Friday, September 18, 2026

1st Ever Undefeated Women's Champ Texas 1986 That Beat Cheryl Miller in Her Last Game Ever

You can watch the first-ever undefeated women’s national champion, the 1986 Texas Longhorns, in this video, ending Cheryl Miller’s chance at a third national championship in decisive 97–81 fashion.

It was the last game Miller ever played. The knee injury that would ultimately keep her from ever playing professionally held her to 2-of-11 shooting in the championship game.

Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil came off the bench to score 24 points and grab 14 rebounds in just 24 minutes. She went on to become National Player of the Year during her college career and is ranked as our 40th-greatest college player ever, despite playing only one season professionally—ironically under coach Cheryl Miller, who we ranked as the 9th greatest woman's college basketball team of all time.


In this game, Texas was traveling to Purdue 2003 in the Value Add Basketball Game, trying to maintain its all-time ranking as the fourth-greatest team of all time. Here is the box score, as the Longhorns easily won at Purdue, 76–52, in the Value Add Basketball Game.

The 1986 Texas team was not included at first because we did not have enough stats until a couple of years later. Originally, we only had enough stats for Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil’s senior year, when she made our all-time top 40 players list, but that Texas team was actually not very good. That team was later replaced in the game by the undefeated 1986 national championship team.

Purdue 2003 is likewise a strong team, BUT we didn’t have enough stats for any of Purdue’s championship teams from previous decades—so this is likely a bit of a mismatch when we roll the first dice.

In this game, Davis came off the bench as a freshman to score a game-high 20 points.

PosTexas 1986Pts3pt2ptFTAttRebStlBlkFlHtSeason stats
1-PGKamie Ethridge6030024025'55.2 Pts, 2.6 Reb, 6.1 Ast
2-SGBeverly Williams11140051015'811.6 Pts, 4.1 Reb, 3.0 Ast,wnba
3-SFFran Harris12060040046'013.8 Pts, 3.6 Reb, 1.5 Ast
4-PFAndrea Lloyd-Curry9033570046'29.2 Pts, 7.5 Reb, 2.6 Ast,wnba
5-CAnnette Smith8040050125'1110.4 Pts, 4.1 Reb, 0.9 Ast
PosReservePts3pt2ptFTAttRebStlBlkFlHtSeason stats
1-PGAudrey Smith2010010015'73.8 Pts, 1.2 Reb, 1.5 Ast
2-SGYulonda Wimbish4020010015'97.4 Pts, 1.7 Reb, 0.5 Ast
3-SFGay Hemphill2010010015'117.2 Pts, 3.2 Reb, 0.7 Ast
4-PFClarissa Davis-Wrightsil20270050026'313.5 Pts, 7.7 Reb, 0.5 Ast,wnba
5-CCara Priddy2010010016'24.9 Pts, 2.1 Reb, 0.2 Ast
  7633235325119  
             
Pospurdue 2003Pts3pt2ptFTAttRebStlBlkFlHtSeason stats
1-PGErika Valek11132223115'614.0 Pts, 3.8 Reb, 4.9 Ast
2-SGBeth Jones2010023015'98.7 Pts, 2.4 Reb, 2.5 Ast
3-SFLindsey Hicks10042440016'17.4 Pts, 4.4 Reb, 1.7 Ast
4-PFShereka Wright14054641035'1018.9 Pts, 6.3 Reb, 2.7 Ast,wnba
5-CMary Jo Noon5021280116'511.0 Pts, 4.9 Reb, 0.6 Ast
PosReservePts3pt2ptFTAttRebStlBlkFlHtSeason stats
1-PGSharika Webb2010011015'92.8 Pts, 1.8 Reb, 1.4 Ast
2-SGCarol Duncan2010010016'11.9 Pts, 2.1 Reb, 0.2 Ast
3-SFMissy Taylor2010010016'31.7 Pts, 1.4 Reb, 0.3 Ast
4-PFSabrina Keys2010010016'31.3 Pts, 1.1 Reb, 0.1 Ast
5-CEmily Heikes2010030026'06.0 Pts, 5.3 Reb, 0.4 Ast
  52120914278213 

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Taurasi & Bird Lead 2002 UConn to No. 1 All-Time with 94-45 Trashing at UVa

 The greatest professional woman's player of all time Diana Taurasi her six fellow future WNBA players inclding four of the top six picks that year led the 2002 UConn team to a 94-45 demolition of the 2018 UVa team in Charlottesville. 

In our all-time rankings, which are almost the same as www.kenpom.com expect we reward 3 extra points to the winning team and cap the "perfect" Game Score at +25, UConn 2002 passes Pat Summitt's 1998 Tennessee team as the top college women's team of all time.

Here is our new all-time Top 10 teams with their rating to the far right - these three teams are all at least four points better than the next best team so far.
 
Rank Team              Year Before  New Tournament Result                             W  L  Rate
1Connecticut200215.5won at 2018 UVa 94-45 (GS +25)2017.4
2Tennessee199818.4won at 2009 Auburn 69-52 (GS +9)5017.2
3Tennessee200714.7won at 2013 Delaware 76-42 (GS +25)2016.8
4Texas1986 at 2003 Purdue, needs 29pt win for +251012.5
5Louisiana Tech1982 at 2012 Penn St, needs 21pt win for +253112.4
6South Carolina2024 at 2021 AZ, needs 30pt win for +251012
7Connecticut2016 at 2005 LSU, needs 28pt win for +251110.8
7Connecticut1995 at 2012 Stanford, needs 24pt win for +251010.8
9Notre Dame2018 at 2007 UNC, needs 23pt win for +25319.9
10Connecticut2010 at Long Beach St, needs 22pt win for +25219.3


Coming into this new 64-team tournament, the 1998 Vols were 4-0 and had a rating of +18.4, meaning we calculated the would beat teh average team in the game by 18.4 points. However, they got a scare traveling to play 2009 Auburn team and teh 69-52 win fell well short of expectations and lowered their new rating to 17.2. 

