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The senior guard Kelly Faris, center, who had 16 points and 9 rebounds, and her teammates celebrating UConn's win. More Photos »
NEW ORLEANS — As the current Big East Conference held its confetti farewell Tuesday night in women's basketball, Connecticut left with the most coveted of parting gifts: its eighth national title.
A 93-60 rout of Louisville gave Coach Geno Auriemma the same number of championships as his nemesis, Pat Summitt, whose pioneering career at Tennessee was curtailed by early-onset Alzheimer's. He graciously called her "the greatest women's basketball coach who ever lived," but Tuesday's victory reaffirmed UConn as the country's pre-eminent program.
After an early flagrant foul by guard Caroline Doty, the uncertain Huskies recovered and drew away with a decisive 19-0 run in the first half and finished with 13 3-pointers. The marvelous freshman Breanna Stewart contributed 23 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 assists and 3 steals. The steady sophomore Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis added 18 points in a hail of 3-pointers and grabbed 9 rebounds. And the senior guard Kelly Faris gave a complete goodbye performance with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists, earning this UConn team a special place in Auriemma's career scrapbook.
These were not the undefeated Huskies of Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and Swin Cash, who won the 2002 N.C.A.A. tournament with peerless talent. Nor were they the 2004 Huskies, who won with Taurasi and a cast of selfless role players.
Without a true superstar, this UConn team (35-4) fought through injury and self-doubt and prevailed with renewed assuredness, collective spirit and expectation, depth, conditioning and a relentlessness that made victory in the N.C.A.A. tournament seem not only possible but inexorable with a resurgence over the past month.
Baylor was heavily favored to repeat as the champion, until it was upset in the regionals by Louisville. And the Huskies lost three times to Notre Dame before beating the Irish in the national semifinals. When some players did not develop as steadily as expected, especially Stewart, Auriemma questioned whether he had overestimated his team.
He had not. UConn regained its ballast in the tournament. And the most rewarding aspect of the season, Auriemma said, became the struggle.
"I think we've done an awful lot for women's basketball at Connecticut," Auriemma said. "Someday, when they write the history of women's basketball, we'll be prominently mentioned, and I'm pretty proud of that."
Faris became the epitome of UConn's resolve. Given her hustle and resourcefulness, Faris would never have a bad game, Auriemma often said. And she seldom did, always assigned to guard the opponent's top scorer, succeeding with fundamental brilliance — a rebound, a steal, a defensive stop. Just as she muzzled Skylar Diggins on Sunday, Faris held Louisville's Shoni Schimmel to 3-of-15 shooting in the championship game. And she hit four 3-pointers of her own.
"Will she leave as one of my favorite players?" Auriemma said. "Absolutely. They're never going to introduce her as, 'That was Kelly Faris, she was a great passer or a great shooter or a great ball-handler.' Kelly is great at putting you in position to win. That's what she's great at."
In preseason, the junior guard Bria Hartley (13 points, 4 assists) played brilliantly, but she hid an ankle injury from coaches and trainers. Eventually, she could hardly practice for a month. Her speed and movement were affected. Her self-assurance plummeted.
But Hartley persevered. Early on Tuesday, Doty threw an elbow and was called for a flagrant foul. UConn appeared unsettled. But Hartley calmed her team and ignited a 19-0 run with a jumper, a steal and a layup and an assist to Mosqueda-Lewis, who later capped the run with a 3-pointer that put the Huskies inalterably ahead, 29-14.
"It was a little discouraging," Hartley said of her frustrating season. "But I'm a fighter. I kept working every day."
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