Tennessee women’s basketball is renewing its rivalry against UConn next season, Huskies coach Geno Auriemma told the Knoxville News Sentinel’s Cora Hall.
The Lady Vols and Huskies boasted women’s basketball’s top rivalry from 1995-2007 before legendary Tennessee coach Pat Summitt ended the series.
During that stretch, the two teams faced off 22 total times including seven times in the NCAA Tournament, six times in the Final Four and four times in the National Championship. During that stretch, UConn owned a 13-9 advantage in the rivalry and a 5-2 advantage in NCAA Tournament matchups and victories in all four meetings in the National Championship.
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The series resumed from 2020-23 under former Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper. UConn won all four meetings. The Huskies 67-61 in Knoxville in 2021 was the one competitive single digit game in the series to extend their overall series lead to 17-9.
Tennessee and UConn didn’t meet on the hardwood last season but with Kim Caldwell taking over as the Lady Vols’ head coach the two schools are set to renew the storied rivalry.
Neither school has officially announced the game so it is unclear when the game in Knoxville will take place and how many years the contract is for. But the two teams will at least meet next season in Knoxville as Caldwell adds a premier non conference game to her first Tennessee schedule.
UConn has been one of the nation’s top programs in college basketball under Auriemma but have slipped ever so slightly in recent years. After winning six National Championships from 2009-16, UConn hasn’t won a National Championship since. The Huskies have still been stout since, making six Final Fours including this past season.
