When Bill Belichick and Tom Brady dominated the football landscape in the early 2000s, they were celebrated. Michael Jordan's three-peats in the NBA have been revered. The Braves' streak of 14 consecutive division titles has been admired, and even the dominance of the Yankees, baseball's villains, commands respect. Before his shocking drop-off, Tiger Woods' run atop the leaderboards was the only reason people tuned in to watch golf.
Yet now that the Connecticut women's basketball team was bathed in confetti for their fourth consecutive "Shining Moment," debates have arisen regarding whether or not the Huskies are bad for the sport. Despite the beautiful display of basketball put on by the team's trio of Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck; despite the professionalism of long-time coach Geno Auriemma; and despite a run unprecedented in any major sport, there are plenty of people out there willing to argue that this team has ruined the sport of women's college basketball.
With Tuesday's 82-51 win over Syracuse, the Huskies became the only women's basketball team to raise the trophy four consecutive times. Auriemma's squad has now won 73 consecutive games, a streak that pales in comparison to their 90-game streak from 2008 to 2010, the longest in any major sport. Led by Maya Moore, those UConn teams surpassed UCLA's 88-game streak from 1971 to 1974, when legendary coach John Wooden was at the helm. The respect for Wooden is unquestionable, considering that the most prestigious award in college basketball is named after him.
The casual sports fan sees the absurd margins of victory the Huskies put up on a nightly basis and uses them as excuses to write off the sport as a whole. Mississippi State was ranked 15th in the nation coming into the NCAA Tournament, but their season came to an end in a humiliating fashion, failing to score more than eight points in each of the first three quarters in a 98-38 rout. That Bulldogs team was one of the better teams in the country, featuring the SEC's second-leading scorer Victoria Vivians and Morgan William, who ranked second in the conference in assists per game. Mississippi State also boasted two wins over Tennessee, who made an appearance in this season's Elite Eight.
Even the best of the best in terms of competition were unable to stack up to the Huskies this season. Connecticut blew out Ohio State 100-56 in Columbus before defeating Notre Dame at home and South Carolina at Colonial Life Arena by 10 and 12 points, respectively. The Huskies won every game this season by double digits, including 25 victories of at least 40 points. This dominance is not just because of a lack of parity in women's basketball; it's simply because Connecticut is that good. The Huskies were the only number one seed in this year's Final Four, as South Carolina and Notre Dame were upset in the Sweet Sixteen, and Baylor fell in the Elite Eight. The sport doesn't just have a few teams that blow everyone else out of the water; UConn is so talented, and Auriemma is such a mastermind, that the team has reached a class of their own.
Every time the Huskies stepped onto the floor this season, there was potential for history to be made. The departing senior class lost just five games over the course of four seasons, four of which came in their first season. The team has lost just one game since over the last three seasons, going 116-1 over that span. In men's sports, when teams or individuals reach that level of greatness, it prompts fans to pay closer attention, as was the case when the Golden State Warriors dominated the NBA in the early part of this regular season. However, with the UConn women, their incredible display of basketball dominance turns fans away, which begs the question: Why is this the case in women's sports, but not men's?
SB Nation's Rodger Sherman offered his answer to that question with a headline last week following the Huskies' dominant win over Mississippi State. It read, "Saying UConn hurts women's basketball is misogyny disguised as legitimate sports opinion." That is a pretty bold statement, but because of all of the revered sports dynasties I mentioned earlier, it certainly has merit.
The opposing argument is easy to make, as Connecticut's dominant victories don't exactly resemble competitive basketball. The Huskies demolish almost every opponent that stands between them and the national title, and the lack of close games can be seen as dull by some. However, the pure basketball excellence that Auriemma and his girls have put on display over the course of not only last season, but the last decade is a privilege to watch. The Huskies have won six of the last eight championships, and they haven't missed the Final Four since the 2006-07 season. Stars like Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles and Sue Bird excelled in Storrs before anyone knew the names Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck. This season, the superstar trio combined for 45.7 points, 16.9 rebounds and 13 assists per game, and each shot at least 51 percent from the field. As a team, the Huskies shot 80 percent from the free throw line, which is nothing short of phenomenal. For comparison, the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs are the only NBA teams shooting a better clip from the line this season, and both teams are converting 80.6 percent.
With five players who can shoot, pass and drive, the latest team in the UConn dynasty turned basketball into an art form, which should be admired by all basketball fans. However, many still believe the Huskies are bad for the sport of women's basketball. So, the next time you hear someone argue that Auriemma's team is ruining the entire sport, think about how people would react if this was a men's basketball team, dominating like Wooden's clubs at UCLA. Consider how the UConn legacy would be written if the players didn't wear their hair in ponytails, and their stars weren't named Breanna, Morgan and Moriah.