Women's game must find room for best game in town (UConn-Tennessee)

Kaili McLaren was a freshman on UConn's roster the last time the Huskies played Tennessee, on Jan. 6, 2007, the day Tennessee's Candace Parker rattled the XL Center in Hartford with a dunk.

"Freshman year we played 'em and I was star struck," said McLaren, now a UConn senior. "My jaw dropped. It was just unbelievable. UConn-Tennessee is the best game in women's basketball. It still is the best game, even though it's been a few years."

Hear that everyone? The best game in women's basketball.

They played six UConn-Tennessee games in a row on ESPN Classic last Saturday, starting with the first meeting between the rivals in January of 1995, the day UConn first ascended to the nation's No. 1 ranking. ESPN Classic. Noon to midnight.

The storied series came to an abrupt halt, however, after the 2007 season when Tennessee coach Pat Summitt canceled it. She said UConn coach Geno Auriemma knew why. Geno inferred Pat canceled the series because she hates his guts.

Goodbye rivalry.

But here's the thing: These teams need to play. Every year. And it doesn't matter whose side you're on.

You might be from Memphis and think Geno is a wise-ass from Philadelphia who unnecessarily throws inappropriate barbs in the direction of Summitt, the grand lady of women's basketball, owner of an unprecedented 1,035 victories and eight national championships.

Or you might be from Meriden and think Pat is the disingenuous head honcho of the Evil Empire, who specializes in sour grapes and therefore took her ball and went home because she allegedly didn't like Geno's recruiting tactics.

Up to you.

But this is why Pat and Geno's teams need to play …

First, the teams were placed on the same side of the bracket on Selection Monday, UConn as the top seed in the Dayton Regional and Tennessee as the top seed in the Memphis Regional. If they both make it to the Final Four, UConn and Tennessee will play in the national semifinals.

Geno said this matchup would be a "disservice" to all the players who worked so hard to make it to the Final Four and that the other two teams in the Final Four would be "disrespected" by the media storm it would generate.

He's probably right. But how does a feud between two hall of famers, one of whom refuses to play the other, go unreported? When the teams who create instant classics don't play each other any more, then need to get past each other to win a national championship, is that not news?

The other reason is purely a selfish one. UConn-Tennessee makes awfully good theater.

Every good protagonist, you see, needs a good villain. The Red Sox and the Yankees play no matter what, even if A-Rod and Jason Varitek come to blows and Pedro flips Don Zimmer upside down.

No other team that comes to UConn lights up the marquee the way Tennessee does. Sorry if that's disrespectful, but UConn fans don't hate North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell; they applaud for her. UConn fans don't hate Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie; she's a nice lady. They clap for Harry Perretta when Villanova comes to town, they clap for Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw.

And you haven't lived until you've heard 25,000 people at Tennessee's Thompson-Boling Arena booing Geno right before they sing "Rocky Top." It's fun. Really.

Pat Summitt was quoted in another newspaper recently as saying the series will never resume. The first line in Summitt's biography on utladyvols.com says this: "She is respected, ethical and a winner who serves as a shining example in the sport of collegiate basketball."

Geno Auriemma said if the teams are scheduled to play in the Final Four, it might be the one time he'd rather talk about UConn's 72-game winning streak.

Oh, man.

Clearly, the coaches aren't meeting for margaritas anytime soon. Just let the teams play.

It's the best game in women's basketball.

Still.

This is the opinion of Day sportswriter Vickie Fulkerson.