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and has won eight national championships: two NCAA championships, two AIAW championships, and four titles...
. Tennessee finished up the 70's by winning the first ever SEC tournament, and returning to the Final Four, where they finished runner-up to Old Dominion, 68–53.
1980s
During the 1980–1981 season, the Lady Vols went 25–6, and avenged their championship game loss to Old Dominion by defeating them three times. The team made it to the AIAW Final Four for the third straight year, but wound up as runner-up for the second consecutive year, losing to Louisiana Tech, 79–59.The 1981–1982 season featured the first ever NCAA Women's basketball tournament
1982 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1982 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament was the first NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament ever held. It featured 32 teams. Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, Cheyney, and Maryland met in the Final Four, held at the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia and hosted by Old Dominion University,...
. The Lady Vols were one of 32 teams invited and named a 2 seed in their region. In the region championship, the Lady Vols upset first seeded USC
USC Trojans Basketball
The University of Southern California Trojans men's basketball program is the college basketball team that competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and represents the University of Southern California on the court.The program began playing...
91–90 in overtime to advance to the Final Four. They would lose their Final Four match-up with Louisiana Tech who ended up winning the tournament.
The next season, the Lady Vols won the regular season SEC title, but fell in the SEC tournament to Georgia. Tennessee was invited to the now-36 team NCAA tournament
1983 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1983 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 18 and concluded on April 3 with USC winning the title. The tournament consisted of 36 teams. The Final Four was held in Norfolk, Virginia and consisted of USC, Louisiana Tech, Old Dominion, and Georgia...
and was given their first ever 1 seed. Tennessee made it to the regional championship, but fell to Georgia again, 67–63. Summitt won her 200th game on December 3, a 69–56 victory over St. John's
St. John's University (New York City)
St. John's University is a private, Roman Catholic, coeducational university located in New York City, United States. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1870, the school was originally located in the borough of Brooklyn in the neighborhood of Bedford–Stuyvesant...
during the Coca-Cola Classic in Detroit.
The 1983–1984 season saw Tennessee start out poorly, 6–4. However, Summitt got her team together and finished 22–10, for her 8th straight twenty-win season, a streak that is still on-going. Tennessee not only made it to the NCAA Final Four for the second time out of the three tournaments, but also made it to the title game. However, Tennessee lost by 11 to USC, who had also won the title the previous year. Pat Summitt earned Coach of the Year honors. This season was followed up by another twenty-win year in which Tennessee earned both the regular season SEC title (despite only going 4–4) and the tournament title. However, the Lady Vols fell in the NCAA Tournament to Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
during the Round of 16. The next season was a similar story—the Lady Vols had a decent regular season, played a great tournament (reaching the Final Four for the second time in three years), but fell before winning the title.
In 1986–1987, after years of trying, the Lady Vols finally broke through and defeated perennial power Louisiana Tech for their first title, 67–44. The Lady Techsters had defeated the Lady Vols by 12 earlier in the season. Tennessee's Tonya Edwards
Tonya Edwards
Tonya Edwards is a former professional basketball player and is currently a college coach.- Professional career :...
earned the honor of Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four. During this season, Summitt also earned her 300th win, an 87–66 victory over North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels women's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels women's basketball team represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I women's basketball.- Home Arenas :...
. The next year, the Lady Vols were poised to repeat, as the third-ranked and top seeded Tennessee made it to the Final Four yet again. However, Louisiana Tech avenged their championship loss with a nine point win, and went on to win the title.
In 1988–1989, the Lady Vols made it to the Final Four for the fourth straight year, and as a one-seed for the second straight year. After dispatching Maryland
Maryland Terrapins women's basketball
The University of Maryland women's basketball team has been a prominent program in the history of women's basketball. As a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Lady Terrapins have been regular season and tournament champions on numerous occasions. They were struggling with a losing record...
by 12, Tennessee faced SEC rival Auburn
Auburn Tigers
Auburn Tigers is the name given to Auburn University athletic teams. The University is a member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 19 varsity teams in 13 sports:* Men's sports** Baseball** Basketball...
for the title. Auburn has lost by two to Louisiana Tech in the title game the previous year, and had been given its only loss in the SEC Championship. However, that loss was to Tennessee, who managed a fifteen point victory over the Tigers. The championship game was similar, and Tennessee took home its second title in three years with a 76–60 victory. Record-wise, this was Tennessee's best season yet, as they won 35 games while dropping only 2, one to Auburn in the regular season and the other a two point loss to Texas. Additionally, the Lady Vols won every NCAA tournament game by at least twelve points.
