4. 2006-2007 Tennessee Lady Vols (34-3, SEC Regular Season Championship, National Championship)
Going into this season, the young Lady Vols had been beaten pretty badly by North Carolina the year before, and with Ivory Latta back on that team along with the defending national champion Maryland Terrapins returning everybody, an eight-year national championship drought looked like it was going to continue.
That appeared to be the case even with the best player in the world in Candace Parker on the team. And early on, it looked like they were not quite in the same league as the ACC schools, losing badly to the Tar Heels again early and then losing at home to the Duke Blue Devils in the famous Bruce Pearl shirtless game.
But once the SEC season hit, the talent of Parker along with the leadership of Sidney Spencer, Alexis Hornbuckle, and Nicky Anosike began to adjust to the play of point guard transfer Shannon Bobbitt.
And this team dominated the SEC regular season in the process, going undefeated to capture the regular season crown.
Unfortunately, the Lady Vols blew the SEC Tournament championship with a nine-point shocking loss to the LSU Tigers, but it actually became just the wake-up call they needed.
Going into the tournament, Tennessee was rewarded with a No. 1 seed, and they easily got rid of Drake, and Pittsburgh. Then, a series of upsets cleared their path to the Final Four as they faced Marist and Ole Miss next and won both.
But the most impressive game of the year was the Final Four game. Against the favored Tar Heels, the Lady Vols fell behind again early. But in a defensive struggle, Parker emerged as the star she was supposed to be with 13 points to lead her team to a 56-50 victory.
That win was all the momentum the Lady Vols needed, and they took care of business against the Cinderella Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the national championship to end their drought. This team was loaded, and had they adjusted to Bobbitt just a little bit earlier, they could have gone down as the greatest Lady Vols team ever.
Next: #3: 1988-1989 Tennessee Lady Vols