The women's basketball team has proven to be one of the most dominant teams in any collegiate sport of the past 15 years. After defeating the University of Southern Maine in the 2000 national championship game, the Bears became the only Division III basketball team to win three straight national titles and just the second basketball team in NCAA history at any level to post back-to-back undefeated national championship seasons. One year later, the Bears became just the second team in NCAA women's history to win four straight national championships. Included in their run of four straight titles was a streak of 81 wins, surpassed only by the UCLA men's teams of the early 1970s that won 88 straight. The Bears' first national title (above) came in the 1997-98 season with a 77-69 victory, also against Southern Maine. The Bears have won 20 or more games in 15 of the past 17 years (including a school-record 30 wins in 1998-99 and 1999-2000) and have captured the last seven University Athletic Association titles. Over the past seven seasons, the Bears are 189-12.
Washington University is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2003-04.