In the final season of the decade, the Lady Vols started off the season well, winning the SEC title. However, the team fell by one to Auburn in the SEC Championship, and then lost in overtime to Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers
The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as Wahoos or Hoos, are the athletic teams officially representing the University of Virginia in college sports. The Cavaliers compete in 25 NCAA Division I varsity sports and are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
in the regional finals, one game shy of making a trip to the Final Four, which was being held in Knoxville. Summitt did accomplish another milestone during this season, however—her 400th win, a 70–69 victory over South Carolina
South Carolina Gamecocks
The University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the "Gamecocks". The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his...
on January 25.
1990s
Despite winning neither the SEC regular season championship nor the tournament championship, Tennessee was given a 1 seed in the 1991 NCAA tournament. After a close win in the regional semifinals against Western KentuckyWestern Kentucky Hilltoppers
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is the name for all of the men's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for Western Kentucky University. Women's teams are known as Lady Toppers...
, Tennessee dispatched Auburn for the second time in three years. In the national semifinals, the Lady Vols beat Stanford, 68–60, to earn the opportunity to venge last year's tournament loss against Virginia. Just as the previous year's game had gone into overtime, so did this one. Down one at the half, the Lady Vols managed to tie the game at sixty by the end of regulation. Tennessee escaped in overtime with a 70–67 win, and their third national title in five years. However, the next year the Lady Vols did not even make it to the regional championship, falling to the same Western Kentucky team they had beaten in the same round the previous tournament, 75–70. The 1992-93 season was better, as Tennessee defeated the defending champions Stanford twice, and swept the SEC season for the first time ever. However, the Lady Vols were unable to grab the tournament title, and also fell in the NCAA tournament to Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletics teams that represent the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 24 sports, 11 for men and 13 for women. The teams participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and are members of the...
, a 72–56 loss in the regional finals.
Early in the 1993–1994 season, Summitt grabbed her 500th win, an 80–45 beating of Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes women's basketball
The Ohio State women's basketball team represents The Ohio State University and plays its home games in the Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center, which they moved into in 1998. Prior to 1998, they played at St. John Arena. They have won 12 Big Ten titles, which is the most in the...
on November 21. Tennessee also won both the regular season and tournament conference titles. However, the streak of years without a Final Four appearance extended to three with a 71–68 loss in the regional semifinals to Louisiana Tech. The next season would be Tennessee's return to the Final Four. Tennessee ran the table in the SEC regular season for the third straight year, but also failed to win the tournament title for the third straight year. The top-seed Lady Vols breezed their way to their fifth national championship game, with no game being closer than 21. However in the National Championship, the Lady Vols fell to the undefeated UConn Huskies
Connecticut Huskies women's basketball
The Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represents the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut in NCAA women's basketball competition. Under head coach Geno Auriemma, the Huskies have won 7 NCAA Division I national championships, advanced to 12 Final Fours, and won over 30 Big...
, 70–64. During the off-season, Pat Summitt acquired high school standout Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
.
In 1995–1996, with freshman Holdsclaw and senior Michelle Marciniak
Michelle Marciniak
Michelle Marciniak is a former All American collegiate and professional basketball player, who played point guard in the Women's National Basketball Association . As a floor general, Marciniak competed for two National Championships during her three year career at the University of Tennessee...
, the Lady Vols won the SEC tournament and made a second straight Final Four. The other three teams: UConn, Stanford, and Georgia, had all defeated the Lady Vols in the regular season. In the semi-finals, facing the UConn Huskies who had knocked them off for the title the previous year, the Lady Vols shot out to an 11 point lead. However, UConn cut it to 4 by the half, and tied later on. With twelve seconds to go, Tennessee led by three, but the Huskies hit a three to send the game into overtime. This was not enough though, as UT prevailed by 5 in overtime. The championship game was not this close. Tennessee won their fourth title easily, an 83–65 win over Georgia.
With regard to record, the 1996–1997 season was one of Summitt's worst seasons ever. In addition to losses to powerhouses such as Louisiana Tech (twice), Stanford, Old Dominion, and Connecticut, Tennessee also lost to teams such as Florida
Florida Gators women's basketball
The Florida Gators women's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Southeastern Conference...
, whom they had been previously undefeated against. After their tenth loss of the season, in the SEC semi-finals to Auburn, the team pulled together in time for the NCAA Tournament. Avenging their loss to undefeated Connecticut, Tennessee continued on their way to the championship game, where they avenged another loss, defeating Old Dominion by 9 for their second straight national title. Summitt also earned her 600th win during the season, a 15 point victory over Marquette
Marquette Golden Eagles
The Marquette Golden Eagles are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Marquette University....
on November 23, 1996.
In many aspects, the 1997—1998 team was Summitt's best. With the top-ranked recruiting class as well as Holdsclaw, the Lady Vols ran the table to a 39–0 season while playing one of the top-ranked schedules in the country. Only three teams came within 10 points of beating the team, and the Lady Vols won a 93–75 victory over Louisiana Tech for their third straight national championship.
