2003–04 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team

The 2003–04 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2003–2004 NCAA Division I basketball season. Coached by Geno Auriemma, the Huskies played their home games at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and on campus at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut, and are a member of the Big East Conference. The Huskies won their fifth NCAA championship, and third consecutive, by defeating the Tennessee Lady Vols, 70–61.

2003–04 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball
NCAA tournament National Champions Big East regular season champions
Conference	Big East Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 1
AP	No. 3
Record	31–4 (14–2 Big East)
Head coach	Geno Auriemma (19th season)
Associate head coach	Chris Dailey
Assistant coaches	Tonya Cardoza Jamelle Elliott
Home arena	Harry A. Gampel Pavilion
Seasons ← 2002–03 2004–05 →

2003–04 Big East Conference women's basketball standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
No. 6 Connecticut	14	–	2		.875			31	–	4		.886
No. 25 Villanova	12	–	4		.750			23	–	7		.767
Notre Dame	12	–	4		.750			21	–	11		.656
No. 18 Boston College †	11	–	5		.688			27	–	7		.794
Miami (FL)	11	–	5		.688			22	–	7		.759
Virginia Tech	10	–	6		.625			23	–	8		.742
West Virginia	10	–	6		.625			21	–	11		.656
Rutgers	10	–	6		.625			21	–	12		.636
Georgetown	7	–	9		.438			13	–	15		.464
Seton Hall	6	–	10		.375			15	–	15		.500
St. John's	4	–	12		.250			10	–	18		.357
Syracuse	3	–	13		.188			6	–	21		.222
Pittsburgh	2	–	14		.125			6	–	20		.231
Providence	0	–	16		.000			4	–	23		.148
† 2004 Big East Tournament winner As of April 7, 2004 Rankings from AP poll

Roster

Source^[1]

2003–04 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Year Previous school Hometown G 2 Ashley Valley 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Jr Rice Memorial Colchester, Vermont G/F 3 Diana Taurasi (C) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Sr Don Lugo Chino, California G 5 Maria Conlon 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Sr Seymour Derby, Connecticut G 12 Stacey Marron 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Jr La Cueva Albuquerque, New Mexico G 20 Morgan Valley 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Sr Rice Memorial Colchester, Vermont G 21 Nicole Wolff 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) So Walpole Walpole, Massachusetts F 22 Ashley Battle 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) RS Jr The Linsly School Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania F/C 23 Willnett Crockett 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) So Narbonne Harbor City, California C 31 Jessica Moore (C) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) RS Jr Colony Palmer, AK G/F 33 Barbara Turner 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) So East Technical Cleveland, Ohio G 43 Ann Strother 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) So Highlands Ranch Castle Rock, Colorado	Head coach Geno Auriemma Assistant coach(es) Chris Dailey Tonya Cardoza Jamelle Elliott Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on Injured Current redshirt Roster Last update: 2013-08-23

