a 76-72 victory over Duke. In 1995, UCLA won its
first national title in twenty years, as they beat Arkan-
sas in the finals. For the first time in eighteen years,
Kentucky won the national championship at the end
of the 1996 season. This was the first of three straight
seasons in which they made it to the championship
game. In 1997, however, they lost to the University of
Arizona in overtime by a score of 84-79. Arizona’s
path to the national title was unique, as they became
the first team to defeat three number-one seeded
teams in the NCAA tournament. Though being the
runner-up in 1997, Kentucky won the championship
in 1998 with a victory over the University of Utah,
thus giving Kentucky its second championship in
three years. In 1999, the University of Connecticut
Huskies won the national championship by defeat-
ing Duke.
The Rise of Women’s Basketball Women’s basket-
ball received increased attention in the 1990’s. A
great rivalry emerged at the collegiate level. By the
end of the decade, the Universities of Connecti-
cut and Tennessee had established their programs
as the top two in the country. Coached by Geno
Auriemma, Connecticut completed a perfect season
at 35-0 in winning its first national championship in
- Legendary coach Pat Summitt of Tennessee
led her teams to three consecutive national champi-
onships from 1996 to 1998, capping the last of the
titles with a 39-0 record.
In addition to collegiate play, the Olympics cre-
ated more interest in women’s basketball. After win-
ning the bronze medal in 1992, the United States tri-
umphantly reemerged in 1996, winning the gold
medal by defeating Brazil 111-87. The U.S. women’s
basketball team was led by Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa
Leslie, and Teresa Edwards. Edwards became the
first three-time Olympic gold medal winner in
women’s basketball.
A sign of the rise in interest in women’s basketball
was the creation of two professional leagues in the
latter part of the decade. In 1997, the American Bas-
ketball League (ABL) and the Women’s National
Basketball Association (WNBA) began their inaugu-
ral seasons. The ABL started with eight teams and
eventually expanded to nine. Its existence, however,
was short. In the middle of the 1998-1999 season, it
suspended play and filed for bankruptcy.
The WNBA has had more success. It started by
making agreements with three television networks
to broadcast their games. Furthermore, it decided to
hold its season during the summer, as there was less
competition with other sports at this time of year. It
also succeeded in signing Swoopes and Rebecca
Lobo, two great college players. The league started
with eight teams, but had twelve by the end of the
1990’s. The Houston Comets won the first three
WNBA championships of the decade.
Impact The Chicago Bulls’ dynasty and the fantas-
tic performance by Michael Jordan helped the NBA
maintain the high level of interest that was created in
the 1980’s. Furthermore, the U.S. men’s basketball
team regained its position as the preeminent power
in basketball and generated greater interest in the
sport on a global level. Great games in the NCAA
tournament in the 1990’s helped make it one of the
most popular sporting events in the country.
Women’s basketball has also become more popu-
lar. At the college level, the women’s NCAA tourna-
ment received greater coverage by the media as the
decade progressed. The increase in popularity of the
college game, along with the success of the Olympic
team in 1996, facilitated the formation of new pro-
fessional leagues for women’s basketball.
Further Reading
Chansky, Art.Blue Blood: Duke-Carolina: Inside the
Most Storied Rivalr y in College Hoops. New York:
Thomas Dunne Books, 2006. A history of the evo-
lution of the men’s basketball rivalry between
these two universities. Provides a good account of
some of the most exciting games between the two
teams.
Jordan, Michael.Driven From Within. New York: Atria
Books, 2005. Details the development of Jordan’s
talent and his career from his perspective as well
as those closest to him. Includes comments from
his mother and Dean Smith, his college coach at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Smith, Dean.A Coach’s Life: My Forty Years in College
Basketball. New York: Random House, 2002. An
autobiography by one of the most successful and
respected coaches in the history of college basket-
ball.
Sports Illustrated.The Basketball Book. New York:
Sports Illustrated Books, 2007. A written and pic-
torial account of the most important events in the
history of the game. Includes chapters on basket-
ball’s highlights by decade.
Weiss, Dick, ed.True Blue: A Tribute to Mike Krzyzew-92 Basketball The Nineties in America