Chamique Holdsclaw had declared that the 1998–99 team would be the greatest ever. However, this proved not to be the case. Injuries to several players decimated the team, and the Lady Vols ultimately fell to Duke in the regional finals. With this, the Chamique Holdsclaw era ended. A landmark was set during this season however, as "The Meeks"—Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings
Tamika Catchings
Tamika Devonne Catchings is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA and Turkish team Galatasaray. She is a prolific scorer close to and far from the basket, as well as a capable rebounder, ball handler, and defender. After playing at Adlai E...
, and Semeka Randall
Semeka Randall
Semeka Chantay Randall is a former collegiate and professional basketball player who is the head coach of the Ohio Bobcats...
—became the first trio from one team to be named Kodak All-Americans.
The Lady Vols ended the decade with their third straight 30-win season, third straight SEC title, and third straight SEC Tournament title. Additionally, the Lady Vols defeated UConn in the regular season, 72–71, in what would ultimately be the Huskies' only loss of the year. In the NCAA tournament, Tennessee breezed its way to the title game, winning all 5 games by at least ten points. However, in the championship the Lady Vols fell to the Huskies, by a 71–52 score. During the season, Summitt earned her 700th win, 85–62 at Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
.
At the 2000 ESPY Awards
ESPY Awards
An ESPY Award is an accolade presented by the American cable television network ESPN to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. The first ESPYs were awarded in 1993...
, the Lady Vols basketball team was named co-team of the decade, along with the Florida State Seminoles football
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
team. Additionally, Pat Summitt was named the Naismith Coach of the Century, and Chamique Holdsclaw earned recognition as player of the century.
2000s
In the 2000–2001 season, the Lady Vols claimed another SEC title, winning all 14 SEC games. Additionally, they split the season series with the UConn Huskies and headed into the SEC tournament with a 28–1 record. However, the Lady Vols were upset by Vanderbilt in the semifinals, and then lost in the Sweet Sixteen to XavierXavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...
, their worst finish since 1993–1994. Despite this, Pat Summitt earned her 750th win, in the second game against UConn, a 92–88 victory. Additionally, the team finished with their fourth straight thirty win season.
The 2001–2002 season marked the first time since the beginning of the rivalry that Tennessee and Connecticut played each other only once in the regular season. UConn won this match-up by 14. However they would see each other later in the tournament. Tennessee suffered other losses during the season, losing to Texas by a point and getting badly beaten by the Duke Blue Devils
Duke Blue Devils
Duke University's 26 varsity sports teams, known as the Blue Devils, compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The name comes from the French "les Diables Bleus" or "the Blue Devils," which was the nickname given during World War I to the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Alpine light infantry...
. Additionally, despite winning their fifth straight SEC championship, the Lady Vols fell once again in the tournament, this time to LSU. In the NCAA tournament, Tennessee was able to reach the Final Four yet again, with a 5 point win over Vanderbilt. This trip to the Final Four marked Summitt's 13th appearance, which broke Coach John Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
's record of 12, as well as her 788th win, which tied her with Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
for winningest coach in women's basketball history. However, the Lady Vols fell in the national semifinals to Connecticut. This loss ended the season at 29–5, one win shy of extending Summitt's streak of 30-win seasons. Summitt did achieve more milestones during this season. A 106–66 win over USC
USC Trojans Basketball
The University of Southern California Trojans men's basketball program is the college basketball team that competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and represents the University of Southern California on the court.The program began playing...
marked her 200th win at home, a victory against Louisiana Tech was her 300th win against a ranked opponent and her 93–65 win over Arkansas was her 1,000th game as a coach, including international contests.
During the 2002–2003 season, the Lady Vols compiled their 6th perfect SEC season, and additionally beat powerhouses Duke and Louisiana Tech among others. However, the Lady Vols dropped their second straight to Texas and lost yet another game in the series against UConn. This streak would continue as the Lady Vols made it to the title game only to lose to the Huskies again, 73–68. During the season, Summitt earned her 800th win, 76–57 over DePaul
Depaul
Depaul, de Paul or DePaul may refer to:* DePaul University, is the largest Catholic university in North America located within and around Chicago, IL* Vincent de Paul* DePaul Catholic High School...
, and was the fastest coach to reach this milestone.
The 2003–2004 season was quite similar to the previous year. The Lady Vols defeated most of their opponents, including Duke and Louisiana Tech, but dropped games to UConn and Texas. The Lady Vols again went 14–0 in the regular season against SEC competition and again fell in the tournament. And once again, the Lady Vols won five games in the NCAA tournament only to lose in the championship game to Connecticut.
