[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 57 (Wednesday, April 21, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2756-H2758]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




COMMENDING UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT HUSKIES ON WOMEN'S NCAA BASKETBALL 
                              CHAMPIONSHIP

  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 1239) commending the University of Connecticut 
Huskies for their historic win in the 2010 NCAA Division I Women's 
Basketball Tournament, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1239

       Whereas, on April 6, 2010, the University of Connecticut 
     Huskies defeated the University of Stanford Cardinal 53 to 47 
     in the final game of the National Collegiate Athletic 
     Association Division I Women's Basketball Tournament in San 
     Antonio, Texas;
       Whereas the Huskies were undefeated with a record of 39-0, 
     defeating 38 of their 39 opponents by more than 10 points;
       Whereas the Huskies have won a record 78 games in a row;
       Whereas the Huskies were undefeated for the 4th time since 
     1994-1995;
       Whereas the Huskies have won 7 national titles, second most 
     in NCAA Division I women's basketball history;
       Whereas senior center Tina Charles was chosen as the 
     Naismith Award winner, the Wooden Award winner, the United 
     States Basketball Writers Association player of the year, and 
     Associated Press player of the year;
       Whereas junior forward Maya Moore was chosen as the State 
     Farm Wade Trophy player of the year and as the Women's Final 
     Four Most Valuable Player;
       Whereas Maya Moore and Tina Charles were chosen as first 
     team All-Americans and as members of the Final Four First All 
     Tournament Team;
       Whereas Coach Geno Auriemma, who holds the highest winning 
     percentage among active coaches, serves as president of the 
     Women's Basketball Coaches Association and coach of the 2012 
     United States Olympic team;
       Whereas the University of Connecticut Women's Basketball 
     program has a 100 percent graduation rate among four-year 
     players, representing the team's commitment to achievement in 
     the classroom as well as on the court;
       Whereas each player, coach, athletic trainer, and staff 
     member of the University of Connecticut Huskies dedicated 
     their season and their tireless efforts to their perfect 
     record and the NCAA championship; and
       Whereas residents of Connecticut and Huskies fans worldwide 
     are to be commended for their longstanding support, 
     perseverance, and pride in this team: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) commends the University of Connecticut Huskies for 
     their historic win in the 2010 National Collegiate Athletic 
     Association Division I Women's Basketball Tournament;

[[Page H2757]]

       (2) recognizes the achievements of the players, coaches, 
     students, and support staff who were instrumental in the 
     Huskies' victory; and
       (3) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to 
     transmit a copy of this resolution to University of 
     Connecticut President Michael Hogan and head coach Geno 
     Auriemma for appropriate display.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from the 
Northern Mariana Islands (Mr. Sablan) and the gentlewoman from Illinois 
(Mrs. Biggert) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from the Northern Mariana 
Islands.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
Members can revise and insert extraneous material on House Resolution 
1239 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the University of Connecticut's 
women's basketball team for winning the 2010 NCAA Division I Women's 
Basketball Championship.
  At the final buzzer in this year's championship game, the UConn 
Huskies roared to their second straight championship win and a history-
making 78th straight win of the season. With their 53-47 victory that 
Tuesday night at the Alamodome, the UConn Huskies and the Stanford 
Cardinals both played with exceptional talent and dedication. In the 
end, UConn seized their seventh NCAA Women's Basketball Championship. 
The Huskies became the first women's basketball team to have back-to-
back undefeated national championship seasons. With their 78 straight 
wins, UConn also broke the NCAA women's basketball record for number of 
consecutive wins.
  The Huskies women's basketball season marked Coach Geno Auriemma's 
25th season at UConn, and his seventh NCAA Women's Basketball 
Championship victory. Auriemma has led UConn to the Final Four a total 
of 11 times during his time with the team, and this game was his 735th 
career win as a coach. In fact, he has the highest winning percentage 
among the Division I active coaches. Auriemma has also guided UConn to 
five Big East regular season titles and 14 Big East Tournament titles.
  The sensational junior forward Maya Moore was named the Final Four's 
Most Outstanding Player, scoring 23 points during the championship 
game. She scored 11 of her team's 17 points during the second half, 
leading UConn's comeback from the first half and giving the Huskies 
their solid lead. She has been a leader and a remarkable asset to the 
Huskies all season.
  Senior center Tina Charles also proved to be an invaluable player. 
She was chosen as the Naismith Award winner and Associated Press player 
of the year. She was later drafted number one overall in the 2010 WNBA 
draft and recently signed with the Connecticut Sun.
  I also congratulate the Huskies on their excellence both on and off 
the court. The Huskies women's team boasts a flawless 100 percent 
graduation rate in 2009 amongst all 4-year players. The alumni, 
faculty, and staff at the University of Connecticut have much to be 
proud of.
  Once again, I congratulate the UConn Huskies winning the national 
championship, and I thank Mr. Courtney for bringing this bill forward.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  April 21, 2010 on H2757 the following appeared: championship, 
and I thank Mr. Conyers for
  
  The online version should be corrected to read: championship, 
and I thank Mr. Courtney for


