| | | The first time I played UConn, we lost.
|  | | Tonight's a special night for Chamique Holdsclaw, but a Vols win will make it better. |
Man, I didn't want to lose to them. I was recruited by Tennessee and UConn, and I wanted to show the Huskies what they were missing. I wanted to beat the UConn players I knew. I had pride in the orange and white.
It was 1996, and people said UConn (the reigning NCAA champion) was the best. And when someone else says that they're the best, you want to prove them wrong. We wanted to prove ourselves against the top team and show the world that we were contenders.
That loss felt horrible. But adversity always makes the Lady Vols take it to another level. We knew how much tradition and pride we had, and we bottled that up for the next UConn game.
I thought that Tennessee coach Pat Summitt would prepare us with a "Let's kill those Huskies!" attitude, but she didn't. She said, "You guys have to face this team, and you have an opportunity to beat a great team and build your confidence. They are the best passing team in college basketball, so we have to stay calm and play our game."
In the NCAA tournament semifinals, we defeated UConn in overtime en route to the first of three straight national titles. We knew we had beaten a great team. Victory was sweet, but we had to keep fighting for our place on top. We could never let our guard down around the Huskies. The next time we played, UConn won by 15.
That's what makes this such a great rivalry. It's never an easy game, so every victory means that much more. We knew UConn always brought their best game. They're strong at every position, and we can't rest on defense because they'd kill us. And they are led by Geno Auriemma, a tremendous coach (I saw his talents firsthand when he coached the Olympic team).
The rivalry is boosted by the star players on each side. Both schools recruit the top talent in the country, often going after the same players. Tamika Catchings, Shea Ralph and I were recruited by both. Sometimes we'd steal each other's players, and that just makes the games even more intense. For example, Paige Sauer visited Tennessee but now she plays for UConn. Tonight the Lady Vols want to show her why she should have chosen Tennessee.
And I think the Lady Vols will step it up tonight. Even though Tamika Catchings is out with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the Lady Vols can do it. This is a team that operates best under adversity, with its back against the wall. In situations like this, coach Summitt takes it to another level, and the players respond. I'm a loyal Tennessee fan -- I can't wait to see the game.
In fact, my jersey's going to be retired tonight, but I'm more excited about the game! Oh, it's a true honor to have my jersey retired -- I'm only the fourth Lady Vol to experience it. But if the team plays horrible, that takes away from the evening. The real honor would be my retirement ceremony capped by a star-studded Tennessee victory.
Chamique Holdsclaw played forward for the Lady Volunteers from 1995 to 1999. She is Tennessee's all-time leading scorer (3,025) and rebounder (1,295) among women and men. She now plays for the WNBA's Washington Mystics.
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