By 2004–2005, Connecticut's Diana Taurasi
Diana Taurasi
Diana Lorena Taurasi is a professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and Galatasaray Medical Park from Turkey...
had finally graduated and Tennessee was able to break their losing streak against Connecticut with a 68–67 victory. As Taurasi left, Tennessee received Candace Parker
Candace Parker
Candace Nicole Parker is an All-American basketball player for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and is also the younger sister of NBA player Anthony Parker. She was drafted to the team from Tennessee in 2008...
, a highly regarded and nationally known player. However, due to injuries, she was redshirted
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
and did not play that year. Tennessee suffered losses during the season to Duke, Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the athletic teams that represent Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey...
, and LSU, while beating teams which included Stanford and Louisiana Tech. LSU's win over Tennessee gave the Tigers the SEC title, breaking Tennessee's streak of 7 straight. However Tennessee was able to break their streak of four years without a tournament title, by avenging their loss with a 67–65 victory over LSU in the SEC Championship. In the NCAA tournament, Tennessee defeated the Rutgers team which had beaten them earlier in the year to advance to their fourth Final Four in a row. In the Final Four, the Lady Vols fell to Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
by a mark of 68–64. Tennessee had led by 16 at one point, but the Spartans made a record-tying come back to advance to the title game. In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Lady Vols defeated Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers Women's Basketball
The Purdue Boilermakers women's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Big Ten Conference. Purdue is rich in tradition and history, holding the record for Big Ten Championships, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning...
. This victory gave Pat Summitt her 880th win, breaking North Carolina coach Dean Smith
Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...
's record of 879 wins, making her the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history.
2005–2006 was Candace Parker's first year as a college athlete. After being redshirted the previous year she was recovered from her injuries and became a starter. During the season, the Lady Vols dropped three games to SEC foes LSU, Florida, and Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team represent the University of Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference, which has historically been the most dominant conference in women's basketball. However, despite reaching national rankings as high as #4, the team has never reached the national...
, their worst SEC season since the 1996–1997 season. The Lady Vols also suffered a bad loss to Duke. However they won their second straight game against Connecticut and rebounded from the poor SEC season to win the tournament for the second year in a row. In the tournament, Tennessee controversially received a two seed instead of the one seed Summitt believed her team deserved, and in the regional finals played North Carolina. Parker tied Ivory Latta
Ivory Latta
Ivory Latta is an American professional basketball player. A 5'6" guard noted for her three-point shooting and on-court enthusiasm, she played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels...
for leading scorer with 20 points, but it was not enough. Tennessee trailed from the beginning, falling behind by as many as 16. Late in the second half, the Lady Vols were able to cut the lead down to five, but ultimately fell, 75–63. This loss meant that for the first time in five years Summitt would not be appearing in the Final Four.
Early in the 2006–2007 season, Tennessee defeated three ranked teams in a row, Stanford, Arizona State, and Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
The Blue Raiders are the men's and women's athletic teams at Middle Tennessee State University. MTSU athletic teams participate in NCAA Division I in the Sun Belt Conference...
. After Tennessee lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels again, by 13, the Lady Vols defeated a strong Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
team and defeated UConn for the third time in a row. In Knoxville, Summitt's team fell to top-ranked Duke, 74–70, in a game which Duke scored the first nineteen points, with Tennessee not scoring for nearly the first six minutes. Later, in Baton Rouge
Pete Maravich Assembly Center
Pete Maravich Assembly Center is a 13,472-seat multi-purpose arena in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The arena opened in 1972. It is home to the Louisiana State University Tigers and Lady Tigers basketball teams. It was originally known as the LSU Assembly Center, but was renamed in memory of Pete...
, the Lady Vols clinched the SEC title against LSU in a game where Candace Parker scored 27. However in the tournament semifinals, Tennessee fell to the Tigers. In that second game, Parker only scored 4 points. In the NCAA tournament, Summitt's team easily made it to the Final Four, dispatching teams that included SEC foe Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
and 13-seeded Cinderella, Marist
Marist Red Foxes
Marist College plays NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the MAAC. Other schools in this conference include Siena College, Iona College, Niagara University, Manhattan College, Fairfield University, Loyola College in Maryland, Canisius College, Rider University, and Saint Peter's...
, winning each game by at least 14. In the Final Four, Tennessee again faced North Carolina. Despite shooting just 27%, the team came back from a 12 point deficit with 8:18 remaining to win, 56–50. In the championship game against Rutgers, Tennessee finally won its seventh title. Down by 11 at the half, Rutgers mounted a small comeback, taking the lead down to 7 with 13:33, only to have Shannon Bobbitt hit three three-pointers. Rutgers responded with a 7–0 run, cutting the lead down to 8, but Parker hit 6 free throws to ice the win for Tennessee.
Tennessee won their next four games, then headed out to California for a match-up with 5th-ranked Stanford. Down 4 with less than 30 seconds remaining, the Lady Vols managed to tie the game up and send it to overtime, but still lost, 73-69.