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

  I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1415

  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1239, 
commending the University of Connecticut Huskies for their historic win 
in the 2010 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Women's 
Basketball Tournament.
  On April 6, 2010, the University of Connecticut Huskies defeated the 
Stanford University Cardinals 53-47 in the NCAA Division I women's 
basketball national championship in San Antonio, Texas, capturing the 
Huskies' seventh national title. As a Stanford graduate, I was 
disappointed, but the undefeated Huskies overpowered each of their 
regular season opponents as well by more than 10 points, certainly a 
very worthy opponent.
  In large part, the Huskies' success was due to senior center Tina 
Charles and junior forward Maya Moore. Tina Charles was chosen as the 
Naismith Award winner, Wooden Award winner, United States Basketball 
Writers Association player of the year and Associated Press player of 
the year. Moore was chosen as the State Farm Wade Trophy player of the 
year and as the Women's Final Four Most Valuable Player. While these 
two women were recognized for their outstanding play, the entire team 
deserves our praise and for the unparalleled success of the team as 
NCAA Division I national champs.
  However, this program would not be what it has turned out to be today 
without the outstanding efforts of the head coach Geno Auriemma. During 
his illustrious tenure, the coach has transformed a program from only 
one winning season to a team with a record that includes seven national 
championships, four undefeated seasons and a record 78 consecutive 
wins. Not bad.
  While athletic success is what brings us here today, the University 
of Connecticut is also known for its excellent academics. The 
University of Connecticut is the State's flagship institution of higher 
learning and was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School and 
became the University of Connecticut in 1939.
  In fact, the university has more than 70 focused research centers 
where faculty, graduates students and undergraduate students conduct 
research on everything from improving human health to enhancing public 
education and protecting the country's natural resources.
  I extend my congratulations to the university, the president of the 
University of Connecticut, Head Coach Geno Auriemma and his staff, and 
the hard-working players and the fans.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield as much time as he may 
consume to the distinguished gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney).
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, Vince Lombardi, the legendary NFL coach 
once said, ``Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection 
we can catch excellence.''
  That beautiful statement, I think, really describes to a ``T'' the 
UConn women's basketball team, which today stands as a history-making 
organization with 78 straight wins. They are now only 9 wins short of 
catching the record by the UCLA men's basketball team led by Coach 
Wooden back in the 1960s. And there are a lot of us in Connecticut, and 
I am proud to represent the district where the University of 
Connecticut is located, who are confident that we are actually going to 
see that milestone fall sometime during next year's basketball season 
because of the amazing talent that has been assembled at the University 
of Connecticut campus, but also the system that Coach Auriemma has put 
together over the last number of years.
  Again, I want to thank the other Members who have gone through 
chapter and verse, in terms of the incredible season, which the UConn 
women accomplished. Again, it's a team that last year won the national 
title. There was tremendous pressure every single game to see whether 
or not their winning streak would actually come to an end. Every team 
that played them was as pumped up and psyched as any game on their 
schedule because they saw it as an opportunity to make history, and the 
pressure on the UConn women Huskies was extraordinary, as was the 
national media focus as the program, again, advanced its amazing record 
from one game to another. Again, it was something that these young men 
and women had to demonstrate that they were capable of overcoming.
  As the proponent said earlier, the thing that we are so proud about 
is that Coach Auriemma has maintained a program where academic 
excellence, the true ideal of student athletes, is something that has 
never been forgotten. The graduation rate has been perfect since he has 
been there. It's, again, a great role model for not just young girls in 
the U.S. but also young boys in

[[Page H2758]]

terms of really the goal of a student athlete path towards success in 
life.
  Mr. Speaker, last year when the UConn women won the national title, 
they had the exciting honor to go visit the White House for an event at 
the Rose Garden. President Obama, who was obviously, as we all know, a 
big basketball fan, welcomed them to the White House. And as the father 
of two young girls, he spent a lot of time with them, getting a chance 
to become acquainted and then, actually, challenged them to a game of 
H-O-R-S-E in the outdoor basketball court which exists at the White 
House.
  Much to the astonishment of people in Connecticut, and also to the 
women's basketball team, President Obama actually won the game of H-O-
R-S-E. And at a reception that we had a short time afterwards, the 
women were very upset with themselves, but also pointed out correctly 
that they were playing in high heels and dresses while the President 
had flat shoes and certainly, I think, had some advantage in terms of 
that impromptu pickup game which took place last year.
  At the Christmas party this year, which I am sure maybe you and 
others in the Chamber had an opportunity to attend, I reminded the 
President that the women at UConn were still pretty upset about the 
fact that they lost that game of H-O-R-S-E at the White House. Mrs. 
Obama, who is ever gracious, leaned over and said, well, we will invite 
them back to come back and play again. And I told both the President 
and the First Lady, don't worry, UConn women are coming back with an 
invitation, because they are going to win the national title in the 
2010 season.
  So they have lived up to my prediction, which was made at the 
Christmas gathering at the White House last year. In a short time, I am 
sure there will be another Rose Garden celebration of their 
extraordinary success. I would bet my house and car that they are this 
year going to win the game of H-O-R-S-E, which they are spoiling for a 
rematch at the White House with the President.
  Again, it's something that the people of the State of Connecticut are 
so proud of there was a huge celebration last Saturday in Hartford. 
There were over 25,000 people lining the streets of Hartford to cheer 
on this amazing group of young women and the amazing program which 
Coach Auriemma has guided. He will now be the U.S. coach for the 
national team, women's team, and he will be the coach for the next U.S. 
Olympic team, which he certainly deserves given the amazing record 
which, again, the prior speakers have described in chapter and verse.
  Again, Coach Lombardi once said, ``Perfection is not attainable, but 
if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.'' This young group of 
women, I think, have shown that they have certainly achieved excellence 
and they have just about shown perfection with what they have achieved 
this year, and I hope that this Chamber will affirm that great 
accomplishment by unanimous support for this resolution. I thank, 
again, the Speaker and the proponent for giving me the opportunity to 
speak on behalf of this resolution.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, again, I ask all my colleagues to support 
House Resolution 1239, as amended.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands (Mr. Sablan) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1239, as 
amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________