Schedule and results

Date time, TV	Rank#	Opponent#	Result	Record	Site city, state
Non-Conference Regular Season
November 23, 2003* 2:00 pm, CPTV	No. 1	Western Michigan	W 95–46	1–0	Gampel Pavilion (10,167) Storrs, Connecticut
November 25, 2003* 7:00 pm, CPTV	No. 1	Florida State	W 81–53	2–0	Hartford Civic Center (16,294) Hartford, Connecticut
November 30, 2003* 2:00 pm, CPTV	No. 1	Holy Cross	W 76–42	3–0	Hartford Civic Center (16,294) Hartford, Connecticut
December 02, 2003* 7:30 pm, CPTV	No. 1	Siena	W 69–45	4–0	Gampel Pavilion (10,167) Storrs, Connecticut
December 05, 2003* 8:00 pm, CPTV	No. 1	at Pepperdine	W 84–53	5–0	Firestone Fieldhouse (3,121) Malibu, California
December 07, 2003* 2:00 pm, CPTV	No. 1	at USC	W 72–69	6–0	Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (6,172) Los Angeles, California
December 18, 2003* 7:00 pm, CPTV	No. 1	Arizona State	W 81–55	7–0	Hartford Civic Center (16,294) Hartford, Connecticut
December 21, 2003* 12:05 pm, CPTV	No. 1	at St. Joseph's	W 87–34	8–0	Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse (6,143) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December 29, 2003* 7:00 pm, CPTV	No. 1	NC State	W 87–53	9–0	Hartford Civic Center (16,294) Hartford, Connecticut
January 03, 2004* 2:00 pm, CBS	No. 1	No. 4 Duke	L 67–68	9–1	Hartford Civic Center (16.294) Hartford, Connecticut
Big East Regular Season
January 07, 2004 7:00 pm, CPTV	No. 4	at West Virginia	W 82–57	10–1 (1–0)	WVU Coliseum (2,604) Morgantown, West Virginia
January 10, 2004 12:00 pm, CPTV	No. 4	Georgetown	W 69–51	11–1 (2–0)	Gampel Pavilion (10,167) Storrs, Connecticut
January 13, 2004 7:00 pm, CPTV	No. 4	at Notre Dame	L 51–66	11–2 (2–1)	Joyce Center (8,574) South Bend, Indiana
January 17, 2004 12:00 pm, CPTV	No. 4	No. 22 Boston College	W 69–61	12–2 (3–1)	Hartford Civic Center (16,294) Hartford, Connecticut
January 19, 2004 2:00 pm, ESPN2	No. 5	Rutgers	W 72–47	13–2 (4–1)	Hartford Civic Center (16,294) Hartford, Connecticut
January 24, 2004 3:00 pm, YES	No. 5	at Seton Hall	W 71–63	14–2 (5–1)	Walsh Gymnasium (2,600) South Orange, New Jersey
January 27, 2004 7:00 pm, CPTV	No. 4	at No. 23 Virginia Tech	W 68–50	15–2 (6–1)	Cassell Coliseum (7,211) Blacksburg, Virginia
January 31, 2004 12:00 pm, CPTV	No. 4	St. John's	W 82–49	16–2 (7–1)	Gampel Pavilion (10,167) Storrs, Connecticut
February 05, 2004* 7:00 pm, ESPN2	No. 4	at No. 1 Tennessee	W 81–67	17–2	Thompson–Boling Arena (22,515) Knoxville, Tennessee
February 08, 2004 2:00 pm, CPTV	No. 4	No. 22 Miami (FL)	W 83–65	18–2 (8–1)	Gampel Pavilion (10,167) Storrs, Connecticut
February 11, 2004 7:00 pm, CPTV	No. 2	at Syracuse	W 82–38	19–2 (9–1)	Manley Field House (3,442) Syracuse, New York
February 14, 2004 7:00 pm, MSG/FSNE	No. 2	at Rutgers	W 66–43	20–2 (10–1)	Louis Brown Athletic Center (7,734) New Brunswick, New Jersey
February 17, 2004 7:00 pm, CPTV	No. 2	Pittsburgh	W 97–42	21–2 (11–1)	Hartford Civic Center (16,294) Hartford, Connecticut
February 21, 2004 12:00 pm, NESN	No. 2	at No. 23 Boston College	W 81–60	22–2 (12–1)	Conte Forum (8,606) Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
February 25, 2004 7:30 pm, CPTV	No. 1	Providence	W 79–38	23–2 (13–1)	Gampel Pavilion (10,167) Storrs, Connecticut
February 28, 2004 8:05 pm, CPTV	No. 1	at Villanova	L 56–59	23–3 (13–2)	Finneran Pavilion (6,500) Villanova, Pennsylvania
March 02, 2004 7:30 pm, CPTV	No. 4	West Virginia	W 100–72	24–3 (14–2)	Gampel Pavilion (10,167) Storrs, Connecticut
Big East Tournament
March 07, 2004* 2:00 pm, CPTV	(1) No. 4	(8) Virginia Tech Quarterfinals	W 48–34	25–3	Hartford Civic Center (10,833) Hartford, Connecticut
March 08, 2004* 6:00 pm, ESPN2	(1) No. 3	(5) No. 23 Boston College Semifinals	L 70–73	25–4	Hartford Civic Center (–) Hartford, Connecticut
NCAA Tournament
March 21, 2004* 9:20 pm, ESPN2	(2 E) No. 3	vs. (15 E) Penn First Round	W 91–55	26–4	The Arena at Harbor Yard (9,091) Bridgeport, Connecticut
March 23, 2004* 9:00 pm, ESPN2	(2 E) No. 3	vs. (7 E) No. 22 Auburn Second Round	W 79–53	27–4	The Arena at Harbor Yard (9,091) Bridgeport, Connecticut
March 27, 2004* 2:30 pm, ESPN	(2 E) No. 3	(11 E) UC Santa Barbara Sweet Sixteen	W 63–55	28–4	Hartford Civic Center (14,253) Hartford, Connecticut
March 29, 2004* 7:00 pm, ESPN	(2 E) No. 3	(1 E) No. 5 Penn State Elite Eight	W 66–49	29–4	Hartford Civic Center (14,855) Hartford, Connecticut
April 04, 2004* 9:33 pm, ESPN	(2 E) No. 3	vs. (7 ME) No. 24 Minnesota Final Four	W 67–58	30–4	New Orleans Arena (18,211) New Orleans, Louisiana
April 06, 2004* 8:39 pm, ESPN	(2 E) No. 3	vs. (1 MW) No. 2 Tennessee National Championship Game	W 70–61	31–4	New Orleans Arena (18,211) New Orleans
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. E = East, ME = Mid-East, MW = Mid-West.

Rankings

Main article: 2003–04 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Final
AP	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	4	4	5	4	4	2	2	1	4	3	6	Not released
Coaches	5	5	4	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	1

Awards and honors

• Diana Taurasi, Big East Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year
• Diana Taurasi, Tournament Most Outstanding Player^[2]
• Diana Taurasi, Naismith Award^[3]

Huskies of Honor induction

On December 29, 2013, the University of Connecticut inducted two women's basketball team, the National Championship winning teams of 2002–03 and 2003–04 into the Huskies of Honor.^[4]

Team players drafted into the WNBA

Round	Pick	Player	NBA Club
1	1	Diana Taurasi	Phoenix Mercury

^[5]