The Lady Vols responded by winning their next seven games, giving them a 17-1 record going into a match-up with Duke. Candace Parker's 17 points and 12 rebounds, including a bucket with 22 seconds remaining, helped the Lady Vols defeat the Blue Devils for the first time in four years, 67-64. After winning their next three games, all against SEC opponents, the Lady Vols met with a top-5 Rutgers squad who had just defeated top-ranked UConn. Down 5 with under 90 seconds remaining, the Lady Vols hit back-to-back threes pointers to regain the lead, but Rutgers' Carson responded with a jumper to give Rutgers a one point lead. On the other end, Candace Parker missed a shot with time winding down. Tennessee's Nicky Anosike got the rebound and was fouled, sending her to the free throw line where she made both free throws to give Tennessee a one-point victory. However, the finish proved to be controversial, as replays revealed that the game clock had paused with 0.2 seconds remaining, giving Anosike enough time to be fouled. In the following game, against LSU, Tennessee soared out to a 21-2 lead, but led only 33-30 at halftime. In the second half, the Lady Tigers took a quick lead, and never looked back, winning 78-62. Tennessee won the remainder of its regular season games and finished second in the SEC, giving them a first-round bye in the conference tournament. The Lady Vols went on to win the SEC tournament, defeating LSU.(61-55)
Tennessee advanced to their 18th Final Four, defeating LSU by only one point to advance to a second consecutive NCAA Tournament Championship Game. The Lady Vols defeated the 2-seeded Stanford Cardinal 64-48 to take home their 8th National Championship.
In 2009 the team had a rebuilding season, due to the departure of the first pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft Candace Parker
Candace Parker
Candace Nicole Parker is an All-American basketball player for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and is also the younger sister of NBA player Anthony Parker. She was drafted to the team from Tennessee in 2008...
. They finished the season at 22-11 and entered the NCAA tournament with the lowest seeding in the program's history at #5. In the opening round of the tournament they played a 26-8 Ball State Cardinals
Ball State Cardinals
Ball State University's athletic teams are called the Cardinals. The Cardinals are part of the NCAA Mid-American Conference and located in Muncie, Indiana...
team that was making their NCAA tourney debut. Ball State would go on to win the game 71-55 making history. The Lady Volunteers had never lost in the first two rounds of the tournament, going 42-0 through the years. Tennessee also became the first defending champ to lose its opening game in the women's tourney.
Head coaches
Prior to 1971, records are incomplete.- Katherine Williams, Captain, 1903 (0–2)
- Jenny Morrill, Captain, 1904, (0–2)
- Leo Thedore Bellmonts, 1905 (0–4)
- Essie Polk, captain, 1906 (0–3)
- Thomas Snoddy Myers, 1907 (1–1)
- Willard C. Burnley, 1908 (1–2)
- Andrew Weisenburg, 1909 (1–1–1)
- Howard Sandburg, 1910 (0–2)
- Mary Douglas Ayres, 1920 (2–3)
- Mabel Miller, 1922–1923 (4–2)
- Fay Morgan, 1924 (4–3)
- Ann Huddle, 1925–1926 (12–4–1)
- Nancy Lay, 1960–1968 (No results available)
- Joan Cronan, 1969–1970 (8–10)
- Margaret Hutson, 1971–1974 (60–18) — 2 TCWSF Eastern District Championships
- Pat SummittPat SummittPatricia "Pat" Head Summitt is an American women's college basketball coach. She is currently the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men's or women's team in any division...
, 1974–Present (1030–189) — 8 NCAA Championships, 15 SEC Championships, 14 SEC Tournament Championships
Retired Jerseys
{| class="toccolours" style= style="width:500px;"! colspan="30" style="text-align:center; background:#f93;"| Retired Basketball Jerseys
|-
{| class="wikitable" style="font-style:bold; font-size:125%; border:6px;"
|- style="text-align:center; background:#f93;"
|
Holly
Warlick
22
|
Bridgette
Gordon
30
|
Daedra
Charles
32
|
Chamique
Holdsclaw
23
|
Tamika
Catchings
24
|}
Prominent players
Following the Lady Vols' 7th championship during the 2006–2007 season, Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
compiled a list of the 10 greatest Lady Vols basketball players of all time. In the order they were listed, they are:
First team
- Chamique HoldsclawChamique HoldsclawChamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
, Forward, 1995–1999 (20.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 51.0 FG%) — Led the Lady Vols to three national titles, while being named the national player of the year twice as well as the Naismith Player of the Century. Holds Lady Vols records for points and rebounds, and is in the top ten for assists, steals, and blocks. - Dena HeadDena HeadDena Head is a former Women's National Basketball Association player. She is best remembered as the first player ever drafted in the WNBA.-High school years:In high school, Head was named Miss Basketball of Michigan...
