Tennessee Lady Vols: Five things that happened since last facing UConn

2. UConn Huskies became the top women’s basketball program.

This is a devastating fact for Tennessee Lady Vols fans, but it’s true. We already mentioned their back to back national titles after the last meeting. Given that fact, since they were already ahead in overall national championships, you would think that this program got breathing room. But what happened after was just too much.

Behind Maya Moore, the UConn Huskies had back to back undefeated seasons the year after UT’s last national championship. Then, after missing out on the title for two years in a row, they became the first women’s basketball program in history to win four straight national championships, which included two more undefeated seasons, one in which they went 40-0.

As a result, UConn has surpassed the Lady Vols in total national titles, as they have 11 to UT’s eight. They also have made 12 straight Final Four appearances. Most notably, though, they reeled off two historic winning streaks, one of 89 games and one of 111 games. That type of dominance has been insane, and they won every game in 2015-2016 by double digits.

You can’t ignore that level of dominance. Even while missing out on the last three national title opportunities, the fact of the matter is UConn has reached an unprecedented level of prosperity. It also calls into question whether or not the Lady Vols should have cancelled the series in the first place, as it clearly worked out better for UConn. But there was something else in play.