Tennessee triumphed in the title game.

Rebounding — especially offensive rebounding — was critical. UT had a 23 to 11 edge on the o-boards. Combine that with a turnover advantage, and Tennessee had far more possessions. They passed poorly (more turnovers than assists) and shot poorly (34%), but with so many more chances, it didn't matter.

Parker was very good, but she wasn't alone. Anosike cleared the glass. Spencer knocked down jumpers. And Bobbitt hit three-pointers at key times. “Who broke our backs was Bobbitt,” said CVS.

Rutgers just looked... different. Suddenly unsure of themselves. Out of sorts. (And stupid — why didn't someone play up on Bobbitt? Why didn't they start pressing sooner?)

"I know that this whole experience is something that they will never forget," coach Stringer said. "But I'll always know that we (were) just that close."

The Vols thus captured their seventh championship, their first in nine years. "I never thought it would be nine years," assistant Holly Warlick said.

"This team decided they wanted to be good in the off-season, and they worked really hard, came together, and they've been very, very coachable," coach Pat Summitt said. "We just grew as a team, and our goal all along was to win a national championship. I felt like they were a team that was not going to be denied and was going to do what they had to do to make it happen."

With the win, Parker cemented her legacy as one of the college game's greatest players.

"We all came to Tennessee wanting a national championship," she said before the game. "I've followed the program since I was a little kid. I know the history behind the program and know that if you don't win a national championship at the University of Tennessee you're deemed a failure."

And Pat built her legacy as on of the most important figures in the history of women's sports.