Good, Better, Best

Fortunately, Holdsclaw's burgeoning popularity has done nothing to subvert her play or her blithe spirit, both of which have blossomed this season. After two tours of duty on the U.S. national team last summer, she has developed her game to the point where even the exacting Summitt feels comfortable heaping on praise. "I think she's the best," says Summitt. "I've said that all year. Before this season I didn't think she was committed to running the floor, and her defense was average, and her ball handling was below average." Because she is now surrounded by other prolific scorers, such as Catchings and Randall, who averaged 18.2 and 15-9 points, respectively, Holdsclaw's offensive burden has eased, and she has been able to work on other parts of her game.

"This year I realized how good I can be," says Holdsclaw, who led the national team in scoring and rebounding, as its only collegian. "What was holding me back was that I never wanted to consider myself one of the top players. That's the way I motivate myself. I always put a person ahead of me and try to climb up to that person. Last year the player that I put on that pedestal was Nykesha Sales [of Connecticut]. From playing on that USA team, I got it in my head that no college player in the country was getting the experience that I was getting. So I figured I better go back to college with some kind of work ethic, some knowledge of the game."

Defense, says Lady Vols assistant coach Mickie DeMoss, has been Holdsclaw's "most glaring" area of improvement this season. "Everyone in the country knows that I can score," says the 6'2" Holdsclaw. "I figured, I'm quick, big, athletic, and I know I can stop someone. When I see all these players around me—even those that aren't as gifted athletically as I am—go out there and play great defense, I say, 'Mique, you've got to pick it up a little bit. You can't have any weaknesses in your game."

Not that her teammates have seen any lately. "When you're guarding Chamique Holdsclaw, you can't back off of her," says Jolly. "You can't go guard her for the three. You can't assume, when she starts penetrating, that she'll take it all the way; she can pull up and shoot a jump shot. And she finishes. It doesn't matter if she has an open look, and it doesn't matter where she's shooting from, she finishes. She has elevated her game, and the game of women's basketball."

(She has even elevated the virtual game: The Michigan men players, who spent most of their free time at the Atlanta sub-regional playing the video game March Madness 98, found out they could make the virtual Holdsclaw dunk but not the animated version of Connecticut's Sales.)

"Chamique has been so coachable this year," says DeMoss. "Last year there were times when she got frustrated. I know she felt a lot of pressure to carry the team. Pat may get on her about something, and she'd say, Well, I'm doing all I can. Now you say, Chamique, you didn't switch on that screen, and she'll say, I know, my fault.' I think it's maturity, and I really don't think she feels the pressure anymore. She may, but she looks like she's really having fun this year."

That could be the main reason Holdsclaw will stay in Knoxville next season rather than become the first female undergrad to challenge the pro leagues' no-underclassmen rule. "If they're going to pay you $25 million, sure you go," she says of the ABL and the WNBA. "But right now the salaries aren't enough for me to get up and leave. I have a commitment to this program, a commitment to my grandmother [to get a diploma] and a commitment to this team. We all get along great, we're winning. If we have the team that's considered the best this year, it's going to be better next year. We've got some recruits coming in."

DeMoss worries that Tennessee will be expected to keep replenishing the wealth of talent that Summitt's staff has assembled. "This team is so good, honestly," says DeMoss. "Now we've created this monster, this standard, and I don't know if we'll be capable of ever repeating this. I've been recruiting 21 years, and I knew Randall and Catchings were two very special athletes. That quality doesn't come around very often. And for us to get both of them? Along with Chamique?"

Could the Lady Vols become the UCLA of women's basketball and match the Bruins' streak of seven consecutive championships? They took another step in that direction on Sunday with their resounding victory, which was something worth celebrating as the night ticked away. But first there was one little thing Holdsclaw had to attend to. Before the Final Four she had written " '96 '97" and a "?" on her right shoe. Was there ever really any question?