The 2007 Tennessee team won more impressively with a 76-42 win over Delaware to improve from 14.7 to just below the other two teams at 16.8, just 0.6 points behind the 1998 Vols.
 
But UConn 2002, which is the team to ever put seven future WNBA playres on the roster besides the 2016 UConn team (which had eight) then rolled into Charlottesville and scored on their first seven possessions and went from the starting 20-20 score to 35-22 and never looked back. Here are the stats.

 
PosUConn 2002             Pts3pt2ptFTAttRebStlBlkFlHtSeason stats                                 
1-PGSue Bird21344422035'914.4 Pts, 3.4 Reb, 5.9 Ast, WNBA
2-SGSwin Cash17065672126'214.9 Pts, 8.6 Reb, 2.2 Ast, WNBA
3-SFDiana Taurasi19180031016'014.5 Pts, 4.1 Reb, 5.3 Ast, WNBA
4-PFAsjha Jones5021291026'214.0 Pts, 6.6 Reb, 1.7 Ast, WNBA
5-CTamika Williams9041151216'210.1 Pts, 6.9 Reb, 1.3 Ast, WNBA
PosReservePts3pt2ptFTAttRebStlBlkFlHtSeason stats
1-PGMaria Conlon8024610035'94.1 Pts, 2.0 Reb, 1.8 Ast
2-SGAshley Valley2010010015'92.9 Pts, 1.7 Reb, 1.1 Ast
3-SFMorgan Valley2010010016'03.6 Pts, 2.6 Reb, 0.9 Ast
4-PFAshley Battle6022251016'05.4 Pts, 4.7 Reb, 1.3 Ast, WNBA
5-CJessica Moore5021450016'35.4 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 0.8 Ast, WNBA
  944321825398316  
             
PosVirginia 2018Pts3pt2ptFTAttRebStlBlkFlHtSeason stats
1-PGJ'Kyra Brown8024421045'119.5 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 2.4 Ast
2-SGDominique Toussaint4012221055'911.4 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 3.7 Ast
3-SFAliyah Huland El7120040016'110.1 Pts, 3.2 Reb, 1.4 Ast
4-PFJocelyn Willoughby6022261126'09.6 Pts, 5.4 Reb, 1.0 Ast, WNBA
5-CFelicia Aiyeotan2010030316'97.4 Pts, 6.9 Reb, 0.7 Ast
PosReservePts3pt2ptFTAttRebStlBlkFlHtSeason stats
1-PGBrianna Tinsley10034420035'74.1 Pts, 1.7 Reb, 1.5 Ast
2-SGKhyasia Caldwell2010010015'50.9 Pts, 0.1 Reb, 0.1 Ast
3-SFMone Jones2010010016'30.5 Pts, 0.4 Reb, 0.4 Ast
4-PFLauren Moses2010041046'27.2 Pts, 4.8 Reb, 0.9 Ast
5-CLisa Jablonowski2010010016'32.3 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 1.2 Ast
  451151212264423 

Here are the scoresheets at the beginning and end of the campaign.

Monday, September 14, 2026

Epic Candace Parker vs. Elena Delle Donne Clash While Vols Rout Delaware 76-42

Epic Candace Parker vs. Elena Delle Donne

While this game was a blowout from the beginning, as the Tennessee 2007 team, ranked No. 3 all-time in our rankings, easily covered the 25-point spread despite traveling to Delaware, it was fun to imagine this Value Add Basketball Game despite the 76-42 final score. The 2007 season was the first of Pat Summitt's final two national titles, which happened in back-to-back seasons. And after our No. 1-ranked Vols team from a decade earlier came nowhere near covering its spread, it does raise the question of whether this could be the top women's team of all time or if that distinction belongs to one of the UConn teams.

The first fun part of imagining this game is imagining a trip by Pat Summitt and the Vols into a mid-major arena that usually draws about 1,200 fans for mid-major games, compared to the 15,000+ who come out for UConn and Tennessee games. Only once did Delaware draw more than 5,000 fans, and that was when they got a top-10 Maryland team to drive 60 miles to play while Delle Donne was there, and the Terps beat them by double digits. So this game would never happen, and that's why it's fun to imagine it in a Value Add Basketball Game.

The next item is the matchup of the two players we play at the 4 (power forward): Elena Delle Donne, who we rank as the 12th-greatest college player in history, and, of course, Tennessee's Candace Parker, who we rank as the 10th-greatest college player in our all-time top 40. Even as the five future WNBA players on the court for Tennessee dominated the four non-WNBA starters for mid-major Delaware, the Parker vs. Delle Donne matchup was epic. Both drew three first-half fouls on each other, while Parker had the 11-point, 7-rebound advantage over Delle Donne's 6 points and 2 rebounds.

Then in the second half, the tables turned with what looked like a little home cooking. In the first apparent bad call of the game, Parker drove to the hoop and scored to make it 53-32 Vols, BUT Delle Donne appeared to foul her, so it should have been an and-one and a fourth foul on Delle Donne. A 36 roll on defense can be changed to a 66 for the home team to make it a missed call, so almost every time that happens the visiting team was robbed. HOWEVER, when I looked twice at the card, I realized it was not a missed call because Delle Donne is one of the few players in the game for whom a 36 roll is NOT a foul. Players who foul a lot foul on 33-36, an average player fouls on 35-36, and a player who rarely fouls might only foul on a 36. But then there are a few like Delle Donne who don't foul on their own card. Parker's three fouls drawn were the one that each player starts with when the game is 20-20 at the outset of a Value Add Basketball Game and two on her own card, where she gets the ball a ton (a 4, 7 or 8 on the 1-8 roll) and then drew fouls on Delle Donne with 20-sided die rolls in the 10-12 range.

