Quick, who won the women's NCAA championship last season?
Hint: Not Connecticut. Not Tennessee. Not Stanford. Not Duke. Nope, not Baylor, either, despite 6-8 blocking machine Brittney Griner.
It was Texas A&M, and the runner-up was Notre Dame, proving that the women's game is getting deeper. This season, the race to the top could be more wide-open than ever. Rising programs like the the University of Miami, No. 7 in the AP preseason poll, and 10th-ranked Georgetown could be in the mix come late-March.
The days of Geno Auriemma's UConn Huskies and Pat Summitt's Vols rolling over the rest of the country are past. In fact, Tennessee hasn't made the Finals Four since winning back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008.
This could be the year, though, that the Vols rise again. Not only is it the last shot for seniors Shekinna Stricklen, Glory Johnson, Alicia Manning and Alssia Brewer, but they will be hypermotivated to win the title for legendary coach Summitt, who is battling early-onset dementia.
Summitt, 59, is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history -- men's and women's. She has coached the Lady Vols since 1974, and won eight NCAA national championships, second only to the record 10 titles won by men's coach John Wooden. In 36 years as a coach, she has never had a losing season.
And, despite her medical challenges, she is not ready to quit. She has been doing brain teaser puzzles for a few hours each day to keep her mind sharp and continues to be very involved in her day-to-day coaching duties.
"Every day I can't wait to get on the court," Summitt said at Southeastern Conference media day. "I'm not ready to retire. I may be old as dirt when I'm still trying to win games. I don't think it's something that's slowing me down. I think if anything, it's revving me up."
SWEET 16
1. Baylor : The Bears have four starters back from last year's 34-3 team, including 6-8 center Griner, the Wade Trophy favorite. They are the first Big 12 team to be ranked No. 1 in the preseason since Texas in 1986.
2. Notre Dame : The Irish beat Tennessee and UConn on way to NCAA title game last spring, but coach Muffet McGraw, in her 25th year, says they have "unfinished business" after losing the championship to Texas A&M. Four starters return from their 31-8 team, including dynamic guard Skylar Diggins -- a Twitter favorite with many male fans.
3. Tennessee: The team will want to win for Summitt, and the talent is there. Shekinna Stricklen is an AP preseason All-American, senior forward Glory Johnson is back and freshman point guard Ariel Massengale arrives with high expectations.
4. UConn : The Huskies were ranked No. 1 for 51 straight weeks, and even when they're not at the top, they're close. They have four starters back from last season's Final Four team, and freshman Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis comes highly touted.
5. Stanford : The Ogwumike sisters are back, but Kayla Pederson and Jeanette Pohlen will be missed.
6. Texas A&M : The Aggies lost MVP Danielle Adams, but three starters are back to try to defend their title, and 6-5 South Carolina transfer Kelsey Bone should help.
7. University of Miami : The Hurricanes were picked to win the ACC for the first time, and their No. 7 AP ranking is Miami's highest since 1992. Everyone is back from last year's 28-5 team, most notably preseason All-American Shenise "Moe-Moe" Johnson and her backcourt partner Riquna "Bay-Bay" Williams. Sprinkle in 6-6 Pitt transfer Pepper Wilson, and anything's possible.
8. Duke: The core of last year's team is gone, but the Blue Devils have a lot of talented sophomores and a highly rated recruiting class.
9. Louisville : Shoni Schimmel made her mark last season and hopes to continue to be a role model for Native American teenagers.
10. Georgetown . The Hoyas are coming off a Sweet 16 run and have never been ranked higher in the preseason (No. 10 AP poll).
11. Maryland : Alyssa Thomas led the Terps in scoring as a freshman and with Lynetta Kizer in the middle, they could go far.
12. Penn State : They won 25 games last year and return four starters.
13. Georgia : Only Porsha Phillips is gone from last season's Sweet 16 team.
14. FSU : Cierra Bravard and Natasha Howard lead the way.
15. Kentucky: Can the Wildcats replace Victoria Dunlap?
16. North Carolina : Tar Heels lost Italee Lucas, Jessica Breland and Cetera DeGraffenreid, but they still have 6-5 Chay Shegog and 6-6 Waltiea Rolle.
FRESH FACES
Keep an eye on these potentially-fabulous freshmen:
Amber Orrange (Stanford), Ariel Massengale (Tennessee), Elizabeth Williams and Amber Hensen (Duke), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (UConn), DaShawn Harden (Oklahoma), Taylor Brown and Jasmine Jackson (Georgetown), Brittany Roundtree (North Carolina), Chanise Jenkins (DePaul), Jasmine Hines (Michigan State)
ALL-NAME TEAM
Glory Johnson (Tennessee), Sugar Rodgers (Georgetown), Pepper Wilson (Miami), Drey Mingo (Purdue), Odyssey Sims (Baylor)
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