[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 51 (Tuesday, April 30, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H1747-H1750]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT HUSKIES FOR WINNING THE 
   2002 NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION DIVISION I WOMEN'S 
                        BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 401) congratulating the University of 
Connecticut Huskies for winning the 2002 National Collegiate Athletic 
Association Division I women's basketball championship.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 401

       Whereas the University of Connecticut Huskies women's 
     basketball team won its second National Collegiate Athletic 
     Association championship in 3 years by defeating the 
     University of Oklahoma by the score of 82-70;
       Whereas the team, coached by NCAA Division I women's 
     basketball Coach of the Year, Geno Auriemma, finished the 
     2002 season with a perfect 39-0 record, becoming only the 4th 
     NCAA Division I women's basketball team to finish a season 
     undefeated;
       Whereas Sue Bird was chosen as the national women's Player 
     of the Year;
       Whereas Swin Cash was named the Final Four Most Outstanding 
     Player;
       Whereas Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Diana Taurasi, Asjha Jones, 
     and Tamika Williams were selected as All-Americans;
       Whereas the University of Connecticut Huskies' 35-point 
     average margin of victory during the regular season was the 
     largest average margin of victory in NCAA Division I women's 
     basketball history;
       Whereas the University of Connecticut Huskies dominated 
     this year's championship tournament, averaging 83.3 points 
     and a 27-point margin of victory en route to the 
     championship;
       Whereas the high caliber of the University of Connecticut 
     Huskies in both athletics and academics has significantly 
     advanced the sport of women's basketball and provided 
     inspiration for future generations of young men and women 
     alike; and
       Whereas the University of Connecticut Huskies' championship 
     season has rallied Connecticut residents of all ages behind a 
     common purpose and triggered a wave of euphoria across the 
     State: Now, therefore, be it

       Resolved, That the House of Representatives commends the 
     University of Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team

[[Page H1748]]

     for winning the 2002 National Collegiate Athletic Association 
     Division I women's basketball championship and for completing 
     the 2001-2002 season with a 39-0 record.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Isakson) and the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. 
DeLauro) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).


                             General Leave

  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on H. Res. 401.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 401. This 
resolution congratulates the University of Connecticut Huskies for 
winning the 2002 NCAA Division I women's basketball championship. This 
is the University of Connecticut's second NCAA championship in 3 years. 
As my colleagues may know, the team finished the 2002 season with an 
unblemished perfect record of 39 and 0 and became only the fourth NCAA 
Division I women's team to finish the season undefeated. This is an 
amazing accomplishment and one worthy of recognition.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. 
Simmons) for introducing this resolution, and I extend my 
congratulations to the team, their coach, and the university. I ask all 
of my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  First, let me just thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson) for 
bringing this resolution to the floor, and those of us in Connecticut 
accept his good wishes on this issue. I also want to thank the 
gentleman from the Connecticut delegation (Mr. Simmons) for introducing 
the resolution honoring the Huskies for capping a perfect 39 and 0 
season. That is right. Say it again; a perfect 39 and 0 season, with 
their third NCAA women's basketball championship. Under the guidance of 
NCAA division Coach of the Year, Geno Auriemma, the Huskies dominated 
their opponents on the court. The 2002 Huskies are destined to be 
remembered as one of the best basketball teams in sports history.
  The people of Connecticut are justly excited and proud of their 
Huskies who have set an example for us all with their teamwork and with 
their standard for perfection. They ranked number 1 in the Nation in 
scoring, 3-point shooting percentage, scoring defense, and field-goal 
percentage allowed. They set an NCAA record with a season-long average 
victory margin of 35.4 points, and set a national record with 831 
assists. Throughout the entire season, only 1 opponent lost by less 
than 10 points.
  The individual talent of the Huskies' players, and particularly the 5 
starters, meshed to make them an unbeatable force. Their talent was 
recognized with a number of accolades. All 5 of the starters, Asja 
Jones, Swin Cash, Tamika Williams, Diana Taurasi, and Sue Bird, made 
the Big East All Tournament team and they were also selected as All 
Americans. Swin Cash was named the final 4 most outstanding player. Sue 
Bird, who scored 14 points in the championship game, was chosen as the 
National Championship Player of the Year and won the Honda Award for 
women's basketball.
  These women have illustrated for us the results of Congress's 
commitment, through Title IX, to getting girls involved in sports.
  I might just add on a personal note, many, many, many years ago at 
the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy in Milford, Connecticut, I played 
basketball. I am so old in this process that women could only play half 
court at that time. We have really turned things around.
  Really what title IX has provided is that it has shown that given the 
resources, that women are just as talented and as exciting to watch as 
any men's team that is out there. With their hard work, their absolute 
determination, and their commitment to teamwork and, quite frankly, 
doing what they love to do on and off the court, these talented young 
women have proven themselves to be role models for girls and boys 
across this great Nation. They have set a new standard of excellence 
that teams in the future will strive to match. The UCONN Huskies have 
achieved perfection and inspired us all.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the Huskies on their championship win and 
on their perfect season. They have truly earned this recognition. Go 
Huskies.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), the author of 
the resolution.
  Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Isakson) for yielding me this time.
  I rise today and join all of my Connecticut colleagues to honor the 
2002 NCAA women's basketball champions, the University of Connecticut 
Huskies.
  This resolution recognizes a team that my home State is so proud of, 
a group of young women who have excelled both on and off the court. Led 
by NCAA Player of the Year and WNBA number 1 draft pick, Sue Bird, 
along with her senior teammates, Asja Jones, Tamika Williams, and NCAA 
most outstanding player Swin Cash, the Huskies capped a perfect 39 and 
0 season by beating the University of Oklahoma 82 to 70; 82 to 70. Mr. 
Speaker, 3\1/2\ million viewers, including all of Connecticut, watched 
with pride as the Huskies claimed their place as the undefeated 
national champions and one of the all-time greatest basketball teams in 
history.
  Founded in 1881, the University of Connecticut has a rich history of 
providing educational opportunities for undergraduates of diverse 
interests, abilities and backgrounds, and the Huskies now add another 
national championship title to their world class academic reputation.
  So many outstanding young women helped make the 2001-2002 season a 
smashing success, and I mentioned 4 seniors. But in addition to these, 
we have the fifth Huskie starter, Diana Taurasi, and other players on 
the team, all of whom could have started just about anywhere in the 
country.

