Hoops HD

Tennessee-UConn used to be known as the greatest rivalry in women’s college basketball. You like coaches? It featured 8-time NCAA champ Pat Summitt vs. 11-time NCAA champ Geno Auriemma. You like superstar players? Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Chamique Holdsclaw, Candace Parker: the list is endless. You like important games? They met in the NCAA title game 4 times from 1995-2004…with the Huskies winning all 4 of the matchups. The series stopped in 2007 but is back on tonight as the Volunteers head north to Storrs to face their old foes. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Hall of Famer Chamique Holdsclaw about playing for Pat and renewing the rivalry.

Growing up in Queens you often played basketball against boys: what was it like facing off against a young Ron Artest? We were just young kids playing the sport that we loved so those games were really competitive. There were a lot of kids better than us who did not get a chance to play pro basketball: we just traveled around to compete against kids from different projects/cities.

You played for Coach Pat Summitt at Tennessee: what made her such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from her? Aside from the Xs and Os, which I think she was the best to ever do, she could adapt and motivate us as individuals. I was the quiet 1 so she did not have to yell at me that much: it was a gift for her to understand all of our different personalities. Once you cross the line it is business and you have to be focused. As soon as practice ended she was back to normal and would hug/kiss us and ask us what we wanted for dinner. She taught me that tough times do not last but tough people do. Everyone has adversity and difficult times but it is just about working smart…and nobody could outwork her.

After winning a junior high school national championship, followed by 4 Class A state championships at Christ the King High School, you won 3 straight NCAA titles from 1996-1998: what is the key to being a winner? 1 of the keys is just doing the work when nobody is looking. You need discipline to be successful: you have to sacrifice playing with your friends to stay on the court for a couple of hours.

In 1998 you finished 39-0: where does that team rank among the best in the history of the sport? I would definitely say top-2. We had so much athleticism with 3 versatile players who could do a little of everything. When you add in great defense and Kellie Jolly running the train, we brought a lot of excitement to the game.

You had a 4-2 record in 6 games vs. UConn: how do you explain the rivalry to people who have never seen it, and how excited were you to learn that the 2 schools will be renewing their rivalry in 2020 after not facing each other since 2007? It was an intense rivalry. I think that Pat/Geno had respect for each other. I did not hate UConn but I knew that they were a competitive team and as an East Coast kid I wanted to dominate them. We took it up a notch when we played them and really REALLY took our scouting reports seriously. Pat said that to be the best you have to play against the best. The rivalry should never have went away and it needs to happen again: it is good for the game.

You remain the all-time leading scorer (470 PTS) and rebounder (197 REB) in NCAA women’s tourney history: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? That is when it all matters after building up to the highest stakes at the end of the season. As a team we were able to really focus and pay attention to our scouting reports and communicate a little more. I had a leader in Coach Summitt and teammates who were very unselfish and helped me understand the game even better.

You were a 4-time All-American/2-time national POY/1998 Sullivan Award winner as the top amateur athlete in the US: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It was very rewarding but you do not think about it so much as a player because you still have to go to class! Everything really hit when I retired and I realized: damn, I was pretty good! I hope that my prior success inspires the youth of today.

In 1999 you were selected 1st overall by the Mystics, voted in as a starter for the 1st-ever WNBA All-Star Game, and finished that season by being named ROY: how were you able to make such a smooth transition from college to the pros? Coach Summitt put a system in place during college where we played the toughest schedule in the country and I knew how to prepare mentally. It is hard to come in as a rookie against established players with a wide disparity in ages: you are not just playing against teenagers any more. You also have to adjust to the different personalities but I had some great vets around me.

You played for team USA at the 2000 Olympics: what did it mean to represent your country, and what did it mean to win a gold medal? It was such an awesome experience! It is 1 thing to be all-state or all-conference…but to stand on a podium as the best team in the world was surreal. When they placed the medal around my neck I felt like I was the best in the world.

You wrote in your autobiography that you suffered from depression during your pro career and you currently work as a mental health advocate: how has your own life experience shaped your ability to help others? It has helped me become more empathetic to others who struggle with mental health issues. Mental health does not discriminate, which helped me understand that we are all in this together. We need to be kind to each other: every day that I get to help kids is part of my passion and it has been the most impactful part of my life.