UConn women’s basketball announced a home-and-home series with Shea Ralph’s Vanderbilt team on Wednesday. The Huskies will host the Commodores first in 2027-28 and then make the return trip to Nashville
in 2028-29.
“I am so excited for this opportunity to compete against UConn and to return to the place where this journey began for me,” Ralph said in a release. “It will be special to see the fans, coaches, administrators, teammates and friends who have been part of my journey. Our mission at Vanderbilt is to compete for championships and this series will serve as another opportunity to prepare us for those goals.”
Ralph played at UConn from 1996-2001, earning consensus All-American honors in 2000. That same season, she led the Huskies to their second national championship while capturing the Final Four Most Outstanding Player award. In the program’s record books, she ranks 21st on the all-time scoring list (1,678 points), 10th in field goal percentage (57.9), second in free throws made (473), 10th in free throw percentage (81.4) and 10th in steals (270).
Knee injuries ultimately derailed Ralph’s playing career. She tore the ACL in her right knee against Lehigh in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 1997, then tore it again five months later. In 2001, Ralph suffered a torn ACL in her left knee during the Big East Tournament final, ending her collegiate career. After being taken in the third round of the 2001 WNBA Draft by the Utah Starzz, she went down with a torn left ACL again in 2002.
Ralph began her coaching career at Pittsburgh in 2003 but joined the staff at her alma mater in 2008. She spent 13 years with the Huskies, where she helped win six national championships before becoming the head coach at Vanderbilt in 2021.
Now in her fifth season with the Commodores, Ralph’s squad is in the midst of a breakout campaign. After reaching the last two NCAA Tournaments, Vanderbilt is off to an 18-0 start and is up to No. 5 in the AP Poll. The Commodores are one of two undefeated teams left in the country along with UConn.
They’re led by sophomore Mikayla Blakes, who’s averaging 25.0 points per game — second-most in Division I. Last year, she claimed the USBWA National Freshman of the Year award and was named a USBWA Second Team All-American and an AP Third Team All-American.
Vanderbilt has plenty of UConn connections beyond Ralph. Assistant coach Kaili McLaren played for the Huskies from 2006-2010 while fellow assistant Kevin DeMille served as a practice player, manager and graduate assistant as a student in Storrs. Meanwhile, junior guard Aga Makurat is the younger sister of former UConn guard, Anna Makurat.
The Huskies are 6-2 all-time against the Commodores. Vanderbilt won the first two meetings — a 75-47 victory in the second round of 1992 NCAA Tournament followed by a 57-37 decision the following season — while UConn has captured the last six contests. The Huskies got payback in the NCAA Tournament with wins in the 1996 Elite Eight (67-57) and 2013 second round (77-44).
The most recent matchup came on Nov. 13, 2019 — a 64-51 triumph for UConn in Nashville during Crystal Dangerfield’s homecoming game.
