Congrats to UCONN on 100th consecutive win

I cannot believe I'm writing this. Praise of basketball from me is no surprise. Praise of women's basketball is expected. But praise of the UCONN women's basketball program? Unheard of! But here I am -- because what the team accomplished last week merits acknowledgment, even from this former player and coach, even if I have to grit my teeth while acknowledging it. This team just celebrated its 100th consecutive win!

The Lady Huskies have epitomized excellence for years. The team has bragging rights to 11 total titles in program history, four consecutive championships and two championships during the streak, which began in 2014. Coach Geno Auriemma has created a program that has young women dreaming of playing for him, many of whom go on to play in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBA). The team's alumni includes Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Rebecca Lobo and Maya Moore, to name a few star players.

This is a program that, with its 100th win, had 12 more than the men's record. Legendary UCLA coach John Wooden won 88 straight games from 1970-74. That's amazing, yet the Lady Huskies team now has had two separate streaks surpassing that total. And it's not over yet; they're still rolling -- over everybody. I'm a die-hard UCONN "hater," as they say, but I'm not delusional. What this team has accomplished is phenomenal.

Those who know me know the source of my anti-UCONN sentiments. I am, after all, a fan of the Tennessee Lady Vols, a team I fell in love with not just because of the players who made the program the measure of success in sports, but because of its coach. Coach Pat Summitt, who passed away on June 28, 2016, at the age of 64, after battling early onset dementia, was the personification of inspiration and skill. I modeled my coaching after hers. As I wrote in my tribute column upon her death:

"I, too, loved Coach Summitt. I loved her intensity. I modeled my own coaching after her -- even down to the suits I sometimes wore on the sideline. I dreamt -- literally -- of sitting and talking to her about basketball, being on the sideline with her, learning from her. And how I longed to win like her."

Read that full tribute at www.semissourian.com/story/2318598.html.

Losing Coach Summitt was a loss of life and a loss to sports. The rivalry she and Coach Auriemma had was fierce. Though they respected each other, they reportedly didn't even like each other. As the saying goes, it was real, y'all! So noÂ…I have no affection for Geno or his Huskies. My heart bleeds Tennessee orange. I met Auriemma and sat behind him and some of his players at the 2004 WNBA All-Star Game, which was played on the storied stage of Radio City Music Hall, as Madison Square Garden was being prepped for the Republican National Convention that year. Being in close proximity to the coach as he sipped on his beer in a plastic cup didn't change my mind. I remained a "hater."

I'm good at rooting against players and teams. I root against some as much as I root for others. I root against the San Antonio Spurs. (Of course I do: I'm a Lakers fan.) I rooted against Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. (It worked until the fourth quarter.) I root passionately against LeBron James. (Too many reasons to list here!) And I root against the UCONN women's basketball team. But I didn't waste my energy on Feb. 13 as they played for that 100th victory. In fact, I wrote on social media:

"The UCONN Huskies women's basketball team is less than a quarter away from 100 consecutive wins. Y'all know I can't stand Geno Auriemma's team, but there is no point in rooting against them. It's pointless. The only team that could consistently throw a monkey wrench in UCONN's plans was my Tennessee Lady Vols, under the leadership of Coach Pat Summitt. How I miss Coach Summitt! Gone much too soon."

The Lady Huskies have developed a bit of a contentious relationship with a couple other teams, but there's no rivalry like Auriemma had with Coach Summitt. They were thorns in each other's sides. They made each other better. For those two coaches and each of their players, the only thing sweeter than a win was a win against each other. I miss that.

Maybe it escaped me, but I didn't see the hoopla surrounding this accomplishment that it deserved. Women athletes, unfortunately, are used to that, I suppose. But these athletes and their coach accomplished something major that deserves praise: 100 consecutive wins! That's just crazy!

Even I have to congratulate them. Even Coach Summitt would have congratulated them -- but then again, if she were still with us, still gracing that sideline, UCONN wouldn't have managed that feat. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Congratulations, UCONN. (Did I just write that?!)

Adrienne Ross is an author, speaker, columnist, editor, educator and Southeast Missourian editorial board member. Reach her at aross@semissourian.com.