Jody Adams G SO
Regina Clark G JR
Dena Head G JR
Marlene Jeter C SO
Peggy Evans C FR
Lisa Harrison F SO
Daedra Charles C SR
Nikki Caldwell G FR
Kelli Casteel C JR
Tamara Carver G FR
Debbie Hawhee F JR
1990
Tara VanDerveer of Stanford wins the Naismith College Coach of the Year Award in its 4th year of existence.
Jennifer Azzi of Stanford wins the Wade Trophy, in its 13th year of existence
.
April 1, 1990: NCAA Championship Game
Stanford beat Auburn 88-81. The game took place at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee.
September 21, 1990
Pat Summitt, nine months pregnant, had flown on a recruiting visit to see Michelle Marciniak. She went into labor and returned to Tennessee immediately aboard their charter jet so that her husband could be present at the birth. She gave birth to a boy whom they named Ross Tyler Summitt.
October, 1990
The 1990-1991 season begins. Pat Summitt brings tiny Tyler on all road games, starting with his first game when he's 12 days old. The team passes the baby around in what will become a pre-game ritual.
1991
Debbie Ryan of Virginia wins the Naismith College Coach of the Year Award in its 5th year of existence.
Daedra Charles of Tennesse wins the Wade Trophy, in its 14th year of existence
.
March 31, 1991 NCAA Championship Game
Tennessee beat Virginia in OT, 70-67. The game took place at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. (THIRD)
1992
Chris Weller of Maryland wins the Naismith College Coach of the Year Award in its 6th year of existence.
Susan Robinson of Penn State wins the Wade Trophy, in its 15th year of existence
.
March 29, 1992: NCAA Championship Game
Stanford beat Western Kentucky 78-62. The game took place at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California.
1991-1992 Lady Vols
Jody Adams G JR
Regina Clark G SR
Tiffany Woosley G FR
Dena Head G SR
Marlene Jeter F/C JR
Peggy Evans F SO
Lisa Harrison F JR
Nikki McCray F SO
Vonda Ward C FR
Nikki Caldwell G SO
Kelli Casteel C SR
Rochone Dilligard F/C FR
Debbie Hawhee F SR
Dana Johnson C FR
In 1992, Nancy Lieberman tried out for the Olympics team, but did not win a place.
November 25, 1992
Vivian C. Stringer's (now coach at the Univesity of Iowa) husband Bill dies unexpectedly of a heart attack on Thanksgiving Day.
1992-1993 Lady Vols
Jody Adams G SR
Latina Davis G FR
Tiffany Woosley G SO
Peggy Evans C JR
Lisa Harrison F SR
Nikki McCray F JR
Vonda Ward C SO
Nikki Caldwell G JR
Rochone Dilligard F/C SO
Michelle Johnson F FR
Dana Johnson C SO
1993
State Farm begins its sponsorship of the Women's Tip-Off Classic. By 2002 it will become the longest-running in-season college women's tournament.
Vivian Stringer of Iowa wins the Naismith College Coach of the Year Award in its 7th year of existence.
Karen Jennings of Nebraska wins the Wade Trophy, in its 16th year of existence
.
(late March- early Apr?) 1993, NCAA Championship Game
Texas Tech beat Ohio State, 84-82. The game took place at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sheryl Swoopes is one of the members of the Texas Tech team that beats Ohio State. She scored 47 points in the win - the highest point total to that time of any player in NCAA championship history, male or female.
1994
January, 1994
C. Vivian Stringer, coach of Rutgers, becomes the second youngest coach to reach the 500-win mark for women's college basketball, behind Pat Head Summitt.
Pat Summitt of Tennessee wins the Naismith College Coach of the Year Award in its 8th year of existence, for the 3rd time.
Carol Ann Shudlick of Minnesota wins the Wade Trophy, in its 117th year of existence
.
1994 NCAA Championship
North Carolina beat Louisiana Tech, 60-59. The game took place at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia.
1993-1994 Lady Vols
Michelle Marchiniak G SO
Latina Davis G SO
Tiffany Woosley G JR
Nikki McCray F JR
Vonda Ward G JR
Tamika Smith G FR
Nikki Caldwell G SR
Rochone Dilligard F/C JR
Pashen Thompson F FR
Abby Conklin F FR
Dana Johnson C JR
1994-1995 Lady Vols
Michelle Johnson F JR
Michelle Marciniak G JR
Tiffani Johnson C FR
Latina Davis G JR
Tiffany Woosley G SR
Larie Milligan G FR
Nikki McCray F SR
Vonda Ward C SR
Tamika Smith G SO
Brynae Laxton F FR
Pashen Thompson F SO
Abby Conklin F SO
Dana Johnson C SR
1995
Geno Auriemma of UConn wins the Naismith College Coach of the Year Award in its 9th year of existence.
Rebecca Lobo of Connecticut wins the Wade Trophy, in its 18th year of existence
.