Two possessions after Delle Donne avoided the fourth foul, Parker committed her fifth foul and Delle Donne made both free throws. She is 90 percent from the line, with 1-18 made and 19-20 a miss. While most wouldn't care about that, if we imagine gamblers in the small arena who took Tennessee giving 25 points, the fact that Delle Donne had just made the score 57-34 while fouling out one of the 10 greatest players in the history of college basketball would have been intriguing.

In fact, the Vols are one of the few teams in men's or women's history that could have a future pro player foul out and simply bring in another one. In their case, future WNBA player Alberta Auguste came off the bench, and the Vols immediately went on a 12-0 run after Parker fouled out to make it 69-34 — a 35-point lead against a 25-point spread — and went on to win 76-42 to easily cover.

The dominance leads to one other note: If anyone plays Value Add Basketball without using the "dunk" chart, then you really aren't playing the game right. A game like this would heavily favor the mid-major school that built its stats against much lighter competition than the SEC powerhouse in this case. Tennessee's LAYUP range on that chart for this game was 51-54, meaning any roll in that range on the 11-66 roll guarantees they at least get a layup unless they decide to take the result of the 20-sided die — a 3-pointer or drawing a foul on a crucial opposing player. The Vols chose that option once to get the third foul on Delle Donne rather than take the layup and leave her at two fouls.

But more importantly, the chart for Delaware shows that 51-64 is always a stop — meaning the Vols get the ball without letting Delaware score, whether that comes from a miss and defensive rebound or a turnover. Both figures are crucial because they adjust for the Blue Hens playing much lighter competition to build up stats that might look better than an SEC school's on paper until you realize the SEC school compiled its numbers against much better competition.

With the 6'4" Parker sitting out the last 21 possessions, Delle Donne almost caught her in points, 10 to 11, going 8-for-8 from the line but never getting a true bucket after the automatic two points while playing against five excellent defensive future WNBA players. The 6'5" Delle Donne did finally pass Parker in rebounds, 10-9, and had a steal and the only true block for either team in the whole game, though we automatically give both starting centers one block for the opening minutes that make the score 20-20 before we roll our first dice.

So for us, even though the gamblers who went with the favorite in this one would have cruised to victory, there was a lot of fun imagining this game in a small gym, with a visiting team that we believe was one of the three best teams of all time traveling to the tiny state to play there.


 
Pos     Tennessee 2007          Pts  3pt 2pt  FTAtt  Reb Stl  Blk  Fl  Ht
1-PGShannon Bobbitt7120031025'2
2-SGAlexis Hornbuckle10220021015'11
3-SFSidney Spencer17340040016'3
4-PFCandace Parker11043490056'4
5-CNicky Anosike15071262116'4
PosReservePts3pt2ptFTAttRebStlBlkFlHt
1-PGCait McMahan2010020025'4
2-SGAlberta Auguste4020010015'11
3-SFDominique Redding2010010016'1
4-PFNicci Moats2010010016'2
5-CAlex Fuller6022352016'3
  7662769346116 
            
PosDelaware 2013Pts3pt2ptFTAttRebStlBlkFlHt
1-PGKayla Miller6030021015'10
2-SGAkeema Richards6030011015'7
3-SFLauren Carra2010050025'9
4-PFElena Delle Donne100188101146'5
5-CDanielle Parker40200101116'2
PosReservePts3pt2ptFTAttRebStlBlkFlHt
1-PGTrumae Lucas4012320015'8
2-SGChelsea Craig2010010016'2
3-SFJaquetta May4020030015'9
4-PFKelsey Buchanan2010010016'3
5-CStephanie Leon2010010016'3
  420171011364214

And here is each player's actual stats from the season on which the set of cards is calculated.

 
Pos        Tennessee 2007              Ht     Season Stats                                 
1-PGShannon Bobbitt5'28.7 Pts, 1.6 Reb, 2.7 Ast,WNBA
2-SGAlexis Hornbuckle5'1110.2 Pts, 5.1 Reb, 3.9 Ast,WNBA
3-SFSidney Spencer6'311.6 Pts, 4.2 Reb, 1.1 Ast,WNBA
4-PFCandace Parker6'419.6 Pts, 9.8 Reb, 2.4 Ast,WNBA
5-CNicky Anosike6'47.5 Pts, 6.2 Reb, 1.6 Ast,WNBA
1-PGCait McMahan5'42.4 Pts, 1.2 Reb, 1.3 Ast
2-SGAlberta Auguste5'115.0 Pts, 2.3 Reb, 1.4 Ast, WNBA
3-SFDominique Redding6'13.5 Pts, 1.4 Reb, 0.2 Ast
4-PFNicci Moats6'20.9 Pts, 1.0 Reb, 0.0 Ast
5-CAlex Fuller6'36.0 Pts, 4.1 Reb, 0.9 Ast
    
