Is UConn’s 100-Game Winning Streak the Most Impressive Streak in Sports History?
The UConn Huskies have taken a page out of Al Davis' playbook: just win, baby.
The school's women's basketball team, already the gold standard in the sport, notched another accomplishment to its seemingly infinite resume of achievements when it won its 100th consecutive game on Monday night, defeating a game sixth-ranked South Carolina squad, 66-55.
And Geno Auriemma's squad has met some hefty challenges along the way, knocking them down like a breakaway layup (note: this is prior to the 100th win).
UConn hasn't lost a game since November 6, 2014 against Stanford. And that was in overtime. Double overtime. That loss ended a 46-game winning streak and is one of many absurd stats about this run that make you realize the team may be even more dominant than you already thought.
There have been other streaks in history: Joe DiMaggio hit in 56 straight games, the Los Angeles Lakers won 33 straight games, Cal Ripken Jr. played in 2,632 games, Martina Navratilova won 74 consecutive matches, Jerry Rice went 274 games in a row with a catch and Wayne Gretzky scored a point in 51 straight games. They're all feats steeped in sports lore now, to go alongside UConn's dominance.
The number 100, though, is what stands out. There's something intimidating about it, isn't there? Doing anything 100 consecutive times is tough. (Don't agree? Try eating 100 Saltines without drinking anything.) And to keep a streak alive with different teams is impressive -- juggling different players is a skill, but Auriemma doesn't miss a beat. To be sure, this year's team lost the top three picks in the WNBA draft. Not just three players, but the top three players. UConn doesn't rebuild -- it reloads.