- NCAA. Naismith Awards Winners List: Complete list of winning players updated until 2025
- NCAA. Defeat and deportation for Khaman Maluach?
After defeating South Carolina 82-59, the UConn Huskies women's program has made history and now stands alone atop college basketball with their 12th title-more than any other team.
Before Sunday's game, UConn was tied with the UCLA men's program for the most national championships in history, a record they've now sured.
UConn are the Queens of NCAA Basketball
This is an absurd, nearly impossible record to achieve. UCLA's program secured its championships under one of the greatest coaches ever, John Wooden. But today, that mark of 11 titles was eclipsed by the Huskies and Paige Bueckers, led by the equally legendary Geno Auriemma.
Between 1964 and 1975, the Bruins won 10 national titles, later adding an 11th in 1995.
Meanwhile, UConn's women's team has claimed its titles from 1995 to the present, including four consecutive championships between 2013 and 2016.
It's a monumental day for the UConn women's program-and for the sport as a whole. This record, born from relentless effort and impeccable organization within the program, seems destined to stand untouched for a long time.
Geno Auriemma cements his Legacy as college basketball's unrivaled titan
Geno Auriemma has achieved what few in college basketball ever will. The 71-year-old UConn mastermind sured former Stanford women's coach Tara VanDerveer earlier this season to become the winningest coach in Division I history. On Sunday, he added another feather to his cap, claiming his 12th NCAA title-30 years after hoisting his first.
Across his 40-year tenure at UConn, Auriemma has done it all, and even amid the euphoria of his latest championship triumph, he showed no signs of ea.
"We don't like to it that we're older because we still act younger thanks to the people we're around," said Auriemma, now the oldest coach to win a national championship. "Sure, I might be 71 on paper, but I'm more energized than ever. Being with these young players every day keeps me sharp-they rub off on me, and I thrive on it."