Battling the odds associated with defending a championship and the loss of their senior leaders in the backcourt, Head Coach Pat Summitt’s 1996-1997 Lady Vols basketball team had a nearly impossible task on their hands. In fact, most people thought this would be a rebuilding year for Tennessee. Led by All-American Chamique Holdsclaw and point guard Kellie Jolly, the team made perhaps the most improbable run in history to a second consecutive national championship. In winning their fifth NCAA title overall, the Lady Vols became the first women’s basketball team to claim back-to-back crowns since 1984. What made Tennessee’s ultimate success even more amazing was the fact that this team collected more losses than any Summitt-led squad in over a decade, finishing with a 29-10 record. The team advanced to the semifinals of the SEC tournament before suffering a tough 61-59 loss to eventual champion Auburn. But when you have Pat Summitt as your coach and Chamique Holdsclaw as your star, anything is possible. The Lady Vols clawed their way through regional play in the NCAA tournament to reach the final four and ultimately defeat Old Dominion for the title. Holdsclaw shone once more, pouring in twenty-four points for tournament MVP honors. She was joined on the all-tournament team by Jolly, who broke a championship game record with 11 assists. Not accustomed to playing the role of underdog, Pat Summitt and her troops achieved a remarkable accomplishment – they transformed “rebuilding” into “repeating.”
