C Vivian Stringer

Nobody would argue that Candace Parker's name deserves a special place on a short list of the greatest players in the storied history of the Tennessee women's basketball program. Nobody but Parker. Her reasoning is simple. "All the greats at Tennessee won championships," said the national player of the year. "That seals the deal." By that criteria, the 6-foot-4 sophomore from Naperville, Ill.

Before its season opener Friday night against defending NCAA women's basketball champion Baylor, UCLA watched as the Bears unfurled their Division I title banner in Ferrell Arena. When the game started, the Bruins tried to show Baylor this was a different season. But the sixth-ranked Bears (2-0) looked like title contenders again in a 93-85 victory.

Rutgers used a 13-0 run to end the game Sunday and upset No. 4-ranked Texas, 51-47, ending the Longhorns' 41-game home winning streak. The 24th-ranked Scarlet Knights (8-2) overcame an 18-point deficit and held Texas (7-3) scoreless in the last 8 1/2 minutes. Freshman Matee Ajavon scored 12 of her game-high 16 points in the second half for Rutgers. It marked the second consecutive victory over a fellow member of the 700-win club for Coach C.

In the end, Bobby Cremins made it easy for everybody. The white-haired coach who took Georgia Tech's woeful program to national prominence before watching it fall into mediocrity the last four years, announced Friday that he will retire at the end of the season. The news was a welcome relief for Athletic Director Dave Braine, who attended the news conference along with school President Dr. G. Wayne Clough and members of the basketball team.

After top-ranked Connecticut won its ninth straight Big East title and moved within a game of an undefeated regular season, Coach Geno Auriemma wanted his four seniors to let it sink in. "It's not easy, that's why I want these guys to appreciate it," Auriemma said after Connecticut beat Rutgers, 80-42, Saturday at Piscataway, N.J. The four seniors to whom Auriemma was referring--Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tamika Williams and Ashja Jones--have posted a 129-9 record.

Sometimes things work out the way they are designed, even though others try to upset the plans. When Iowa beat USC, and Cal State Long Beach defeated Washington Thursday night in the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. West Regional women's basketball semifinals, the predictions held true. The two best teams in the region will meet for the right to advance to the Final Four April 1-3 at Tacoma, Wash. Iowa, seeded No. 1 in the region and ranked No. 2 nationally, will play No. 2-seeded and No.

Jessica Davenport has the stats and the accolades. She also has a team playing in the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament. What the Ohio State star doesn't have is an attitude -- something that sets her apart from so many other elite players. "Isn't that a shame?" coach Jim Foster said in mock disgust. "She's humble, she's hardworking, she's mature. And we're talking about that as being different? We'd better re-evaluate what we do, from top to bottom, if that's different."

Pirmin Zurbriggen and Michela Figini led Switzerland to 1-2 finishes in the men's and women's downhills at the World Alpine Ski Championships Sunday, while American Doug Lewis scored a surprising third in the men's race at Bormio, Italy. Zurbriggen, making a remarkable comeback only 20 days after a knee operation, took the men's downhill in 2 minutes 6.68 seconds. His teammate, veteran Peter Mueller, clocked 2:06.79 to win the silver medal, edging Lewis, who won the bronze in 2:06.82.

Shea Ralph scored a career-high 30 points as No. 1 Connecticut defeated Washington, 101-81, at Storrs, Conn. Ralph came off the bench to provide a spark to Connecticut, which struggled early. She scored 13 first-half points, including the final eight, to give Washington (2-2) a 47-41 lead at the break. Tamika Williams added 18 points for Connecticut (4-0). No.

The play that more than any other put Tennessee into Sunday's NCAA women's basketball final arrived with 12:23 to play and it was inevitable that it would be successful. Tennessee, tied in knots for the most part by a Rutgers defense that was every bit as ferocious as billed, had a two-point lead before national player of the year Tamika Catchings drilled a three-point shot.