89 wins-UCONN Womens team vs John Woodens 88 wins

[Mark]

Can you compare the two? Wooden was a completely different era. This UCONN team just cant be matched by anyone in the country. The question is, is it the same since its girls? Or, did Wooden do it in a time when he changed the game entirely?
Is one more impressive than the other?

[catherine]

I think it's tough to compare any streaks ... If Duke men won 88 straight now, there would be discussions about whether the streaks are comparable because they were in different eras and the game is different now ...

In this case, I think there's a real similarity in that the UCLA team under Wooden caused other teams to change how they played to even compete with them. You can argue that something similar is happening with women's basketball now - the game will be different a few years from now.

[wallyhopp]

Apples and oranges.

When have we ever compared overall records or achievements across genres? Uconn already had the most Women's wins at 70 from a couple years back. Before that, it goes to LAtech's 54. This celebration shouldve happened at 71, after Uconn beat their own record. Why now they (ESPN huhh hmmm) wants to go with an "overall" record. The record books arent even situated like that.

I should add: Both accomplishments happened when parity wasn't the greatest in their respective sports. Every AA wanted to go to UCLA and the same is applied to Uconn. Kids dont want to go to other schools and compete, just look at Lebron and wade and Bosh. They want a allstar cast. Nothings changed since those UCLA days. Both are very tough streaks to accomplish. And it ends there. One cannot be "better" than the other. They are in different divisions, based on sex. It's all a ESPN hype machine. It's cool to watch something like this happen now because I wasnt around in the 70s to witness that. So it's cool from that perspective. But one being better than the other? Nah. They could win 200 games in a row, and its still just a woman's record, Just as if a men's team pulls off 100 to beat UCLA's men's record. Are they not as good as the women's record of 200? Now we are comparing across genres and sexes for these records? Does Mookie Blaylocks13 Steals in one game Record not count because a Women's athlete has 20? Where does it end?

[77warrior]

Women deserve the credit. Most consecutive wins in college basketball period. If you try to compare you need to compare in both directions. You have to ask if the women's game of today compares's to the men's game of Wooden's era? UCLA dominated during Wooden's time for the same reason UCONN dominates today. Best recruits, best facilities, best coach, etc. UCLA also had another advantage. During the hardest part of the season, tournament time, they usually had home court advantage as well (won't say that is the case here, but many a regional, as well as some final fours were held in Pauley Pavillion during Wooden's time). They also didn't have to go through a six game tournament grind to preserve their record into the next season. So in my opinion UCONN's competition compares favorable to UCLA's competition. You might also ask if those UCLA teams were brought forward to today (relatively - that is to say each player would have the skills necessary to maintain their relative skill/ranking/ability in today's game) could they repeat the feat?

Though I stated my opinion. To me a record is a record is a record (except for maybe baseball ). Bottom line UCLA owns the men's record of most consecutive wins, while UCONN owns the women's and the overall record, deservedly so. I believe the problem some people may have is having to now say UCLA men's basketball record, as opposed to UCLA's basketball record.

[wolf1960]

Lets give the UConn program some love they may run their record to 100. By winning 88 it means the team never takes any team lightly, I thought Baylor had them earlier but the UConn girls found a way to pull it out.
Props to the Wizard of UCLA too, they had some close games and came from behind to keep their streak going.....
I love basketball !! GO LOBOS

[Digital Lobo]

No comparison. The Wooden UCLA dynasty is unparalleled in college athletics. For just one point of reference tally the number of NBA players and hall of famers who came from Wooden's UCLA teams versus those from U Conn who made it to the WNBA.

[Gonzlobo]

No comparison in the slightest. The only team Tennessee has to worry about is Connecticut (and I doubt they play every yrar). BTW, wrong forum.

[Coach Bombay]

I hate hearing about the Uconn women.
Their record means NOTHING. Women's basketball is pretty pathetic and if the Uconn ladys were to play any D-I or D-II men's b-ball team they would get absolutely destroyed.
I dont hate on the girls who play the game, I just cant stand the media for comparing them to a true dynasty (though you get the idea that most of them dont want to, but a law suit would follow if they told theyre opinions about the "record")

[dbkirkp]

Incredible feat, no doubt about it, different eras and different challenges. They are also very different sports. I think one thing that keeps Uconn on top is the fact that the WNBA is not glamorous. These girls work hard, but even if you have it all like Candace Parker, you aren't going to make it to the same level of respect as the men. This being said, if they go to Uconn they can be a part of something, get some notoriety. Have a legacy instead of it being "something you did in college". I think this helps in recruiting more so than men. You can get all the top girls, because only a few womens programs are big time, and even if the girls are outstanding at lower programs, they don't get much publicity. Going to the WNBA isn't that glorious, so you want the name school.

That is my two cents. Men can go to small schools, prove themselves, have their local celebrity and then make the pros. That gives men more parity.

No matter what if you break a record in a sport that old, it is incredible.

[Roob]

They are both dynasties, but one isn't "better" or breaks the others record. There's probably a boys or girls high school team out there that has 120 consecutive wins. Nobody would compare their feat to UConn's and claim that it was a superior accomplishment. They are all great accomplishments, but to say that one accomplishment breaks the record of the other is absurd.

[timvracer]

Umm... not really paying attention... can we talk about the team doctor again? ;-)

[Digital Lobo]

You want an impressive women's basketball record? How about what Flanagan accomplished at Eldorado?

[pjamj]

I don't think UCONN's streak is as impressive as UCLA's.

