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Site: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tenn.

Tournament MVP: Jennifer Azzi, Stanford

With the Cardinal clinging to a 48-46 advantage, Jennifer Azzi (17 points) took over the game. She fired a lead pass to Julie Zeilstra for a layup. She canned a pull-up jumper from 16 feet. Then she took an inbounds feed from Katy Steding and buried a three-pointer to cap a 9-2 run. The Cardinal never looked back.

Auburn's highlight came in the semifinal, when it shocked 32-0 Louisiana Tech. Coach Joe Ciampi's sliding 2-3 zone didn't figure to stop the Midwest Regional champion Lady Techsters and their star, Venus Lacy. But Lacy ran into foul trouble and the Tigers roared to a 20-point first-half lead.

High Scorer: Delmonica DeHorney of Arkansas averaged 27.5 points over four games.

The Prophetic Coach: In 1995 while recruiting Azzi, a high school sensation, Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer told Azzi's parents that if their daughter signed with Stanford, the Cardinal would win the national championship before she graduated.

They Said It: "She first caught my eye because she was a white girl playing a very savvy, fluent game," Virginia's Tammi Reiss said of Azzi.

Surprise: Virginia toppled defending champ Tennessee, 79-75, in overtime in the East Regional final.

Interesting Fact: In making the final game for a third straight year, Auburn did it with a markedly different team. The Lady Tigers had lost every starter but junior forward Carolyn Jones from their Final Four teams of 1987-88 and '88-89.

Nice Gesture: Woodland Elementary in Oak Ridge, Tenn., Azzi's alma mater, sent a floral arrangement garnished with gingerbread men to her at the Cardinal's hotel in Knoxville.

Dubious Record: Auburn became the first team to lose three consecutive finals.

All-Tournament Team: Jennifer Azzi, Stanford; Katy Steding, Stanford; Chantel Tremitiere, Auburn; Carolyn Jones, Auburn; and Venus Lacy, Louisiana Tech.