When Kerry Bascom was a kid growing up in Epping, New Hampshire, she played sports with the Boys. No organized sports until 7th grade when she played basketball. In eighth grade she made the Junior Varsity, but that lasted just five games, Why ? She was moved up to the Varsity, as an eighth grader. Where the multi-sport athlete (Volleyball and Softball) helped lead her team to the New Hampshire Class S State Championship as a Sophomore. Then State Class M Runner-Ups as a Junior and Senior. She also played on a stacked New Hampshire AAU Team in which 11 of the 12 players went onto play Division I Basketball.
While BC, Syracuse, Rutgers and BU were on the radar, Bascom got comfortable with Geno Auriemma and Chris Dailey at UConn. While the others promised the world, even back then at UConn, the hard work one put in would determine what they did with the Huskies....This was a transitional period for UConn Women's Basketball as the Juniors and Seniors weren't recruited by Geno & CD. As a Freshman in the 1987-88 season, Bascom came off the bench averaging 8 points and 5 boards per game in a 17-11 season. Only the third winning campaign in Storrs. But that elusive Big East Tournament win still awaited the Huskies.
That changed in the 1988-89 season when Bascom, Laura Lishness and a string Freshmen class that included Wendy Davis, Meg Pattyson and Debbie Baer took off...A 24-6 season, the first Big East Regular Season Championship and not only a Big East Tournament Game win, their first Championship and NCAA Tournament berth. With Bascom averaging just shy of 23ppg and 8 rebounds per game to earn Big East Player of the Year Honors. But the young Huskies weren't ready to get an NCAA win, losing to LaSalle in the first round.
Bascom repeated as Big East Player of the Year in the 89'-90' season. 21 points and 9 rebounds per game as the Huskies won the regular season crown for a second straight season. They'd lose the Big East Final to Arch-Rival Providence. Then suffer a heart breaking loss to Clemson at home when Bascom's potential game winning shot clanged the rim in the NCAA's.
Geno Auriemma was starting to wonder if the Huskies could get past the "Conference Power" player to National Contender. He knew the 1990-91 season would be a make or break season for the program. Bascom again would lead the way averaging 20p and 8 boards per game and named Big East POY for a third straight season. They'd win the Tournament Title beating Providence at Georgetown...And now a three seed in the NCAA's...Where Bascom scored 39 in an 81-80 win, Bascom the game winner in Storrs and the drive to a Final Four was on. In Philadelphia, the Huskies bested N.C. State and got revenge on Clemson on Geno Auriemma's Birthday, at the Palestra and the Huskies made their first Final Four.
Yes, the run in New Orleans was ended by Dawn Staley, Tonya Cardoza and a talented Virginia team that UConn kept well below their season scoring average. While the Huskies didn't get the title, Bascom was named a unanimous All American. UConn's first of many. Following her graduation with a degree in Sociology, she played a few years in Europe, but now being married, she needed to be home. First joining the staff with New Hampshire WBB, then after five years, she got involved in Special Olympics and working with developmentally disabled adults. And in 2005, Kerry Bascom was the first of the inaugural class of the "Huskies of Honor" as she is enshrined forever at Gampel Pavilion.
Bascom didn't come to Storrs for the facilities or due to the fact it wasn't a national power yet. She came to UConn becaue it felt like home and she wanted to be part of something special. Mission Accomplished !! Kerry Bascom, a UConn Legend and Women's Basketball's First All American !!