                              {time}  1930

  There were Jessica Moore, Ashley Battle, Maria Conlon, Morgan Valley, 
Ashley Valley, and Stacey Marron. A special ``Way to go, Huskies,'' 
goes to head coach Geno Auriemma, associate coach Chris Daily, and 
coaches Tonya Cardoza and Jamelle Elliott, as well as to athletic 
director Lou Perkins, and the parents of this team. Finally, I commend 
UConn President Phillip Austin and his administration for fielding such 
a fine team of scholar athletes.
  Mr. Speaker, I look forward to standing on the floor next year, 
hopefully, to commend yet another UConn women's NCAA basketball 
champion. But for today, it is the 2002 team.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays).
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to 
me, Mr. Speaker. This is going to be kind of an echo of the gentlewoman 
from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro). We are going to say the same things, 
but every time we say it, we like it even more.
  My constituents and all of Connecticut congratulate the University of 
Connecticut Lady Huskies for winning the 2002 NCAA Women's Basketball 
Championship. These Huskies truly deserve the title ``Best in Show.'' 
In my expert opinion, this is the greatest team, the greatest team in 
the history of women's college basketball, and who knows if it will 
ever be repeated.
  How good were the Huskies? Consider that in posting their 39 and O 
record, they never once trailed in the second half all season. Their 
average margin of victory was a remarkable 35 points. During the NCAA 
tournament, they won their six games by an average margin of 27 points.
  At 87.5 points per game, they were the highest-scoring team in the 
Nation, and with an average of 51.4 points allowed, they had the second 
stingiest defense.
  Mr. Speaker, this team is characterized by its quick passes, 
ferocious rebounding, intense defense, and precision shooting, all of 
which were a cut

[[Page H1749]]

