Women's Basketball in Need of "Miracle in March"

The Conneticut women's basketball team is on a 69-game winning streak and one win away from tying a record for most consecutive victories, set by the Huskies from 2001-2003. But what women's college basketball needs most is their version of the 1980 U.S. Hockey team. For as unbelievable as the streak is, this year's UConn team winning the NCAA title will not help the sport of women's basketball.

On Monday, UConn capped off their regular season with a 76-51 win over No. 8 Notre Dame, finishing this year 30-0. Tina Charles surpassed Nykesha Sales as the school's all-time leading scorer and Rebecca Lobo as the Huskies all-time leading rebounder in the game against the Irish.

If the record of 69 wins in a row isn't enough, how about winning each game by double figures? UConn has established their dominance in the women's game and it doesn't seem like anyone will contest them for their year's crown.

What should the NCAA want? Do they want the streak to continue and want the Huskies to continue to blowout team after team? Do they want the tournament to become an event to see who will finish behind the Huskies? The NCAA needs a women's basketball Cinderella this year, now more than ever.

There is almost no doubt UConn will get to the final four, and most likely play for another national title. The NCAA can hype up the streak as much as they want, and ESPN can play all the highlights from the UCLA dynasty, but UConn losing in the title game is just what women's basketball needs.

This sport needs their own miracle on ice. People will watch the championship game if (when) UConn gets there. But people will be turned off if Geno Auriemma's squad blows out another Top Ten team. People will start to call the sport a joke, and start to blame Auriemma for the lack of parity.

Yes, players like Charles only come once in a lifetime. But if UConn continues to dominate, expect more once in a lifetime players to appear on the Huskies roster. Not that players like Lobo, Diana Taurasi, and Sue Bird aren't once in a lifetime players also.

It is unclear which team can challenge the Huskies. Teams like Stanford, Notre Dame, Texas, and Duke have all been thrashed by UConn this season. It will take a miracle for this year's Huskies team to lose, but it's something women's basketball needs.

If a team can knock off UConn in the title game, it will not just be one of the greatest upsets of all-time, but it may spawn some high school players to look elsewhere other than Hartford, CT.