, Guard, 1988–1992 (11.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.4 apg) — Helped Tennessee to two championships and was named an All-American in 1992. Ranks fourth all-time in assists with 457. - Kara LawsonKara Lawson-External links:**...
, Guard, 1999–2003 (13.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 41.4 3FT%) — Second all-time at Tennessee in three-pointers (256), fourth in scoring (1,950), and fifth in assists (456). Led Tennessee to four Final Fours and was an All-American in 2003. - Candace ParkerCandace ParkerCandace Nicole Parker is an All-American basketball player for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and is also the younger sister of NBA player Anthony Parker. She was drafted to the team from Tennessee in 2008...
, Center, 2005–2008 (18.4 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.6 bpg) — 2007 Wade Trophy winner and fastest player to 1,000 points. Three-time All-American and Player of the Year 2006, 2007. Back to back National Championships. - Tamika CatchingsTamika CatchingsTamika Devonne Catchings is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA and Turkish team Galatasaray. She is a prolific scorer close to and far from the basket, as well as a capable rebounder, ball handler, and defender. After playing at Adlai E...
, Forward, 1997–2001 (16.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 50.5 FP%) — Only player besides Holdsclaw with more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Four-time All-American and Player of the Year in 2000. Holds Lady Vols record for most points as a freshman with 711.
Second team
- Daedra Charles, Center, 1988–1991 (14.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg) — Won national title and Wade Trophy in 1991. 2-time All-American.
- Holly Warlick, Guard, 1976-1980 (6.4 ppg, 4.8 apg) — 3-time All-American. Second all-time in assists.
- Nikki McCrayNikki McCrayNikki McCray is a former American professional basketball player. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association for eight seasons....
, Forward, 1991–1995 (12.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg) — 2-time All-American who led Tennessee to 4 SEC titles and 122 wins. - Semeka RandallSemeka RandallSemeka Chantay Randall is a former collegiate and professional basketball player who is the head coach of the Ohio Bobcats...
, Guard, 1997–2001 (13.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg) — Fifth in points with 1,915 as well as 286 steals. - Bridgette Gordon, Forward, 1985–1989 (18.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg) — Two-time Kodak All-American; Led Tennessee to two titles. 2nd all-time at Tennessee in scoring with 2,460 points.
Year-by-year results
{| class="wikitable"|-
! Season
! Coach
! Record
! Notes
|-
| 1903
| Katherine Williams
| 0–2
|
|-
| 1904
| Jenny Morrill
| 0–2
|
|-
| 1905
| Leo Theodore Bellmont
| 0–4
|
|-
| 1906
| Essie Polk
| 0–3
|
|-
| 1907
| Thomas Snoddy Myers
| 1–1
|
|-
| 1908
| Willard C. Burnley
| 1–2
|
|-
| 1909
| Andrew Weisenburg
| 1–1–1
|
|-
| 1909–1910
| Howard Sandburg
| 0–2
|
|-
| 1920
| Mary Douglas Ayres
| 2–3
|
|-
| 1922
| Mabel Miller
| 1–1
|
|-
| 1923
| Mabel Miller
| 3–1
|
|-
| 1924
| Fay Morgan
| 4–3
|
|-
| 1925
| Ann Huddle
| 5–3—1
|
|-
| 1926
| Ann Huddle
| 7–1
|
|-
| colspan="4" |
|-
| 1969
| Joan Cronan
| 8–4
|
|-
| 1970
| Joan Cronan
| 0–6
|
|-
| 1971
| Margaret Hutson
| 6–6
| 2nd Place TCWSF Eastern District, 5th Place TCWSF
|-
| 1972
| Margaret Hutson
| 13–5
| 2nd Place TCWSF Eastern District, 5th Place TCWSF
|-
| 1973
| Margaret Hutson
| 16–5
| TCWSF Eastern District Champions, 2nd Place TCWSF, 4th Place AIAW Region II
|-
| 1974
| Margaret Hutson
| 25–2
| TCWSF Eastern District Champions, 2nd Place TCWSF, 3rd Place AIAW Region II
|-
| 1974–1975
| Pat Head
| 16–8
| TCWSF Eastern District Champions, 4th Place TCWSF
|-
| 1975–1976
| Pat Head
| 16–11
| 4th Place TCWSF, 6th Place AIAW Region II
|-
| 1976–1977
| Pat Head
| 28–5
| 2nd Place TCWSF, AIAW Region II Champions, 3rd Place AIAW
|-
| 1977–1978
| Pat Head
| 27–4
| 2nd Place TCWSF, AIAW Region II Champions, 4th Place AIAW South Satellite
|-
| 1978–1979
| Pat Head
| 30–9
| TCWSF Champions, 2nd Place AIAW Region II, AIAW East Satellite Champions, 3rd Place AIAW
|-
| 1979–1980
| Pat Head
| 33–5
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, TCWSF Champions, 2nd Place AIAW Region II, AIAW South Satellite Champions, 2nd Place AIAW
|-
| 1980–1981
| Pat Summitt (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Head)
| 25–6
| TCWSF Champions, AIAW Region II Champions, 2nd Place AIAW
|-
| 1981–1982
| Pat Summitt
| 22–10
| NCAA Final Four
1982 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1982 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament was the first NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament ever held. It featured 32 teams. Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, Cheyney, and Maryland met in the Final Four, held at the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia and hosted by Old Dominion University,...