PosDelaware 2013HtSeason Stats
1-PGKayla Miller5'103.7 Pts, 1.3 Reb, 3.0 Ast
2-SGAkeema Richards5'75.5 Pts, 2.6 Reb, 1.1 Ast
3-SFLauren Carra5'910.7 Pts, 5.7 Reb, 2.0 Ast
4-PFlena Delle Donne6'526.0 Pts, 8.5 Reb, 1.9 Ast,WNBA
5-CDanielle Parker6'28.8 Pts, 8.7 Reb, 0.9 Ast
1-PGTrumae Lucas5'86.6 Pts, 2.5 Reb, 2.6 Ast
2-SGChelsea Craig6'20.4 Pts, 0.8 Reb, 0.2 Ast
3-SFJaquetta May5'94.8 Pts, 4.4 Reb, 0.8 Ast
4-PFKelsey Buchanan6'32.1 Pts, 2.1 Reb, 0.2 Ast
5-CStephanie Leon6'30.7 Pts, 1.7 Reb, 0.0 Ast


Here are photos of the score sheet and player cards





Auburn 2009 Gives All-Time Champs Tennessee 1998 a Scare Until Late Run

We tried a little twist to play off the 64 greatest all-time women's teams in the Value Add Basketball Game: the designated better seeds have to play on the road. We remembered UNC and Kentucky agreeing to play all road games in the NIT one year. That shift means our first game changed from the 34-point spread we posted to a 31-point spread due to the favorite needing to play on the road, but it was much closer than that.

In fact our all-time champions from Tennessee 1998 got quite a scare against Auburn 2009, a team that went 30-4 and defeated Tennessee 82-68 during that season.. An early home job call - which occurs when the home team changes a roll of 36 to 66 or vice versa - gave an early 2nd foul to Tamika Catchings, who we ranked as the greatest college women's basketball player of all time in this top 40.

Auburn hung right with the legendary 39-0 Tennessee team through the first half. The Tigers actually took a 26-25 lead before Tennessee recovered to lead just 30-28 at halftime.

Then the all-time champs finally took over.

For this game, we're trying something different with the play-by-play. Rather than just giving the final score and highlights, we're listing every dice roll except the 1-20 free-throw rolls, along with what happened on each possession. The running score is on the left, with Tennessee listed first and Auburn second.

That lets you see not only what happened, but exactly how the Value Add Basketball game produced it.

When the line starts with TN, that means Tennessee is rolling, and if AU, then Auburn is rolling.

The first number is the 8-sided die to see which player gets the ball. The second number is the two 6-sided dice roll of 11-66 to see if the defender steals, blocks a shot or fouls, or if the offensive player turns it over, or there is a team defensive breakdown for a layup or alternatively a stop. The third number is the 20-sided die, which is only used if nothing happens on the 11-66, to see if the player shoots or gets to the line.

Tennessee 1998 vs. Auburn 2009

Tennessee 1998: 39-0, the first of three straight national championship teams in our all-time tournament format.

Auburn 2009: 30-4, ranked No. 8 nationally after a season that included an 82-68 victory over Tennessee to start 20-0.

Players entering the game (in Value Add the game starts 20-20 with all players having scored 2 points and 7 minutes left in the first half and in most cases reserves finishing out their last minutes before the starters finish the majority of the game).

Tennessee: Laurie Milligan (2.0 PPG, 0.4 RPG, 1.3 APG); Brynae Laxton (1.2, 1.9, 0.2); Niya Butts (1.8, 1.1, 0.3); LaShonda Stephens (4.0, 3.4, 0.2); Teresa Geter (6.3, 4.8, 0.8).

Auburn: Whitney Boddie (11.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 7.9 APG); Morgan Jennings (2.4, 1.6, 1.1); Reneisha Hobbs (2.7, 1.7, 0.5); Parrisha Simmons (1.0, 2.7, 0.6); KeKe Carrier (4.7, 3.1, 0.4).

If you want to scroll down to see the traditional box score and final, it appears at the bottom of the blog.

Play-by-Play

By each player we show which team they are on and then their position (1 = pg, 2 = sg etc) and if that 1 to 5 number is listed twice it means they were the backup player at that position.

Score TN-AU| Team| 8-side| 6-sides| 20-side| Player| Result

—| AU| 5| 35| 16| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Again, almost any center would have fouled

—| —| —| 4| 6| Sherell Hobbs (AU-3)| Rebound

—| —| 4| 33| 14| Trevesha Jackson (AU-4)| Missed shot

—| —| —| —| —| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Rebound

—| TN| 6| 42| 5| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Foul

—| AU| 2| 43| 9| Kellie Harper (TN-2)| Turnover

41-33| AU| —| —| —| Alli Smalley (AU-2)| Makes 1 of 2 free throws

43-33| TN| 5| 52| 20| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| 52 falls in her layup range

—| AU| 2| 43| 19| Alli Smalley (AU-2)| Missed shot

—| —| —| 4| 1| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Rebound

43-35| AU| 4| 42| 7| Trevesha Jackson (AU-4)| Most players turn it over on 42, but Jackson has no turnovers on her card, so the 7 produces the shot

45-35| TN| 8| 52| 16| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Layup range again

—| AU| 3| 31| 6| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Great steal

—| TN| 1| 24| 20| Kristen Clement (TN-1)| Missed shot

—| —| —| 6| 3| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Rebound

—| AU| 8| 41| 12| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Foul

—| TN| 7| 63| 17| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Missed shot

—| —| —| —| —| Trevesha Jackson (AU-4)| Rebound

45-37| AU| 8| 14| 8| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Basket

—| TN| 5| 42| 7| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Foul

—| AU| 5| 16| 2| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Unheard-of steal range of 1-6 for a center

48-37| TN| 6| 34| 3| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| 3-pointer

—| AU| 3| 36| 15| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Third foul on Catchings — danger

48-38| AU| —| —| —| Sherell Hobbs (AU-3)| Makes only the second of two free throws

50-38| TN| 8| 23| 2| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Basket

—| AU| 5| 22| 7| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Block — would otherwise have been a bucket

—| —| —| 4| 7| Trevesha Jackson (AU-4)| Offensive rebound — Jackson's excellent 1-7 range

—| —| 4| 32| 6| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Great steal saves a bucket

—| —| —| 6| 6| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Rebound

53-38| TN| 6| 26| 2| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| 3-pointer

—| AU| 4| 23| 12| Semeka Randall Lay (TN-4)| Blocked shot

—| —| —| —| —| Kellie Harper (TN-2)| Rebound

—| TN| 7| 55| 9| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Turnover

55-38| TN| —| —| —| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Makes both free throws

At that point, the scare was over. Tennessee had turned a 32-32 tie into a 55-38 lead, a 23-6 run that showed why this team is currently ranked 1st all-time in our game.