I have no hard numbers to back it up because I am basically to lazy to look them up. However, I would guess that UCONN gets a higher disproportionate share of the best female athletes out there as compared to the UCLA team did in terms of the best male athletes out there. UCONN simply gets all the best players, period. Just a SWAG (scientific wild-ass guess) on my part.

[Yakkacat25]

What the UCONN women have done is truly impressive. The UCLA record was truly special. The two records stand alone in women's and men's college basketball. It's just ridiculous to say one streak is better than the other. They are both great accomplishments

[Roob]

You want an impressive women's basketball record? How about what Flanagan accomplished at Eldorado?

I officiated his last High School loss. Came against Sandia (Coach Wyatt) in the district championship game. I can't remember all the details (I think it was in '96). I think that Sandia team featured Nikki Heckroth and Miranda Sanchez. Eldo came back to win the state tournament.

Thought I'd share some more useless trivia with you.

[Digital Lobo]

I officiated his last High School loss. Came against Sandia (Coach Wyatt) in the district championship game. I can't remember all the details (I think it was in '96). I think that Sandia team featured Nikki Heckroth and Miranda Sanchez. Eldo came back to win the state tournament.

Thought I'd share some more useless trivia with you.

Speaking of which, did you ever see Henry T when he was a high school ref way back in the day with a pony tail and coke bottle bottom eye glasses? Priceless!

[Roob]

Speaking of which, did you ever see Henry T when he was a high school ref way back in the day with a pony tail and coke bottle bottom eye glasses? Priceless!

No, but I do remember Henry T yelling at me when I officiated his son's high school games (Sandia). After one summer league game, he and my officiating partner got into a heated discussion in the Sandia parking lot. I had to intervene to prevent one or both of them from getting hurt. Priceless memory. Henry used to love to ride the refs, especially after they made a call against his son.

[Digital Lobo]

No, but I do remember Henry T yelling at me when I officiated his son's high school games (Sandia). After one summer league game, he and my officiating partner got into a heated discussion in the Sandia parking lot. I had to intervene to prevent one or both of them from getting hurt. Priceless memory. Henry used to love to ride the refs, especially after they made a call against his son.

Good ol Henry T. It's all about good sportsmanship and the kids (station).

[loborick]

There was an interesting conversation if this streak was good for women's college basketball on ESPN today. They said it was. I don't think so. I think it's good for UConn, but not for women's basketball. It just shows the lack of parity and total domination of UConn. To me that shows the sad state of women's college basketball if one program can dominate that way.

[LoboCubs23]

I went to school with Aaron and played on a baseball team (Little League) with him way back in the day. it was fun to see his dad at the games. Aaron actually sits one row down and three seats to my right at the Pit, and Henry still comes down every game and visits with him. I like Henry alot. Back in my baseball coaching days he did a lot for local little league teams. One of the teams I coached got to the state finals in 2003 and lost in the second game (we came out of the loosers bracket, and won the first finals game before losing the second) and Henry T broadcasted most of our games. He really made all the 11 and 12 year olds on the team feel special, and I have to admit it was kind of fun for the coaches too because we all got interviewed.

[18,018]

I once had a streak of 250+ wins in NBA Jam. Did I ever get compared to UCLA for it? No. But it was equally impressive in my mind.

[nickgallegos]

The parity is women's basketball is non existent, but I'm not going to belittle what UCONN has accomplished. That program is a dynasty period. They have been since back when Taurasi was playing for them and probably before that as well.

[wallyhopp]

I once had a streak of 250+ wins in NBA Jam. Did I ever get compared to UCLA for it? No. But it was equally impressive in my mind.

Trinity College in Hartford, CT has won something like 228 straight games/matches in Squash. They own the largest winnest streak for Inter-collegiate sports. Theyve won like 12 or 13 straight national titles... Thats something to shoot for Uconn. Theres domination and then total domination.

[Lobo2x53]

No comparison. The Wooden UCLA dynasty is unparalleled in college athletics. For just one point of reference tally the number of NBA players and hall of famers who came from Wooden's UCLA teams versus those from U Conn who made it to the WNBA.

I think you weaken your argument by bringing up this part.

If the issue is which team would beat the other, of course the Alcindor or Walton Bruins would win. But if the question is which was a more impressive feat, then it seems winning 89 with fewer pros/HOFers while playing more ranked teams is a more noteworthy achievement.

Personally I agree with the comments above: enjoy them both, appriciate them both, they were both the best of their era.

[77warrior]

There was an interesting conversation if this streak was good for women's college basketball on ESPN today. They said it was. I don't think so. I think it's good for UConn, but not for women's basketball. It just shows the lack of parity and total domination of UConn. To me that shows the sad state of women's college basketball if one program can dominate that way.

So it shows to reason the sad state of men's college basketball in the late sixties and early seventies when UCLA was winning all those national titles? Or the sad state of professional basketball when the Boston Celtics won 11 of 13 titles? Therefore UCLA's winning streak was good for UCLA, but not for men's basketball.

[MRLobo]

No need or reason to compare the two. Sure the sport is basketball but we don't compare basketball record across different levels/genders. Like others have brought up what about High School, WNBA, NBA, mens and womens D1/d2/d3/NAIA/JC, YAFL, nba jam, nba 2k, etc etc. Different games and different levels no point in trying to compare or combine the record books.

Uconn womens record is amazing but 89 is only different than 88 in that it is one more added on to thier record.