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Mar. 21—STORRS, Conn. — On the wall inside the door to the UConn women's basketball locker room are the words: 'Through these doors walk the greatest players in America'.
Few would argue.
The list of accomplishments is staggering.
Eleven national championships. Twenty-three Final Four appearances. The longest winning streak in the history of the sport — men's or women's, college or pro. A collection of Hall of Fame alumni that's a literal who's-who of women's basketball. All taking place under the watchful eye of the winningest coach in NCAA history.
That's the backdrop for this weekend's first round NCAA tournament games here at Gampel Pavilion, where South Dakota State, Oklahoma State and Arkansas State are the guests of the 2nd-seeded Huskies.
UConn hosts the 15th-seeded Red Wolves on Saturday at noon. The Jackrabbits and Cowgirls will follow.
Obviously no one from either SDSU or OSU wanted to tempt fate by looking ahead to a potential showdown with the Huskies, but they also admit it's impossible not to feel the history and tradition alive in Connecticut. The Huskies have done more to take women's basketball to the masses and cultivate a mainstream following and national brand than any women's program before or since, and that's something anyone associated with the sport can respect and appreciate.
"It's a little surreal to think about, if you'd told me that as a little girl I'd have never believed it," Jackrabbit guard Haleigh Timmer said of playing at Gampel. "So I think we're just soaking in those moments and how cool it is that we get to go to such a cool basketball scene and play in front of that crowd and see that facility and potentially play them."
Added SDSU center Brooklyn Meyer: "I watched UConn growing up and they were probably my favorite team at the time. It'll be a really cool environment, so cool to see their gym in person and play in front of their fans. I'm sure it'll be a great experience."
The Huskies sold out every game they played at Gampel Pavilion this year (10,299) and five of the seven games they played at the larger XL Center (15,684). Those are much larger crowds than SDSU is used to, but if there's one thing the Jacks have in common with UConn it's that they enjoy a fan base that has long supported and appreciated women's basketball.
Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Swin Cash, Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart are just some of the big names that have played at Gampel over the years and led the Huskies to national championships that were watched across the country. Coming here to play is not unlike taking the field at Yankee Stadium.
"It's certainly a basketball powerhouse and you'll be playing in an environment where people understand basketball and women's basketball," said Jacks coach Aaron Johnston. "I'm sure both games will have a lot of people. That will be a fun experience for our players. I've never been there before. It'll be a fun place to play. There's a lot of history there in that facility and with that program so we're looking forward to what will be a really good trip."
South Dakota State has built its women's basketball program to an impressive level in the two decades since they moved up to Division I, and part of doing that has been challenging major conference opponents. The Jacks have taken on South Carolina, Texas, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Louisville, Stanford, Notre Dame, Duke, Baylor and others, but they have never faced UConn.
Neither has Oklahoma State, at least in the 40 years that Geno Auriemma has been in charge of the Huskies.
Only one team will get the chance to actually challenge the Huskies on their home floor, but like SDSU, the Cowgirls are excited to get a chance to feel the history and appreciate the environment of being in the home of UConn women's basketball.
"For me, I grew up on UConn," said Cowgirls coach Jacie Hoyt. "We're in the Mecca of college women's basketball. So this is the type of place that dreams are made of. To be able to play here in March is something we're really excited about."
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Few would argue.
The list of accomplishments is staggering.
Eleven national championships. Twenty-three Final Four appearances. The longest winning streak in the history of the sport — men's or women's, college or pro. A collection of Hall of Fame alumni that's a literal who's-who of women's basketball. All taking place under the watchful eye of the winningest coach in NCAA history.
That's the backdrop for this weekend's first round NCAA tournament games here at Gampel Pavilion, where South Dakota State, Oklahoma State and Arkansas State are the guests of the 2nd-seeded Huskies.
UConn hosts the 15th-seeded Red Wolves on Saturday at noon. The Jackrabbits and Cowgirls will follow.
Obviously no one from either SDSU or OSU wanted to tempt fate by looking ahead to a potential showdown with the Huskies, but they also admit it's impossible not to feel the history and tradition alive in Connecticut. The Huskies have done more to take women's basketball to the masses and cultivate a mainstream following and national brand than any women's program before or since, and that's something anyone associated with the sport can respect and appreciate.
"It's a little surreal to think about, if you'd told me that as a little girl I'd have never believed it," Jackrabbit guard Haleigh Timmer said of playing at Gampel. "So I think we're just soaking in those moments and how cool it is that we get to go to such a cool basketball scene and play in front of that crowd and see that facility and potentially play them."
Added SDSU center Brooklyn Meyer: "I watched UConn growing up and they were probably my favorite team at the time. It'll be a really cool environment, so cool to see their gym in person and play in front of their fans. I'm sure it'll be a great experience."
The Huskies sold out every game they played at Gampel Pavilion this year (10,299) and five of the seven games they played at the larger XL Center (15,684). Those are much larger crowds than SDSU is used to, but if there's one thing the Jacks have in common with UConn it's that they enjoy a fan base that has long supported and appreciated women's basketball.
Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Swin Cash, Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart are just some of the big names that have played at Gampel over the years and led the Huskies to national championships that were watched across the country. Coming here to play is not unlike taking the field at Yankee Stadium.
"It's certainly a basketball powerhouse and you'll be playing in an environment where people understand basketball and women's basketball," said Jacks coach Aaron Johnston. "I'm sure both games will have a lot of people. That will be a fun experience for our players. I've never been there before. It'll be a fun place to play. There's a lot of history there in that facility and with that program so we're looking forward to what will be a really good trip."
South Dakota State has built its women's basketball program to an impressive level in the two decades since they moved up to Division I, and part of doing that has been challenging major conference opponents. The Jacks have taken on South Carolina, Texas, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Louisville, Stanford, Notre Dame, Duke, Baylor and others, but they have never faced UConn.
Neither has Oklahoma State, at least in the 40 years that Geno Auriemma has been in charge of the Huskies.
Only one team will get the chance to actually challenge the Huskies on their home floor, but like SDSU, the Cowgirls are excited to get a chance to feel the history and appreciate the environment of being in the home of UConn women's basketball.
"For me, I grew up on UConn," said Cowgirls coach Jacie Hoyt. "We're in the Mecca of college women's basketball. So this is the type of place that dreams are made of. To be able to play here in March is something we're really excited about."
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