|-
| 1982–1983
| Pat Summitt
| 25–8, (7–1 SEC)
| NCAA Elite Eight
1983 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1983 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 18 and concluded on April 3 with USC winning the title. The tournament consisted of 36 teams. The Final Four was held in Norfolk, Virginia and consisted of USC, Louisiana Tech, Old Dominion, and Georgia...
|-
| 1983–1984
| Pat Summitt
| 23–10, (7–1 SEC)
| NCAA Runner-up
1984 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Midwest Regional - Louisiana Tech - Ruston, LA :-East Regional - Old Dominion - Norfolk, VA :-West Regional - Stanford University - Palo Alto, CA :-Final Four - Los Angeles, CA :...
|-
| 1984–1985
| Pat Summitt
| 22–10, (4–4 SEC)
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1985 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Midwest Regional - Louisiana Tech - Ruston, LA:-Mideast Regional - Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY :...
|-
| 1985–1986
| Pat Summitt
| 24–10, (5–4 SEC)
| NCAA Final Four
1986 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1986 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 12 and ended on March 30. The tournament expanded to 40 teams from 32. The Final Four consisted of Texas, Tennessee, Western Kentucky, and USC, with Texas defeating Southern California, 97-81 in the championship game. Texas's...
|-
| 1986–1987
| Pat Summitt
| 28–6, (6–3 SEC)
| National Champions
1987 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1987 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 11 and ended on March 29. The tournament featured 40 teams. The Final Four consisted of Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, and Long Beach State, with Tennessee winning its first title with a 67-44 victory over Louisiana Tech...
|-
| 1987–1988
| Pat Summitt
| 31–3, (8–1 SEC)
| SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Final Four
1988 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Mideast Regional - Athens, GA :-East Regional - Norfolk, VA :-Midwest Regional - Austin, TX :-Final Four - Tacoma, WA :-References:...
|-
| 1988–1989
| Pat Summitt
| 35–2, (8–1 SEC)
| SEC Tournament Champions, National Champions
1989 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1989 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 15 and ended on April 2. The tournament featured 48 teams. The Final Four consisted of Auburn, Louisiana Tech, Tennessee, and Maryland, with Tennessee winning its second title with a 76-60 victory over Auburn...
|-
| 1989–1990
| Pat Summitt
| 27–6, (8–1 SEC)
| SEC Champions, NCAA Elite Eight
1990 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1990 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 11 and ended on April 1. The tournament featured 48 teams. The Final Four consisted of Virginia, Stanford, Auburn, and Louisiana Tech, with Stanford defeating Auburn 76-60 to win its first NCAA title. Stanford's Jennifer Azzi...
|-
| 1990–1991
| Pat Summitt
| 30–5, (6–3 SEC)
| National Champions
1991 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-West Regional - Las Vegas, NV:-East Regional - Philadelphia, PA:-Midwest Regional - Austin, TX:-Final Four - New Orleans, LA :-References:...
|-
| 1991–1992
| Pat Summitt
| 28–3, (10–1 SEC)
| SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1992 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-West Regional - Seattle, WA:-Midwest Regional - Boulder, CO:-Mideast Regional - West Lafayette, IN:-Final Four - Los Angeles, CA:-References:...
|-
| 1992–1993
| Pat Summitt
| 29–3, (11–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, NCAA Elite Eight
1993 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Mideast Regional - Iowa City, IA:-Midwest Regional - Nacogdoches, TX:-West Regional - Missoula, MT:-Final Four - Atlanta, GA:...
|-
| 1993–1994
| Pat Summitt
| 31–2, (11–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1994 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1994 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament featured 64 teams for the first time ever. The Final Four consisted of North Carolina, Purdue, Louisiana Tech, and Alabama, with North Carolina defeating Louisiana Tech 60-59 to win its first NCAA title on a 3 point shot by Charlotte Smith as...
|-
| 1994–1995
| Pat Summitt
| 34–3, (11–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, NCAA Runner-up
1995 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1995 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament featured 64 teams. The Final Four consisted of Connecticut, Tennessee, Stanford, and Georgia...
|-
| 1995–1996
| Pat Summitt
| 32–4, (9–2 SEC)
| SEC Tournament Champions, National Champions
1996 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1996 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament took place from March 15 – March 31, 1996. The Final Four consisted of Connecticut, Georgia, Stanford, and Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Georgia 83–65 in the championship game.-Regional cities:...