above the rest of the competition, a big cut above.
  But most of all, what strikes me about the Lady Huskies is their 
emphasis on teamwork, their awesome teamwork: 831 assists. What a 
pleasure to watch them.
  On their way to their second championship in three years, the Lady 
Huskies were led by the unselfish play of four sensational seniors and 
a super sophomore: National Player of the Year and All-American Sue 
Bird, Final Four Most Outstanding Player and an all-American, Swin 
Cash, and All-Americans Asjha Jones, Tamika Williams, and Diana 
Taurasi.
  The Lady Huskies were also a team feared for their depth. I want to 
take a moment to recognize Maria Conlon, Stacey Marron, and two 
sisters, Morgan and Ashley Valley.
  NCAA Coach of the Year, Geno Auriemma, put together an unbelievable 
team with his coaching staff. These UConn Huskies are the new measure 
that all teams have to meet. They were really a joy to watch, and I 
congratulate them on all they have achieved.
  I also want to congratulate them for being such extraordinary role 
models for Americans young and old.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes 
to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Johnson), whose height might 
be challenging for basketball, but whose spirit is national 
championship caliber.
  Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Georgia, but I would remind him in those days when speed mattered more 
than height, I was quite okay.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise with my colleagues from Connecticut to pay 
tribute to a truly great team. These young women have played now, four 
of them, for 4 years for UConn, and it is not just the top team that is 
so impressive, it is all the way down through the bench that this team 
is truly a model for all young women across the Nation.
  First of all, let me remind Members that on Sunday, March 31, they 
defeated Oklahoma University to win the NCAA tournament with a perfect 
record of 39 wins to zero losses.
  I would also like to offer special congratulations to the head coach, 
Geno Auriemma, who won his third national title, and all the players 
this season, including the departing seniors, who have had a most 
remarkable 4 years.
  Geno is a remarkable coach, and I think this team is, as his previous 
teams were, evidence not only of his skill and leadership, but their 
character and intelligence.
  I rise today because these young women are not just champions in the 
basketball world, as important as that is. They are not only skilled 
individual basketball players, but they are outstanding team players, 
and it is that that their coach, Geno, has taught them: How to work 
together, how to help the other guy, how to make sure that each brings 
out the very best in the rest of the team, because success is never the 
consequence of any one individual player's skill, as in life success is 
never the consequence of one individual human being's actions, but 
always of the teamwork and interaction among free, capable, and skilled 
people.
  But these young women are not just skilled athletes and great team 
members. They are, in fact, fine students. They do extremely well in 
their courses, and they are women of integrity and character.
  Their concern for one another, the way they treat one another, the 
respect for one another, their honesty, their integrity, and their 
moral character has been an inspiration to the young women of our State 
and across the Nation, as well as their skill and teamwork.
  I salute them here tonight on the floor of the House, and I join my 
colleagues from Connecticut and the people across our great State in 
saluting this women's basketball team for their enormous victory on 
Sunday, March 31.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I just want to say that I think we can hear from what my colleagues 
from Connecticut and myself are saying as to how the UConn Huskies, the 
women, have captured the enthusiasm of the State, whether young or old, 
men or women, but particularly women.
  I will just say that my mother, Louise DeLauro, is 88 years old. She 
is fixed to the TV when the women are playing, and I will tell Members 
why. When she was growing up, and I did not know this until really 
listening to her and watching her watch this game and looking at the 
plays, and it was just amazing to me, she talked about women's leagues 
when she was in school, in which she played in the city of New Haven, 
eight leagues of women playing in one city in our State. And given that 
she is 88 years old, Members can figure out how many years ago that 
was.
  We literally have come full circle. This is intergenerational. We 
have Louise DeLauro at age 88 fixed to the TV, and we have young women 
all over our State looking at these women as real role models. It is a 
change in how not only our State, but this country views women in 
competitive sports and views women's basketball.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. DeLAURO. I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut.
  Mr. SHAYS. Very briefly, I would love to just say, Mr. Speaker, that 
this basketball team and the teams that Lew Perkins has put together, 
the athletic director, have brought Connecticut together.
  I represent a part of Connecticut closer to New York City, and 
sometimes my constituents think they vote for the Governor of New York 
instead of Connecticut. But this basketball team has done an amazing 
job of making all of us so proud and feel so much a part of 
Connecticut.
  I would say one other thing. When we watch this team, we are not 
going to see their names on the back of their Jerseys because Geno 
points out that they are all a team, and no one is better than the 
other. Their names are not there. They are the team, the UConn Huskies. 
They do a great job.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further questions, but I join with the 
gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), the author of this legislation, the 
gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Johnson), and the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and others.
  I commend it to the House and urge its adoption.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
extraordinary dedication, hard work, and ability of the 2002 National 
Collegiate Athletic Association's Women's Basketball Champions, the 
Huskies of the University of Connecticut. I am proud to be an original 
cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolutin--to honor the University of 
Connecticut women's basketball team for their incredible achievement. 
On Sunday, March 31, the Huskies completed their perfect season with a 
hard-earned victory over the Oklahoma Sooners. With a record of 39 wins 
and no losses, the Huskies were named for the second time in three 
years as the NCAA champions.
  Of the five starters this season, four were seniors: Sue Bird, Swin 
Cash, Tamika Williams, and Asjha Jones. During their four years at the 
University of Connecticut, they had a record of 136-9, made three Final 
Fours, and won two National Championships. They were only the fourth 
team in women's college basketball history to go undefeated, tying the 
record for the most wins. Throughout the season the team had an average 
margin victory of 35.4 points, and never trailed in the second half of 
a basketball game.
  Members of the team won various awards this season. Sue Bird won the 
Wade Trophy for National Women's Player of the Year, Naismith Player of 
the Year, and was selected for AP First Team All-America Honors. Swin 
Cash an sophomore Diana Taurasi were selected to the All-America Second 
Team, Asjha Jones made the All-America Third Team, and Tamika Williams 
received Honorable Mention All-America. Coach Geno Auriemma was 
selected as Naismith Coach of the Year and 2002 Russell Athletic/WBCA 
Division I National Coach of the Year.
  Those associated with women's college basketball have claimed that 
this Husky basketball team is among, if not, the best team in the 
history of the Women's game. I believe the ultimate compliment was paid 
to this team when Pat Summitt, coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols, said: 
``[Geno's] done a great job with them and they're big play people all 
across the board. And what I really admire about this Connecticut team 
is how hard they play and how inspired they are in every possession. I 
did not recall seeing a player not

[[Page H1750]]

play hard every possession. And that speaks for their character and 
what they brought to the court tonight against us. But I may do to the 
graduation and cheer. You think they'll let me go? I might be there.
  I would like to extend my personal congratulations to the UConn Husky 
women's basketball team. The entire State of Connecticut is proud of 
the Husky team, which has helped turn Connecticut into the center of 
women's college basketball. Therefore, I ask my colleagues to join me 
in support of this resolution and to celebrate the talents of this 
exceptional team.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pence). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 401.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________