Closing Minutes

Score TN-AU| Team| 8-side| 6-sides| 20-side| Player| Result

—| AU| 5| 42| 13| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Foul

—| TN| 6| 44| 16| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Missed shot

—| —| —| —| —| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Rebound

—| AU| 5| 44| 17| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Missed shot

—| —| —| —| —| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Rebound

—| TN| 6| 64| 14| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Missed shot

—| —| —| 5| 9| Kristen Clement (TN-1)| Rebound

—| —| 4| 46| 14| Semeka Randall Lay (TN-4)| Missed shot

—| —| —| 2| 9| Whitney Boddie (AU-1)| Rebound

—| AU| 8| 42| 14| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Foul

—| TN| 5| 42| 14| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Foul

—| AU| 2| 22| 5| Kellie Harper (TN-2)| Blocked shot

—| —| —| 2| 16| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Rebound

—| TN| 2| 62| 13| Alli Smalley (AU-2)| Fourth foul

56-38| TN| —| —| —| Kellie Harper (TN-2)| Makes 1 of 2; 80% shooter has 1-16 FT range

—| AU| 6| 41| 17| Alli Smalley (AU-2)| Foul

58-38| TN| 1| 32| 8| Kristen Clement (TN-1)| Basket

58-40| AU| 1| 14| 6| Whitney Boddie (AU-1)| Basket

60-40| TN| 6| 53| 7| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Basket

—| AU| 8| 51| 7| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Missed shot

—| —| —| —| —| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Rebound

—| TN| 4| 55| 20| Semeka Randall Lay (TN-4)| Missed shot

—| —| —| —| —| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Rebound

—| AU| 5| 52| 5| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Missed shot

—| —| —| —| —| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Rebound

—| TN| 7| 32| 13| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Missed shot

—| —| —| 3| 11| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Rebound

60-42| AU| 2| 63| 7| Alli Smalley (AU-2)| Basket

62-42| TN| 1| 56| 7| Kristen Clement (TN-1)| Basket

62-44| AU| 1| 63| 1| Whitney Boddie (AU-1)| Basket

—| TN| 6| 12| 10| Sherell Hobbs (AU-3)| Only second foul on Hobbs

64-44| TN| —| —| —| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Makes both free throws — 85%, 1-17 FT range

—| AU| 2| 44| 9| Kellie Harper (TN-2)| Turnover

64-46| AU| —| —| —| Alli Smalley (AU-2)| Makes both free throws

—| TN| 5| 42| 16| Chamique Holdsclaw (TN-5)| Foul

—| AU| 6| 7| 32| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| Blocked shot

—| —| —| —| —| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Rebound

64-48| AU| 8| 25| 8| DeWanna Bonner (AU-5)| Basket

66-48| TN| 4| 25| 6| Semeka Randall Lay (TN-4)| Basket

66-50| AU| 1| 46| 5| Whitney Boddie (AU-1)| Basket

69-50| TN| 3| 46| 2| Tamika Catchings (TN-3)| 3-pointer

69-52| AU| 2| 43| 5| Alli Smalley (AU-2)| Basket


Final: Tennessee 1998 69, Auburn 2009 52


The final margin makes the game look much easier than it was.


Auburn led 28-25, trailed only 30-28 at halftime, and tied the game 32-32 early in the second half. From there, Tennessee's all-time talent took control.


The decisive stretch was a 23-6 Tennessee run, turning that 32-32 tie into a 55-38 advantage.


The experiment of forcing the designated home team onto the road also produced several interesting moments. Kellie Harper had rolls that could have resulted in additional foul calls at home, while Auburn benefited from the home-court adjustment on a key Tamika Catchings defensive roll.


But once Chamique Holdsclaw and Tamika Catchings started dominating both ends, Auburn's upset bid was finished.


For a while, though, the 2009 Tigers gave the 39-0 Tennessee national champions a much bigger scare than anyone would have expected.

And we saved it for the end - but here is the box score.

Bonner completely matched Tennessee leading scorer Chamique Holdsclaw, holding her to a 14-14 tie in scoring, only losing the rebounding edge 11-12, and barely losing the other three stats (1-2 in blocked shots, 5-3 in turnovers and 4 to 3 in steals).That is why the game was close into the 2nd half.

However, in the end there was once again no match for the player we rank as the greatest player ever to play college basketball, Tamika Catchings, who had a game-high 20 points and 3 blocked shots, with her 7 rebounds being the most of anyone except the two centers, and adding 2 steals. That was why the Vols pulled away for the 17 point win.

