Starting five: G Jamelle Elliott,
G Jennifer Rizzotti, C Kara Wolters, F Rebecca Lobo
F Pam Webber
Top reserves: Nykesha Sales, Carla Berube
Coach: Geno Auriemma
By Jennifer Rizzotti
Special to ESPN.com
Our biggest strengths that season were our togetherness and strong decision-making skills. We were mentally tough, hardly took any bad shots that whole year and really relied heavily on each other.
The summer before that season, we had implemented the Bulls' triangle offense, which allowed us to really rely on our passing game, which was good because we weren't the type of team that had a lot of great one-on-one players. Instead, we learned how to get open and to hit the open person.
Tennessee runs a very aggressive, fast-paced defense, which would force a team that dribbles a lot into a lot of turnovers or low-percentage shots. But our passing style would have countered the Vols' defense.
The '98 Lady Vols were far more athletic than we were in '95, and their offense relied heavily on one-on-one skills. But our team defense was pretty solid. I'm not sure there's a better high-post player than Jamelle, and even if they got past her, we'd have someone else there to help out.
I'm not sure how it would go if these two teams played. Rebecca would have a hard time guarding Tamika, but Tamika would have had a hard time guarding Rebecca, too. Kara would dominate the center.
Overall, the things they were successful at -- a defensive press, offensive rebounding -- were also the things we typically were very good at preventing happen.
There's no question they're the top two teams of the 1990s. Tennessee was so unpredictable and spontaneous. You never knew how was going to shoot. They attacked you for 40 minutes.
But with our strengths, I'm not sure it would have gotten to us. I think we could have withheld the pressure. It'd be a close game.
We did beat Tennessee twice in 1995, and although it wasn't the 1998 team we faced, the Lady Vols presented the same game plan. And we went 2-0 against it.
Jennifer Rizzotti graduated from UConn in 1996. She is in her first season as head coach at the University of Hartford. |
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Starting five: G Kellie Jolly, G Semeka Randall, C LaShonda Stephens, F Chamique Holdsclaw, F Tamika Catchings
Top reserves: Kristen Clement, Teresa Geter
Coach: Pat Summitt
By Pat Summitt
Special to ESPN.com
Both the '95 UConn team and my '98 Tennessee Lady Vols were great championship basketball teams. But I think that my '98 team was the best of the decade because of the intensity with which it played the game.
My '98 team was the superior team in terms of defensive play and rebounding. But looking at the Huskies, they were a better passing team. They had five players who could really distribute the ball. They had the dimensions offensively to really break down a defense, whether they were facing pressure man or zone -- anything.
We lost to UConn twice during its undefeated, championship season, the final time in the 1995 title game. But I think if you matchup up my '98 team against that UConn team, we would have a good chance to win.
What I think would win out for my '98 team would be the pace they played, the intensity they showed, and the defensive pressure and rebounding. In the end it would be enough to win the game.
Looking at the individual matchups, Rebecca Lobo would have a size and experience edge over Tamika Catchings, then a freshman, at power forward. But I think Tamika would have the quickness to keep up with Rebecca. It's just a matter of how we would decide to counter Lobo, or how they would counter Tamika's quickness. Those are things you don't know unless you play the game.
Another interesting matchup would be at the point between Jen Rizzotti and Kellie Jolly. Rizzotti was a very good uptempo player. Jolly, however, was more of a leader in a controlled fashion. So that would be a good matchup to watch.
The question becomes the following: Would UConn want to run with us, or would they want to slow it down? No matter the tempo, I think my '98 Lady Vols would win a matchup with the '95 UConn team.
Pat Summitt, winner of six national titles, is entering her 26th season as coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols. |