|-
| 1996–1997
| Pat Summitt
| 29–10, (8–4 SEC)
| National Champions
1997 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Midwest Region:-West Region:-Final Four:E-East; ME-Mideast; MW-Midwest; W-West.- Notes :...
|-
| 1997–1998
1997-98 Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team
The 1997–98 Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team, coached by Pat Summitt, is considered to be one of the greatest teams in the history of U.S. women's college basketball, as they went 39–0, winning their third consecutive national championship while playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation...
| Pat Summitt
| 39–0, (14–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, National Champions
1998 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1998 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 13, 1998 and concluded on March 29, 1998 when Tennessee won the national title. The Final Four was held at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri on March 27 - March 29, 1998. Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, NC State, and Arkansas...
|-
| 1998–1999
| Pat Summitt
| 31–3, (13–1 SEC)
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Elite Eight
1999 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1999 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 12, 1999 and concluded on March 28, 1999 when Purdue won its first national championship in any women's sport. The Final Four was held at the San Jose Arena in San Jose, California on March 26 - March 28, 1999. Purdue defeated...
|-
| 1999–2000
| Pat Summitt
| 33–4, (13–1 SEC)
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Runner-up
2000 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Midwest Regional - Portland, OR:-Mideast Regional - Memphis, TN:-West Regional - Kansas City, MO:-Final Four - Philadelphia, PA :-See also:* 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament* 2000 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament- Notes :...
|-
| 2000–2001
| Pat Summitt
| 31–3, (14–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2001 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-West Regional - Spokane, WA:-Midwest Regional - Denver, CO:-East Regional - Pittsburgh, PA:-Final Four - St. Louis, MO :-See also:* 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament* 2001 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...
|-
| 2001–2002
| Pat Summitt
| 29–5, (13–1 SEC)
| SEC Champions, NCAA Final Four
2002 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2002 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament concluded on March 31, 2002 when Connecticut won the national title. The Final Four was held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on March 29 - March 31, 2002...
|-
| 2002–2003
| Pat Summitt
| 33–5, (14–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, NCAA Runner-up
2003 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2003 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 22, 2003 and concluded on April 8, 2003 when the Connecticut Huskies won their second straight national title. The Final Four was held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on April 6 - April 8, 2003...
|-
| 2003–2004
| Pat Summitt
| 31–4, (14–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, NCAA Runner-up
2004 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2004 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 20, 2004 and concluded on April 6, 2004 when Connecticut won a third consecutive national championship, becoming only the second school in history to accomplish such a feat. The Final Four was held at the New Orleans Arena in...
|-
| 2004–2005
| Pat Summitt
| 30–5, (13–1 SEC)
| SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Final Four
2005 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-East Regional:-Midwest Regional:-Mideast Regional:-West Regional:-East Regional:-Midwest Regional:-Final Four:West-Tempe; Mideast-Chattanooga; East-Philadelphia; Midwest-Kansas City.-Record by conference:...
|-
| 2005–2006
| Pat Summitt
| 31–5, (11–3 SEC)
| SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Elite Eight
2006 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Albuquerque:-Bridgeport:-San Antonio:-Cleveland Regional:-Albuquerque Regional:-Bridgeport Regional:-San Antonio Regional:-Final Four – TD Banknorth Garden :...
|-
| 2006–2007
| Pat Summitt
| 34–3, (14–0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, National Champions
2007 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2007 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 17, 2007 and concluded on April 3 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The Final Four consisted of Tennessee, LSU, Rutgers, and North Carolina, with Tennessee defeating Rutgers 59-46 for their seventh National Title...
|-
| 2007–2008
| Pat Summitt
| 36-2, (13-1 SEC)
| SEC Tournament Champions, National Champions
2008 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the 2007–08 national champion of women's NCAA Division I college basketball. It commenced on March 22, 2008, and concluded when the University of Tennessee Lady...
|-
| 2008–2009
| Pat Summitt
| 22-11, (9-5 SEC)
| NCAA First Round
2009 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The regionals, held in the city rather than the geographic area as a practice that has been used since 2005, were held there from March 28 to 31 at these sites:...
|-
| 2009–2010
| Pat Summitt
| 32-3, (15-1 SEC)
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament started Saturday, March 20, 2010 and was completed on Tuesday, April 6 of the same year with University of Connecticut Huskies defending their title from the previous year by defeating Stanford, 53-47. The tournament bids were announced on...
|-
| 2010–2011
| Pat Summitt
| 34-3, (16-0 SEC)
| SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, NCAA Elite Eight
2011 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2011 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 19, 2011 and concluded on April 5, 2011. The Texas A&M Aggies won the championship....
|}
External links