(late March- early Apr?) 1995 NCAA Championship Game
Connecticut beat Tennessee 70-64. The game takes place at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Summitt was impressed by the triple-post offense that UConn had used to defeat her own team. She and her staff flew to Chicago to talk about it with Phil Jackson and Tex Winter, head and assistant coaches for the Chicago Bulls, respectively - who used that offense in the pros. They instituted parts of this offense in their next season - which resulted, Summitt declared, in their first two back-to-back championships.
1996
Pat hires her third full-time assistant, Al Brown. The Lady Vols will win their fourth National Championship.
Andy Landers of Georgia wins the Naismith College Coach of the Year Award in its 10th year of existence.
Jennifer Rizzotti of Connecticut wins the Wade Trophy, in its 19th year of existence
.
(late March- early Apr?) 1996 NCAA Championship Game
Tennessee beat Georgia 83-65. The game took place at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. (FOURTH)
Pat tells the story that this is the first time she ever got a hug from her father, who was not one to be demonstrative. "I had said publicly over the years that he was a forbidding man, and that I'd never been able to win his approval. I guess he got tired of hearing about it....I climbed into the stands to see my parents, like I always do. He put his arms around me, and in his own awkward way, hugged me and kissed me."
July 19, 1996
The 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta opens. Members of the US squad, coached by Tara VanDerveer, inlcude Teresa Edwards, Katrina McClain, Ruthie Bolton-Holifield, Jennifer Azzi, Dawn Staley, Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, and Rebecca Lobo.
October 18, 1996
The American Basketball League (the ABL) plays its first game. The ABL would play games at the same time as the men's NBA, and played the same kind of schedule - 48 games. The WNBA would be formed a year later - and they would play only after the NBA season was over, and only half as many games - 28. The ABL is unable to get the corporate sponsors of the WNBA, and will declare bankruptcy after 2 seasons - with most players going in to the WNBA.
The ABL was formed by Gary Cavalli, who put together a team of Silicon Valley investors to launch a 9-team league. Not knowing about the WNBA, which David Stern of the NBA was keeping secret, Sylvia Crawley, Ruthie Bolton, Valerie Still and Tersea Edwards signed. A month later, the WNBA was announced also. ESPN backed out of their deal with the ABL.
1997
January 5, 1997
The Lady Vols are having a tough season, with five losses already. On this night, Pat Summitt sits in the Washington, DC airport after a loss to UConn (72-57), waiting for the connection back to Knoxville. Her son Tyler (who travelled with the team) was asleep in her lap. The North Carolina team and their coach Sylvia Hatchell passed through the airport.
Hatchell spoke some comforting words - she and Summitt were good friends.
January 22, 1997
Cynthia Cooper is assigned to the Houston Comets, one of the eight teams of the Women's National Basketball Association.
Geno Auriemma of UConn wins the Naismith College Coach of the Year Award in its 11th year of existence, for the 2nd time.
DeLisha Milton of Florida wins the Wade Trophy, in its 20th year of existence
.
March 29, 1997: NCAA Championship Game
Tennessee beats Old Dominion 68-59. The game takes place at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio. (FIFTH)
June, 1997
The WNBA - the Women's National Basketball Association, sponsored by the NBA, makes its debut. Nancy Lieberman comes out of retirement and plays one season for the Phoenix Mercury. Val Ackerman had developed the model for the league. Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, and Sheryl Swoopes (who'd originally said she'd sign with the ABL) signed on. The WNBA was able to spend more money on marketing, and they would win out after a couple of years.
During the summer and fall of 1997, Pat Summitt wrote her first book, Reach For The Summitt, with the help of Sally Jenkins. It will be published in 1998.
July, 1997
Tiffni Johnson, a 6 ft 4 center from Charlotte, NC, an integral part of the Lady Vols' back-to-back titles, had consistently violated team policy - curfew and living off campus without permission. In this month during their summer camp, Summitt told TJ she was off the team. Johnson went into the WNBA in 1998 and played for the Phoenix Mercury. (She then spent five years with Houston and in 2006 was traded to Seattle.)
August 30, 1997
The Houston Comets become the WNBA champions of the inaugural season, led by their star player, Cynthia Cooper.
November 23, 1997
Summitt brought the Lady Vols to play at the University of Tennessee at Martin, her alma mater, which spent the weekend honoring her. UTM designated a street on campus "Pat Head Summitt Avenue," and named the basketball court in the Skyhawk Arena, the Pat Head Summitt Court. The Lady Vols team "christened" the newly-named court with a 73-32 victory over Tennessee-Martin.
December 18, 1997
Jody Conradt of the Texas Longhorns, at age 56, reaches a milestone that no women's basketball coach had achieved up to that time - she wins her 700th game in front of the hometown crowd.
1998
January 18, 1998
The American Basketball League holds its first annual All-Star Game, at the sold-out Disney Wide World of Sports Arena in Tampa, Florida.
At half-time is held the Women's first annual slam-dunk competition. 6 ft 5 Sylvia Crawley wins.
