In 1997, UConn women’s basketball owned a perfect 30-0 record and made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed. The Huskies featured AP National Player of the Year Kara Wolters, All-American Nykesha Sales, star freshman Shea Ralph, Carla Berube and Rita Williams. According to Geno Auriemma, they were “the best team in America by 100 miles.”
But in UConn’s first-round game against Lehigh, Ralph tore her ACL. When that happened, the team fell apart.
“The entire team reacted horribly to that. They actually reacted as (if) someone had passed away,” Auriemma said. “It cost us in the NCAA Tournament.