2002-03 Huskies Will Have Talent

The rest of the women’s college basketball world will be relieved that this incarnation of Connecticut played its last game Sunday.

But Coach Geno Auriemma isn’t looking at next season as a rebuilding year.

“All these seniors, they’re laughing because they know somebody is going to pay for all the stuff they’ve been doing,” Auriemma said. “So I don’t think anybody is going to feel sorry for us.

“And I wouldn’t exactly call [next season] starting over. We have four really good players coming in. I think Jessica Moore, Ashley Battle, Maria Conlon and Ashley Valley will contribute a lot. And I think we have the best player in America as a junior next year, Diana Taurasi.”

Connecticut became the first women’s program with more than one undefeated championship season. The Huskies were 35-0 when they won the title in 1995. UCLA has the most undefeated title seasons by a men’s team with four.

The Final Four semifinals and championship game both had attendance totals of 29,619, which established new NCAA records. The previous high was 23,291 at the 1996 Final Four in Charlotte, N.C.

With a new contract with ESPN taking effect, next season’s Final Four semifinals will be played Sunday, April 6, at the Georgia Dome. The championship will be Tuesday, April 8--the night after the men’s final.

Mike Terry