 
Pos       Starting Tennessee Vols (69)    Pts   Reb  Blocks  TO   Steal
1-PGKristen Clement95041
2-SGKellie Harper52151
3-SFTamika Catchings207332
4-PFSemeka Randall Lay63100
5-CChamique Holdsclaw1412234
PosReservesPtsRebBlocksTOSteal
1-PGLaurie Milligan31001
2-SGBrynae Laxton21000
3-SFNiya Butts51000
4-PFLaShonda Stephens31000
5-CTeresa Geter23210
Totals 69369169
       
PosStarting Auburn Tigers (52)PtsRebBlocksTOSteal
1-PGWhitney Boddie84033
2-SGAlli Smalley112062
3-SFSherell Hobbs55040
4-PFTrevesha Jackson44110
5-CDeWanna Bonner1411153
PosReservesPtsRebBlocksTOSteal
1-PGMorgan Jennings21010
2-SGReneisha Hobbs22000
3-SFParrisha Simmons21000
4-PFChantel Hilliard21000
5-CKeKe Carrier21010
Totals 52322218

Saturday, September 12, 2026

64 All-Time Great Women’s Teams Tip Off Value Add Basketball Tournament

Rather than resume a minor tournament we had going when we switched from basketball to baseball six months ago, we remembered that we had purposely built the Value Add Basketball Game to exactly 64 all-time great women’s teams — the perfect number for a tournament with no byes.

To set the bracket, we used our current team ratings, which have been impacted by how each team has performed in our game so far. Our first tournament champion, the 1998 Tennessee team, is now No. 1 with an 18.4 rating, meaning we calculate that team to be 18.4 points better than the average great team in the game. At the other end is our No. 64 team, the 2009 Auburn team — admittedly a homer choice since my family had season tickets that year. We calculate that Auburn team to be 16 points worse than the average great team in the game.

These ratings appear on the team sheets you use to play the game. So we simply seeded No. 1 against No. 64, No. 2 against No. 63, and so on. As noted in the table below, that makes Pat Summitt’s all-time great 1998 Tennessee Vols a 34-point favorite over the 2009 Auburn team in our opening matchup.

Of course, the farther you go down the list, the more evenly matched the games become. The four teams in the middle are all within a point of each other, so the 2019 Marquette team is an even pick against the 1993 Ohio State team, while the 2024 Indiana team is even against the 1985 Old Dominion team.

So here are our next 32 women’s matchups. You can, of course, play your own free games using any of these teams by clicking here and printing out the one-sheet for each team.

And yes, Caitlin Clark’s 2024 Iowa team is a 10-point favorite against Sue Wicks and the 1988 Rutgers team. The cards for Clark and Michael Jordan appear on top of this blog showing how to play the free game.


