Clash of the Elites
Bears’ Mulkey, Huskies’ Auriemma boast programs that have the most national championships since 2000
The first time she examined the NCAA women’s tournament bracket, Baylor senior Moon Ursin began bracing for the challenge of playing two national championship games.
To defend the NCAA title they won in 2019, the No. 2 seed Bears will, of course, have to be the last team standing at the Final Four next weekend in the Alamodome. But to even reach that stage, Baylor must overcome the most storied and successful program in the sport, as No. 1 seed Connecticut also landed in the River Walk Regional.
The Elite Eight matchup between the Bears and the Huskies at 6 p.m. Monday in the Alamodome will highlight the sport’s two active coaches with the most national championships, as Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma has won 11, while
Baylor’s Kim Mulkey boasts three.
“It’s two programs that are very proud,” Mulkey said. “I’m certainly not going to outcoach Geno, so our players better compete and try to outplay his players.”
Together, Uconn and Baylor have won 13 of the 20 national championships awarded this millennium.
The Huskies are looking to advance to the Final Four for the 13th consecutive tournament, having claimed a national title in 2000, three in a row from 2002-04, back-to-back in 2009 and 2010, and a run of four straight from 2013-16.
The Bears are attempting to reach the Final Four for the fifth time, capturing the NCAA championship in 2005, 2012 and 2019.
Auriemma said the programs followed similar models to success, recruiting top talent, developing players into stars, and instilling a “tournament tough” mindset.
“They have all of those things. That’s why, every year, they’re in the conversation, and they’re in the mix when it comes to a national championship,” Auriemma said. “I think they’re under-seeded. Explain to me how they’re a No. 2 seed. … How we ended up in the same region, that’s even more shocking, given how good they are.”
Auriemma and Mulkey pointed to the emphasis both programs place on defense and rebounding. Baylor leads the nation in opponent field-goal percentage at 32.3, while Connecticut ranks fourth at 33.3. The Bears also lead the nation in rebounding margin at 19.2, with the Huskies sixth at 12.2.
Both programs have been efficient scoring this year, as Connecticut leads the nation at 51.9 percent shooting while Baylor ranks fourth at 48.7 percent. Still, Mulkey said she anticipates Monday’s game taking on a more grinding identity.
“It could be an ugly game,” Mulkey said. “When I say ugly, it could be low scoring. It could be some turnovers. Some people might want to say boring. It may not be 80 or 90.”
Mulkey noted one significant difference in the programs, saying Connecticut has lured “a ton more star players” than Baylor.
While Auriemma has been building the Huskies into a powerhouse since 1985, Mulkey said she was starting “from scratch” upon her arrival at Baylor in 2000, unable to attract top talent until the program began to thrive.
Eight Connecticut players have been named AP women’s college basketball player of the year and five have been selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft, while Brittney Griner is the only Baylor player to reach either milestone.
Bears junior Nalyssa Smith earned first-team All-america recognition this season, but Huskies freshman Paige Bueckers is regarded by most pundits as the nation’s top player. She averages 19.8 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 53.2 percent from the field and 46.1 percent beyond the arc.
“She has unbelievable court vision. She can deliver passes to her teammates that make it very easy for them to score,” Mulkey said. “I hate that we’re playing against her, because she may burn us. She’s that good on passing.”
Baylor and Connecticut were scheduled to play Jan. 7 in Waco, but the matchup was canceled because of COVID-19 protocols.
Still, many of the stalwarts on the Bears roster have beaten the Huskies before, as Baylor won 7458 on Jan. 9, 2020, in Connecticut and notched a 68-57 victory on Jan. 3, 2019, in Waco.
Despite the previous success, Ursin said Baylor’s approach is to “just mentally ignore the name Uconn, and play it like it’s an Elite Eight game.”
“Obviously, we keep that in the back of our minds. We’ve been here before. We’ve played this team before,” Ursin said. “But it’s a different dynamic, a different group of girls and a different platform. So, it’ll be a fun game.”
The programs have locked up eight times overall, splitting the meetings 4-4. Their first clash was in 2010 at the Alamodome — a Final Four showdown the Huskies won 70-50.
Mulkey said the matchup of two top programs will be positive for the sport, even if she would rather it come further down the road.
“I wish it was for the national championship and not a chance to get to a Final Four,” Mulkey said. “I think both programs are elite, and it’s a shame somebody has to lose.”