Pat Summitt of Tennessee wins the Naismith College Coach of the Year Award in its 12th year of existence, for the 4th time.
Ticha Penicheiro of Old Dominion wins the Wade Trophy, in its 21st year of existence
.
March 29, 1998: NCAA Championship Game
Tennessee beats Louisiana Tech 93-75. The game takes place at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. (SIXTH)
This is their third national championship in a row, and their first undefeated season. Only UConn in the 1990s will be able to repeat this feat.
Prior to the NCAA win, the Associated Press had named her their Coach of the Year. Glamour magazine named her one of their 1998 Women of the Year, and the City of Knoxville also named her the 1998 Woman of the Year.
June, 1998
An article in the New York Times reports that Chamique Holdsclaw and coach Pat Summitt had attended a New York Liberty WNBA game. According to this article, reported in Nike is a Goddess, "Summitt also admitted that she herself, the highest paid college women's coach, finds the idea of moving into the professional league very intriguing. 'I never thought I'd see something like this,' she said at the Liberty game. 'I like this, I like this for me.'"
Nothing will come of this, however, although she will become a consultant to the Washington Mystics in 2002, for three years.
In 1998, Nancy Lieberman is named general manager and head coach of the new WNBA franchise, the Detroit Shock. Her first season as coach was with a winning record.
The first women's college basketball team to "Three-peat"
1995-1996 Lady Vols
Michelle Marciniak G SR
Tiffani Johnson C SO
Latina Davis G SR
Kim Smallwood F/C FR
Laurie Milligan G SO
Misty Greene G/F FR
Kellie Jolly G FR
Chamique Holdsclaw F/C FR
Brynae Laxton F FR
Pashen Thompson C JR
Abby Conklin F JR
1995-1996 Lady Vols
Niya Butts G FR
Tiffani Johnson C JR
Kyra Elzy G/F FR
Laurie Milligan G JR
Misty Greene G/F SO
Kellie Jolly G SO
Chamique Holdsclaw F SO
Brynae Laxton F SO
LaShonda Stephens C FR
Pashen Thompson C SR
Abby Conklin F SR
1997-1998 Lady Vols
Niya Butts G SO
Kyra Elzy G/F SO
Laurie Milligan G SR
Misty Greene G/F JR
Kellie Jolly G JR
Semeka Randall G FR
Chamique Holdsclaw F JR
Tamika Catchings F FR
Brynae Laxton F JR
Kristen "Ace" Clement G FR
LaShonda Stephens C SO
Teresa Geter G FR
The Lady Vols 1998-1999
Michelle Snow C FR
Niya Butts F JR
Kyra Elzy G/F JR
Amanda Canon G FR
Kellie Jolly G SR
Semeka Randall G SO
Chamique Holdsclaw F SR
Tamika Catchings F SO
Sarah Edwards F FR
Kristen "Ace" Clement G SO
Teresea Geter C SO
Shalon Pillow C FR
After their sixth title, season tickets for the Lady Vols almost doubled. Also, an anonymous donor gave a $50,000 gift to the program. At one point after this win, the team was receiving two hundred pieces of mail a day.
The Tenneesee Lady Vols led by Chamique Holdsclaw in her senior year were hoping to be the first women's college team to do a "four-peat", but unfortunately it was not to be. They were the SEC conference champions, and the SEC tournament champions, but instead placed only 2nd in the NCAA East Regional.
Kyra Elzy had torn her ACL, and was out for the season. LaShonda Stephens had bad knees and could not play, although Pat left her on scholarship and she continued to travel with the team.
1999
April 1999
Muffet McGraw, assistant coach under Leon Barmore at Louisiana Tech, accepts the head coaching position at Purdue University.
Carolyn Peck of Purdue wins the Naismith College Coach of the Year Award in its 13th year of existence.
Stephanie White-McCarthy of Purdue wins the Wade Trophy, in its 22nd year of existence
.
March 28, 1999: NCAA Championship Game
Purdue beats Duke, 62-45. The game took place at San Jose Arena in San Jose, California.
June 5, 1999
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (located in Nashville, TN) opens on this day, and in inaugural ceremonies Pat Summitt is inducted into the inaugural class, along with: Senda Berenson Abbott, Lidia Alexeeva, Carol Blazejowski, Joanne Bracker, Jody Conradt, Joan Crawford, Denise Curry, Anne Donovan, Carol Eckman, Betty Jo Graber, Lusia Harris Stewart, John Head, Nancy Lieberman, Darlene May, Ann Meyers-Drysdale, Cheryl
Miller, Billie Moore, Shin-Ja Park, Harley Redin, Uljana Semjonova, Jim Smiddy, Bertha Teague, Margaret Wade, and Nera White.
Dec. 18, 1999
C. Vivian Stringer, coach of Rutgers, wins her 600th game.
Bibliography
Reach For the Summitt, Pat Summitt and Sally Jenkins. 1998. Broadway Books.
Raise the Roof, Pat Summitt and Sally Jenkins. 1998. Broadway Books.
