Breanna Stewart said as a freshman that she wanted to win four national championships in her time at UConn. Now with her senior season set to begin Friday, she is just one title away from fulfilling her goal.
With most of the team back from last year's championship, it's hard to see UConn not accomplishing the unprecedented feat.
"We don't feel the pressure," Stewart said. "It excites us. We know it's there. We know what we've done and the position that we've put ourselves in to be extremely successful."
Coach Geno Auriemma hopes his team is in Indianapolis on April 5 playing for that record-breaking title. This will be the first time that all three divisions of women's basketball will hold their title games in the same city. The Division II and III finals will be played the day before the Division I championship.
"I'm not one to think about the end of the season when the season hasn't even started yet," Auriemma said. "And I'm not one to think that just because everyone thinks you should be playing that Tuesday night in that national championship game, that you're entitled to that. 'Cause that's tremendously disrespectful to all the other coaches."
If UConn can win another title, the school's 11th, Auriemma will break a tie with UCLA men's coach John Wooden for the most all-time in college basketball.
The top-ranked Huskies have been in this position before, winning three straight championships from 2002-04. Yet with Diana Taurasi graduating in 2004, UConn failed to win a fourth consecutive title, losing in the Sweet 16.
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UConn opens up at No. 6 Ohio State on Monday. Auriemma's squad will be tested in the regular season, facing five of the top 10 teams in the preseason poll, including a trip to South Carolina to meet the second-ranked Gamecocks.