Rnk Team                   Year    Leading Scorer            Record, average score & above ave. great
1Tennessee1998Chamique Holdsclaw4-0, Score/Allow: 76.3-64, Rating: 18.4
64Auburn2009DeWanna Bonner0-1, Score/Allow: 55-84, Rating: -16
    Tennessee 34 point favorite
2Connecticut2002Swin Cash1-0, Score/Allow: 75-46, Rating: 15.5
63Virginia2018Dominique Toussaint0-1, Score/Allow: 57-81, Rating: -15.2
    Connecticut 31 point favorite
3Tennessee2007Candace Parker1-0, Score/Allow: 89-70, Rating: 14.7
62Delaware2013Elena Delle Donne0-1, Score/Allow: 46-75, Rating: -13.5
    Tennessee 28 point favorite
4Texas1986Fran Harris1-0, Score/Allow: 76-66, Rating: 12.5
61Purdue2003Shereka Wright0-1, Score/Allow: 61-89, Rating: -12.8
    Texas 25 point favorite
5Louisiana Tech1982Pam Kelly3-1, Score/Allow: 76-67.5, Rating: 12.4
60Penn State2012Maggie Lucas0-1, Score/Allow: 64-84, Rating: -11.8
    Louisiana Tech 24 point favorite
6South Carolina2024Kamilla Cardoso1-0, Score/Allow: 84-55, Rating: 12
59Arizona2021Aari McDonald0-1, Score/Allow: 64-80, Rating: -9.3
    South Carolina 21 point favorite
7Connecticut1995Rebecca Lobo1-0, Score/Allow: 81-57, Rating: 10.8
58Stanford2012Nneka Ogwumike0-1, Score/Allow: 58-81, Rating: -9
    Connecticut 20 point favorite
8Connecticut2016Breanna Stewart1-1, Score/Allow: 80-64.5, Rating: 10.8
57LSU2005Seimone Augustus0-1, Score/Allow: 63-72, Rating: -8.2
    Connecticut 19 point favorite
9Notre Dame2018Arike Ogunbowale3-1, Score/Allow: 76.3-72.8, Rating: 9.9
56North Carolina2007Ivory Latta0-1, Score/Allow: 69-85, Rating: -8
    Notre Dame 18 point favorite
10Connecticut2010Maya Moore2-1, Score/Allow: 73.3-73.3, Rating: 9.3
55Long Beach State1987Cindy Brown0-1, Score/Allow: 53-98, Rating: -7.5
    Connecticut 17 point favorite
11USC1983Cheryl Miller2-1, Score/Allow: 72-63.3, Rating: 9.2
54Ohio State2016Kelsey Mitchell0-1, Score/Allow: 68-79, Rating: -7.3
    USC 17 point favorite
12Old Dominion1997Clarisse Machanguana1-0, Score/Allow: 85-69, Rating: 8.3
53Minnesota2004Lindsay Whalen0-1, Score/Allow: 72-76, Rating: -7.3
    Old Dominion 16 point favorite
13Stanford2021Kiana Williams1-1, Score/Allow: 79-72.5, Rating: 8.2
52Texas2018Brooke McCarty0-1, Score/Allow: 62-84, Rating: -6.5
    Stanford 15 point favorite
14Louisiana Tech1988Erica Westbrooks1-0, Score/Allow: 80-64, Rating: 7.2
51USC1994Lisa Leslie0-1, Score/Allow: 63-71, Rating: -6.3
    Louisiana Tech 14 point favorite
15LSU2023Angel Reese1-0, Score/Allow: 89-61, Rating: 6.8
50Virginia Tech2024Elizabeth Kitley0-1, Score/Allow: 76-80, Rating: -5
    LSU 12 point favorite
16Baylor2012Brittney Griner1-1, Score/Allow: 73.5-77, Rating: 6.2
49Oklahoma2002Stacey Dales0-1, Score/Allow: 79-85, Rating: -5
    Baylor 11 point favorite
17Tennessee1989Bridgette Gordon0-1, Score/Allow: 64-68, Rating: 6
48Rutgers2005Cappie Pondexter0-1, Score/Allow: 36-53, Rating: -4.2
    Tennessee 10 point favorite
18Iowa2024Caitlin Clark1-0, Score/Allow: 84-64, Rating: 5.8
47Rutgers1988Sue Wicks0-1, Score/Allow: 62-66, Rating: -4
    Iowa 10 point favorite
19Auburn1989Vickie Orr1-0, Score/Allow: 66-62, Rating: 5
46Oklahoma2010Danielle Robinson0-1, Score/Allow: 66-76, Rating: -3.5
    Auburn 9 point favorite
20Notre Dame2012Skylar Diggins0-1, Score/Allow: 70-78, Rating: 4
45Georgia2013Jasmine Hassell0-1, Score/Allow: 70-89, Rating: -3.3
    Notre Dame 7 point favorite
21Michigan St.2005Liz Shimek1-0, Score/Allow: 53-36, Rating: 3.8
44Texas Tech1993Sheryl Swoopes1-0, Score/Allow: 85-79, Rating: -3
    Michigan St. 7 point favorite
22Baylor2019Kalani Brown1-1, Score/Allow: 74-73, Rating: 3.6
43Louisville2014Shoni Schimmel0-1, Score/Allow: 69-76, Rating: -2.8
    Baylor 6 point favorite
23Oregon2019Sabrina Ionescu0-1, Score/Allow: 81-84, Rating: 3.5
42NC State2024Aziaha James0-1, Score/Allow: 72-78, Rating: -2.3
    Oregon 6 point favorite
24Colorado St.1999Becky Hammon1-0, Score/Allow: 81-58, Rating: 3
41Washington2017Kelsey Plum0-1, Score/Allow: 57-64, Rating: -2.3
    Colorado St. 5 point favorite
25Texas A&M2011Danielle Adams0-1, Score/Allow: 69-76, Rating: 2.8
40Louisville2009Angel McCoughtry1-0, Score/Allow: 74-68, Rating: -1.7
    Texas A&M 5 point favorite
26Maryland2006Crystal Langhorne1-0, Score/Allow: 78-72, Rating: 2.3
39Kentucky2013A'dia Mathies1-0, Score/Allow: 72-63, Rating: -0.8
    Maryland 3 point favorite
27Vanderbilt2002Chantelle Anderson1-0, Score/Allow: 76-65, Rating: 2.2
38Duke2006Monique Currie0-1, Score/Allow: 66-75, Rating: -0.3
    Vanderbilt 3 point favorite
28Notre Dame2001Ruth Riley1-0, Score/Allow: 80-76, Rating: 2
37UCLA2018Jordin Canada1-0, Score/Allow: 71-63, Rating: -0.3
    Notre Dame 2 point favorite
29Virginia1991Tonya Cardoza1-0, Score/Allow: 76-72, Rating: 1.3
36South Carolina2017A'ja Wilson1-1, Score/Allow: 69-73.5, Rating: 0
    Virginia 1 point favorite
30Mississippi State2018Victoria Vivians0-1, Score/Allow: 58-74, Rating: 1.3
35Old Dominion1980Inge Nissen0-1, Score/Allow: 55-80, Rating: 0.5
    Mississippi State 1 point favorite
31Marquette2019Natisha Hiedeman1-0, Score/Allow: 68-64, Rating: 1
34Ohio State1993Katie Smith0-1, Score/Allow: 65-76, Rating: 1
    Marquette 0 point favorite
32Indiana2024Mackenzie Holmes1-0, Score/Allow: 78-70, Rating: 1
33Old Dominion1985Medina Dixon0-1, Score/Allow: 68-74, Rating: 1
    Indiana 0 point favorite

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Misiorowski and Coors Field Recalculations post Statis-Pro Season







While we will soon be moving to Value Add Basketball to get the great women’s teams on the court, we did catch a couple of things in our postmortem on the Statis-Pro baseball season.

More Accurate Pitcher Cards

We finally have truly accurate ranges for determining the results on pitchers’ cards. Batters’ cards are easy: Hits = (H/PA × 128) − 11; 2B = 2B/PA × 128; 3B = 3B/PA × 128; HR = HR/PA × 128; then three deep numbers; K = (K/PA × 128) − 17; BB = (BB)/PA × 128 - 7; HPB = (hpb)/PA × 128 and the rest are outs.

We noted during the season that one reason the Brewers were not as good in the game as they were in the actual season was that Jacob Misiorowski was very good but also walked a lot of batters. The card shown is what his card would have looked like based solely on this season’s statistics.

We have now built extremely accurate tables to calculate how many hits, strikeouts and walks should appear on every pitcher’s card.

You still first need to calculate the pitcher’s PB — 2-9, 2-8, etc. — and then divide his hits, strikeouts and walks by his total batters faced and look up each percentage on the appropriate chart.

For example, Misiorowski is a PB 2-9. The MLB average for hits allowed is about 22%, while Misiorowski allowed hits to only 14% of the batters he faced. That gives him just 8 hits on his card, from 11-18.

