How would I describe the sports world’s reaction to the UConn’s Women’s basketball team?
Disgraceful and embarrassing.
The Huskies have tallied a 334-19 record over the last nine seasons with four perfect seasons, and they have reached an NCAA record nine-straight Final Fours with coach Geno Auriemma at its helm.
After last night’s 82-51 win against Syracuse, UConn claimed its fourth straight championship and sixth title since 2008.
This season, Auriemma’s team stayed perfect with a 38-0 record. In the NCAA Tournament, the squad averaged an almost 40-point margin of victory and won each of its games by at least 21 points in six tournament matchups.
The squad has dominated the women’s basketball world since 2008 and deserves respect. But instead, they’ve had to answer questions about whether or not the team is ruining women’s basketball.
“UConn Women beat Miss[issippi] St. 98-38 in NCAA tourney. Hate to punish them for being great, but they are killing women’s game. Watch? No thanks,” said Boston Globe sports columnist Dan Shaughnessy on Twitter after the Huskies’ Sweet 16 game.
Auriemma rightfully ripped into Shaughnessy and any other critics during his postgame press conference after the Mississippi State blowout.
“Nobody’s putting a gun to your head to watch,” Auriemma said. “So don’t watch, and don’t write about it. Spend your time on things you think are important. If you don’t think this is important, don’t pay any attention to it. The fact you have to comment on it, that says something about you, doesn’t it?”
The Huskies’ head man’s statement was a strong one, maybe a bit harsh, but was completely accurate and necessary.
“When Tiger Woods was playing golf, nobody said he ruined the game of golf,” Auriemma continued. “In fact, Tiger was good for the game. He made everyone else play better. There are a lot better writers than Dan Shaughnessy, but that doesn’t mean he’s bad for the game.” Tiger Woods won his first major in 1997 but did not really break through until after his second major victory at the 1999 PGA Championship. Woods proceeded to go on a nine-year run quite similar to the Huskies’.
Including the 1999 PGA Championship, he won 13 majors championships and began jumping up the all-time major’s list. When 2008 came to a close, he had won 14 career major championships, second only to legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus.
Another example of sports dominance goes back to hardwood — Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls.
Jordan’s Bulls claimed six NBA titles over an eight-year span, denying multiple legends of a championship. The most dominant Bulls team during that stretch was the 1995-96 sqaud.
That team went 72-10 over the 82-game regular season and maintained the same form in the playoffs. Jordan’s team dropped just one game in the first three rounds. They took a commanding 3-0 lead in the NBA finals before ultimately finishing the job in Game 6, defeating the Seattle Supersonics, 87-75.
No one that takes themselves seriously would say Woods was bad for golf or Jordan and the Bulls were bad for the NBA.
Even beyond common respect for the Huskies, which is the greatest women’s team of the past nine seasons, the claim that they are ruining the sport is ludicrous. There have been more upsets in this year’s tournament because of UConn.
Teams trying to catch up to the Huskies have elevated their level of play, much like the golfers who strived to be better to compete with Woods. People blame his affair for his fall from the top, but it’s likely the rest of the field just caught up to his once-imperial status.
Like No. 4-seed Syracuse, UConn’s opponent in the championship game tonight, the Orange advanced to the championship game, defeating No. 1-seed South Carolina and No. 7-seed Washington in the Final Four matchup.
The fact that the Final Four matchup opposite UConn was a No. 4 against a No. 7 shows how wide-open the field has been.
But what makes the Huskies dynasty different from Woods’ or Jordan’s?
If you aren’t going to say Woods or the Bulls ruined their respective sports, as well, then I have one thing to say to you: stop talking.
Marc Stevens is a 20-year-old mass communications junior from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.