Mr. DODD. Mr. President, on Sunday, April 2, the University of Connecticut Huskies made history by becoming the second women's basketball team ever to finish an NCAA season undefeated and win a national championship . The Huskies' dramatic 70-64 come-from-behind defeat of the Tennessee Volunteers brought their final season record to 35-0, the best finish by any team--men's or women's --in the history of NCAA basketball.

On behalf of the citizen's of Connecticut, I rise to congratulate and thank this remarkable group of young women .

Those who watched the game on Sunday afternoon may recall that as the Huskies celebrated their victory , the UConn pep band played Aretha Franklin's hit song, `Respect.' Mr. President, there simply could not have been a more appropriate accompaniment for this long-awaited celebration. Perhaps as much as any sports team in recent memory, the UConn women's basketball team has generated the respect and admiration of all who have had the privilege of watching them play. In so doing, they have reminded the citizens of Connecticut, as well as people throughout the country, what college athletics is all about.

The Huskies' list of accomplishments on the court is nothing short of amazing. On their way to the NCAA title, they broke 14 NCAA records, including most victories, longest winning streak, most points, most points in a game and largest margin of victory . In addition, four Connecticut players--Rebecca Lobo, Jen Rizzotti, Kara Walters and Jamelle Elliott--were named to the all-tournament team. That is the first time in history that four players from the same team have received this honor.

No less impressive than their basketball heroics are the Huskies' accomplishments off the court. Rebecca Lobo, winner of numerous individual basketball honors awarded by the NCAA and the Big East Conference this year, has maintained a near-perfect grade point average as a political science major and was a finalist for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. Last semester, seven of the 12 Husky players were named to the University's dean's list.

What has touched basketball fans throughout the country more than anything else, however, are those qualities exhibited by the Huskies that cannot be measured by grade point averages, records or point tallies. Anyone who saw the team play this year was struck by their tremendous enthusiasm for the game of basketball, their unwavering commitment to fair play and good sportsmanship and their obvious dedication to and respect for one another and their coaches.

In this era of season-ending strikes, multi-million dollar contract disputes, recruiting scandals and low athlete graduation rates, this group of women has reminded us that the term, `student-athlete', is not just a catch-phrase for college brochures. It is an attainable ideal to which all college athletes should aspire, and it is what makes collegiate athletics so special.

Mr. President, it is also important to recognize what this remarkable group of young women has done for women's college athletics. This year, on average, roughly 8,000 people attended the women's home games at Gampel Pavilion, which represents a 485 percent increase over the average crowd size during their 1991 Final Four season. Young girls, with their hair braided like Rebecca Lobo or wearing replicas of Jen Rizzotti's number 21 jersey, watched the team play on national television. Autograph seekers mobbed the players before and after games, and the players' mailboxes were literally flooded with letters from fans and well-wishers.

People of all ages in Connecticut and throughout the nation caught wind of `Husky-mania' and demonstrated that women's athletics could generate every bit as much enthusiasm and spectator support as men's. Nationwide, total attendance for women's college basketball games has skyrocketed from 1.3 million in 1984 to 3.6 million in 1995.

As we look back on this spectacular season of women's college basketball, it is important that we note just how far collegiate athletic programs for women have come. Once little more than small, poorly-funded intramural organizations, women's collegiate athletic teams have begun to enjoy the same status as the men's teams. This is due in part to Title IX of the Equal Education Amendment Act, the 1972 legislation that guarantees women equal opportunity in all scholastic pursuits--including sports--at schools that receive federal funding.