The average strikeout rate is about 22%, which would put 16 strikeouts on a PB 2-9 card, while Misiorowski struck out an incredible 38% of the batters he faced. That gives him 27 strikeouts on his card.

Finally, the average walk rate is about 9%, which would produce 6 walks on the card, while Misiorowski walked only about 6% of the batters he faced. That gives him just 4 walks on the card.

Once those three numbers are determined for any pitcher, every remaining result among the 64 possible 11-88 readings is an out.

Playing Every Team Helps Us Catch the Glitches

One reason we play every team every year in Statis-Pro is to see if we catch any glitches.

For example, we threw in a game with the 29th-place Rockies hosting the 30th-place Los Angeles Angels because neither team had played during our pods.

What immediately jumped out was the Rockies’ home field. The average DEEP drive was going out for a home run at the same rate as it would in an average ballpark, so Coors Field really wasn’t playing like the extreme hitters’ park that it actually is.

In an average park, a DEEP result is a home run on 11-35, while 36-88 results in a deep fly with runners advancing. But we realized that simply adjusting the home-run range doesn't fully account for ballpark differences. Some parks also produce significantly more singles, doubles or triples.

We have now updated the ballpark charts to build those additional factors into the game.

When you look at the chart below, you will see that Colorado is now the ultimate hitters’ park: every DEEP reading on a card results in a hit of some kind, with the runners always advancing one base farther than the batter.



And here are the charts for calculating pitchers' cards moving forward.
 
Percent           H/BF              BK           K/BF        W/BF
PB 2-9PB 2-9 PB 2-9PB 2-9
0%No hits1100
1%No hits1100
2%No hits1101
3%No hits1102
4%No hits1112
5%No hits1123
6%11'-111224
7%11'-121335
8%11'-131445
9%11'-141556
10%11'-141557
11%11'-151668
12%11'-161778
13%11'-171889
14%11'-1821910
15%11'-18211011
16%11'-21221011
17%11'-22231112
17%11'-22231213
18%11'-23241313
19%11'-24251313
20%11'-25261414
21%11'-25261515
22%11'-26271615
23%11'-27271615
24%11'-28311716
25%11'-31321816
26%11'-31321916
27%11'-32331916
28%11'-33342016
29%11'-34352116
30%11'-34352216
31%11'-34352216
32%11'-34352316
33%11'-34352416
34%11'-34352516
35%11'-34352516
36%11'-34352616
37%11'-34352616
38%11'-34352716
39%11'-34352816
40%11'-34352816
     
PercentH/BFBKK/BFW/BF
PB 2-8PB 2-8PB 2-8PB 2-8PB 2-8
0%No hits1100
1%No hits1100
2%No hits1100
3%No hits1101
4%No hits1102
5%No hits1113
6%No hits1114
7%11'-111225
8%11'-121336
9%11'-131446
10%11'-131457
11%11'-141568
12%11'-151669
13%11'-1617710
14%11'-1718811
15%11'-1718912
16%11'-18211012
17%11'-21221113
18%11'-22231314
19%11'-23241314
20%11'-24251415
21%11'-25261516
22%11'-26271616
23%11'-27281716
24%11'-28311816
25%11'-31321916
26%11'-31322016
27%11'-32332116
28%11'-33342216
29%11'-34352316
30%11'-34352416
31%11'-34352516
32%11'-34352616
33%11'-34352716
34%11'-34352816
35%11'-34352816
36%11'-34352816
37%11'-34352816
38%11'-34352816
39%11'-34352816
40%11'-34352816
     
     
PercentH/BFBKK/BFW/BF
PB 2-7PB 2-7PB 2-7PB 2-7PB 2-7
0%No hits1100
1%No hits1100
2%No hits1100
3%No hits1100
4%No hits1102
5%No hits1103
6%No hits1104
7%No hits1115
8%11'-111216
9%11'-121327
10%11'-121338
11%11'-131449
12%11'-1415510
13%11'-1516611
14%11'-1617813
15%11'-1617914
16%11'-17181014
17%11'-18211115
18%11'-21221316
19%11'-22231416
20%11'-23241516
21%11'-24251616
22%11'-25261716
23%11'-26271816
24%11'-27281916
25%11'-28312116
26%11'-31322216
27%11'-33342316
28%11'-34352416
29%11'-34352516
30%11'-34352616
31%11'-34352716
32%11'-34352816
33%11'-34352816
34%11'-34352816
35%11'-34352816
36%11'-34352816
37%11'-34352816
38%11'-34352816
39%11'-34352816
40%11'-34352816
     
     
PercentH/BFBKK/BFW/BF
PB 4-7PB 4-7PB 4-7PB 4-7PB 4-7
0%No hits1100
1%No hits1100
2%No hits1100
3%No hits1100
4%No hits1101
5%No hits1102
6%No hits1104
7%No hits1105
8%No hits1106
9%11'-111218
10%11'-111229
11%11'-1213310
12%11'-1314411
13%11'-1415513
14%11'-1516714
15%11'-1516815
16%11'-1617915
17%11'-17181016
18%11'-18211316
19%11'-21221516
20%11'-22231616
21%11'-23241716
22%11'-24251816
23%11'-26272016
24%11'-27282116
25%11'-28312216
26%11'-32332316
27%11'-33342416
28%11'-34352516
29%11'-34352616
30%11'-34352716
31%11'-34352816
32%11'-34352816
33%11'-34352816
34%11'-34352816
35%11'-34352816
36%11'-34352816
37%11'-34352816
38%11'-34352816
39%11'-34352816
40%11'-34352816