Maya Moore era .282008.E2.80.932011.29 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball

1 maya moore era (2008–2011)

1.1 2009 national championship: undefeated (39–0)
1.2 2010 national championship: undefeated (39–0)
1.3 new record, no three-peat

maya moore era (2008–2011)

after 3 down years uconn standards, team emerged heavy contender championship in 2008 season. in addition players returning 2007 team, #1 ranked high school player maya moore joined team after bitter recruitment battle between uconn , tennessee. shortly after moore s commitment uconn, tennessee announced cancelling annual series uconn, ending 1 of biggest rivalries in sport. if both coaches remained vague , unspecific reasons of cancellation, tennessee filed complaint ncaa uconn s recruitment of moore. uconn found have committed secondary violation (involving tour of espn campus) , no punishment handed out.

despite losing mel thomas , kalana greene season-ending knee injuries, uconn went through 2007–08 regular season single loss @ rutgers, 2 points, winning both big east regular season , tournament titles. rallying 14-point deficit in ncaa regional final beat conference rival rutgers , advanced first final 4 since taurasi graduated. tournament victories largely credited senior charde houston, top recruit out of san diego viewed not living expectations geno auriemma , uconn fans point, came key rebounds , clutch points in games. in national semifinals played @ st. pete times forum in tampa uconn lost stanford, ending season 36–2 record. team s last loss quite time.

2009 national championship: undefeated (39–0)


the players, coaches, , other staff of 2008–09 uconn huskies, winners of 2009 national championship, honored @ white house president barack obama on april 27, 2009.

for third consecutive year uconn recruited top ranked high school player in elena delle donne, shortly before enrolling @ uconn delle donne requested release scholarship, giving basketball in order stay closer home , play volleyball @ university of delaware; delle donne play basketball @ delaware, having great college career culminated in #2 pick @ 2013 wnba draft. despite losing delle donne huskies ranked #1 in preseason polls, having returned 10 players 2008 final 4 team (including all-americans maya moore, renee montgomery , tina charles), in addition kalana greene recovered knee injury.

uconn finished regular season undefeated 5th time in school history 30–0 record. won 17th big east regular season title , 15th big east tournament title beating louisville cardinals. huskies advanced 10th final 4 83–64 victory on arizona state, , 6th ncaa championship game in program history defeating stanford, score of 83–64. in championship game uconn defeated louisville 76–54 behind charles 25 points , 19 boards, ending season perfect 39–0 record (with every victory @ least 10 points, record of own) , sixth national title.

2010 national championship: undefeated (39–0)

for second consecutive year (and sixth time in school history) uconn finished regular season undefeated, average margin of victory of 35.9 points. during regular season uconn played 11 games against ranked opponents (including 6 in top ten) average margin of victory of 24. dominated big east tournament, winning championship game 60–32. throughout regular season , big east tournament, uconn s closest win against stanford, 12 points.

2010 ncaa national champions connecticut huskies @ white house

leading final 4 in san antonio, uconn dominated teams southern, temple, iowa state , florida state. maya moore , tina charles played little more half minutes of every game, moore averaging 1 point per minute played, , team outscoring opponents average of 47 points. in final 4 uconn challenged baylor , 6-foot-8 freshman brittney griner; baylor trailed 39–26 @ halftime uconn pulled away final score of 70–50.

the national championship game against stanford different story. uconn started game worst first half in school history scoring 12 points; eleven teams in tournament history have been held 12 points or less in first half: 3 of them against uconn teams, , 2 of them (southern , temple) days earlier in 2010 tournament. stanford managed score 20 points in first half. maya moore gave uconn lead (23–22) in second half three-pointer , led team on scoring run of 30–6 secured national championship final score of 53–47. game in huskies 78-game winning streak won fewer 10 points. moore named tournament outstanding player, go along second straight wade trophy award , academic all-america of year award. charles, won john r. wooden award , naismith college player of year awards, chosen first overall in wnba draft days later.

a new record, no three-peat

the 2010–11 season began high hopes uncertainty huskies. maya moore returned senior season after summer u.s. national team, uconn lost major contributors tina charles , kalana greene graduated in 2010. additionally, junior guard caroline doty out entire season due third knee injury. in test, uconn squeaked #2 baylor in second game of season. powered way through 8 more consecutive wins 88th straight victory, beating #10 ohio state @ madison square garden. 89th win came @ home against #20 florida state set college basketball record consecutive wins, held ucla men s team. after break in schedule holidays, uconn traveled out west , beat pacific tigers stretch streak 90 games. game, however, largely warm-up match biggest test of season, december 30 matchup @ powerhouse stanford cardinal. uconn trailed entire game , lost first time since april 6, 2008 final 4 appearance (also against cardinal). loss ended highly publicized winning streak, long held spot top ranked team in women s basketball taken on baylor. connecticut recovered focus after loss , got through rest of regular season undefeated, regaining #1 ranking along way after baylor s loss texas tech in february. marched through big east tournament, including 3rd victory of year on notre dame in big east tournament championship game.

in ncaa tournament final 4 uconn met notre dame fourth time of season, underdog fighting irish prevailing , ending uconn s bid third straight national championship. keys notre dame s success stellar performance of sophomore skylar diggins , hot shooting (over 50 percent field, first against uconn in last 262 games), while uconn had lack of support moore s 36 points. notre dame went on national championship game, defeated texas a&m aggies.

during 2010–11 season maya moore posted career highs in scoring (22.3 ppg), assists (4.1 apg) , steals (2.2 spg), sweeping possible individual honors: won 2nd naismith college player of year award, 3rd straight wade trophy (only player in history - freshmen not eligible award), 2nd associated press women s college basketball player of year award, 2nd usbwa women s national player of year award , 2nd john r. wooden award; voted big east player of year (3rd time) , fourth straight unanimous first-team all-american in wbca, usbwa , ap polls (second player ever after oklahoma s courtney paris).

in amazing college career maya moore won 150 games , lost 4, amassing total 3036 points (1st husky ever , 4th all-time in ncaa division women s basketball), 1276 rebounds (2nd husky ever), 310 steals (3rd husky ever), 544 assists (6th husky ever) , 204 blocks (4th husky ever); women’s basketball player in division history record 2500 points, 1000 rebounds, 500 assists, 250 steals , 150 blocked shots. on february 28 enshrined in huskies of honor (3rd time ever active player).

maya moore brilliant college student: graduated 3.7 gpa, earning elite 88 award, , named cosida academic all-america first-team in 2009, 2010 , 2011, cosida academic all-america of year in 2010 , 2011 (1st player ever repeat) , all-sports academic all-america of year in 2011.

after graduation maya moore selected minnesota lynx 1st overall pick in 2011 wnba draft (4th time husky), becoming first female basketball player signed jordan brand.