Ranking the top 5 most dominant women's basketball teams of all time ft. UConn 2002
The 2025 UConn Huskies were dominant, rolling up record margins in the Final Four. But the Huskies lost three games in the season. The greatest teams in women's basketball history didn't lose at all. Some didn't even get close to losing. Here are the top five women's basketball teams of all-time.
Top 5 most dominant women's basetball teams of all time
5. Texas 1986
Texas had been one of the last teams to move from the old AIAW to the NCAA. But this Longhorns team was legendary. They had nearly gone undefeated the year before but were upset by Western Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament. The revenge tour took down USC and superstar Cheryl Miller in a memorable title game 97-81 victory. Texas had its undefeated season.
4. South Carolina 2024
The Gamecocks represented the culmination of Dawn Staley's rise of the program from also-rans to superstars. The title was Staley's third at USC, but was the first unbeaten season for the team. Carolina had some close calls, including a buzzer-beater win over Tennessee in the SEC Tournament and a four-point win over Indiana in the Sweet 16. But Aaliyah Boston and company dominated the game.
3. Tennessee 1998
Pat Summit built the first great dynasty of women's college basketball at Tennessee and this team was her crowning achievement. A freshman recruiting class that included Tamkia Catchings and Semeka Randall joined All-American Chamique Holdsclaw. A four-point win in the SEC Tournament title game and a six-point Elite Eight win over North Carolina were the only close calls in a 39-0 year.
2. UConn 2009
Huskies legends Maya Moore and Tina Charles headlined this epic team. Nobody played the Huskies closer than 10 points all season long. UConn won each NCAA Tourament game by 19 or more points. The Final Four included 19 and 22 point wins, which marked the all-tme record for Final Four margin until this season. Geno Auriemma has had a wealth of dominant teams, but this one stands out.
1. UConn 2002
But it's another Auriemma squad that earns the nod for the most dominant women's basketball program of all time. The entire starting five of this team were first-round WNBA Draft picks, with superstars Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi among the group. A nine-point win over Virginia Tech in January was as close as it got for UConn.
The bottom line is that an all-UConn list would be plausible. Auriemma has won 12 titles with the Huskies and has had six undefeated title winners. No other school has had more than one.
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