Jamelle Elliott, one of the most tenacious players in Connecticut women's basketball history, sits on the Huskies' bench as an assistant coach these days, but she's still an agitator. The former 6-foot power forward's favorite target? Why, her own team, of course.

	UCONN THEN AND NOW
		1994-95	1999-20	2001-02
	Scoring average	89.5	86.1	87.4*
	Opp scor average	56.3	55.5	50.6*
	Scoring margin	+33.2*	+30.6*	+36.8*
	FG %	.507*	.539*	.520
	Opp FG%	.315*	.339*	.317*
	3-pt %	.387	.425*	.410*
	Rebound average	50.7	40.8	45.6
	Rebound margin	+13.8	+8.8	+15.9*
	Assists per game	22.4	20.7	21.8
	Avg blocks	7.1	4.5	5.7
	Avg steals	11.2	12.5	10.5
	* National leader

"Every chance I get, I tell them the '94-95 team was better than they were," Elliott said. "We had Rebecca Lobo, Kara Wolters, Jen Rizzotti, Pam Webber and Nykesha Sales -- that's pretty good. I say to the kids, 'You couldn't block my shot. You weren't as good between the ears as us, and our chemistry was better, too.'

"I bring it up to piss them off. The more pissed off they are, the better they're going to play as a team."

As the current 2001-2002 UConn team begins its run into the NCAA Tournament, the comparisons have begun in earnest. Which of Geno Auriemma's teams is/was the best in school history? Was it Elliott's 35-0 team, the first in NCAA history -- men or women -- to rack up 35 victories without a loss? Or is it the present 35-0 squad that features a starting five -- Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Asjha Jones, Tamika Williams and Diana Taurasi -- that some call the best they've ever seen?

And that's not the end of the argument.

What about the 1999-00 team that won the national championship and finished with a 36-1 record? Or the 33-1 squad of 1996-97 that was perfect until it lost to Tennessee in the regional final? And what about last year's team, the one that featured all five of the aforementioned stars, plus Svetlana Abrosimova and Shea Ralph? If Abrosimova and Ralph hadn't been lost to injuries many believe that team would have won the national title.

"Listen," said Chris Dailey, UConn's associate head coach, "Jamelle is extremely loyal. You don't expect her to pick against her team, do you?"

So what about it? Which team was the best?

"Ooooff," Dailey said. "I don't want to answer that one. That's not fair. What if I asked you to pick which of your children was your favorite? You can't do it."

For Elliott, anyway, it wouldn't be close.

"Hands down, they have more talent than we did," she said. "And they could beat us up and down the floor, but we'd hold the ball for 30 seconds each possession. We're taller than they are, so we'd wear them down with a zone and confuse them, too.

"Listen, I'm sure they're thinking about going 39-0. And, as soon as they do it, they're going to tell me to shut up."

We threw the searing UConn question out to some other basketball experts. Some ran with it, naming this year's Husky squad as the best in the history of the game. Here's what they said:

Mechelle Voepel, ESPN.com
The 1999-2000 team had really, really good versatility and more depth. They had everything this year's UConn has, except Taurasi, and that's big. But in 2000, they had Svetlana Abrosimova, and great leadership. And it was the one year Shea Ralph played to what she was capable of being before the injuries. Tamika, Asjha and Swin were pretty good then, too, but Swin is better now. And that team also had Kelly Schumacher, a true shot-blocker inside, which is a dimension the Huskies don't have now. Certainly, when she came up big, she was huge. I know the 1999-2000 team lost one game, and I could be wrong, but kid-wise and chemistry-wise, the 2000 team was better. Svet is a better kid than Taurasi.

Leon Barmore, Louisiana Tech coach
"This (2002) starting five is more talented than other teams. Ever? Yes, I think so. The 1998 Tennessee championship team was great. They blew us out. They might have had more depth than the current Connecticut team. But the starting five of UConn versus Tennessee '98? Bird and Taurasi would be 1 and 2 vs. Tennessee at the guards. Cash, Williams and Jones against (Chamique) Holdsclaw and that group? It's tough, but the current Connecticut team ... that starting five is pretty dern good. I'm just sold on them, to be honest with you. If this team wins it all, I think this one is the best."

Nykesha Sales, UConn 1995-98
"To be honest I think my (1994-95) team -- not just because I played on it -- would have definitely won. They don't have anyone like Rebecca, a big forward who shot 3s. Jamelle, at small forward, shot 3s. Kara, they couldn't block that hook shot she had. We would have the advantage because we were taller and could shoot outside. I'd also take Jen Rizzotti against Sue Bird because she's so tough. And, hey, I think I could go against that defense today. I'm not saying they couldn't beat us in one game on a good day, but for the most part we'll have the edge."

Mel Greenberg, writer, Philadelphia Inquirer
"I'm not so sure that, from top to bottom, the team from two years ago wasn't the best. I don't want to get into figure skating lingo, but the 2000 team had a great deal of technical merit, right from 1 to 11. The 1994-95 team was more of an artistic success. Just a very solid team with great team chemistry. They got a lot of help from the bench, with (Nykesha) Sales and (Carla) Berube. I think the 2000 team probably would have beaten them. What about the 2002 team? The way people say it to me, they score the quickest off the ball than anyone has ever seen. Ever. As soon as they touch the ball, six seconds later, it's in the basket. It's amazing."

Rebecca Lobo, UConn 1992-95
"Some people think we're third or fourth on the list? That's interesting ... How can we be third or fourth when we have one of the two titles? If you want to look at All-Americans, play a little fantasy basketball, have a great time. But if you're looking for heart, chemistry -- all of that -- we had it. It goes much farther than All-Americans. I've played on a lot of teams and none had that something, that whatever-it-takes quality. That team had it. If I had my measly $100, I'd put it on my team. A million? Hmm ... I don't know about that."

Nancy Lieberman, ESPN
This year's team is the best starting five in the history of the game. Obviously their strength is their guard play. Some of UConn's other teams might have had a better guard, but Bird and Taurasi are the best guard tandem in the game, and the Huskies' whole game starts with guard play. With four seniors, this team also has plenty of experience and is well-coached. UConn teams might have had deeper benches, but the UConn bench this season has been pretty productive. What people don't take into consideration is that while the players have improved, so has the coach. Geno, who has benefited from some Olympic experience, is a better coach in 2002 than in 1995.

Bill Fennelly, Iowa State coach
Is this the best UConn team? No question. They have great guard play, three players inside who are interchangeable. One of the things I've seen about them is that they're very athletic. The inside kids can play outside. Sue Bird is the consummate player point guard, and can shoot it and pass it. Everybody says they're vulnerable on the bench, but when they've won to many games by such large margins, those (reserves) have all gotten to play. Maybe not at crunch time, but they've played. And I don't think this year's team gets enough credit for how good they are defensively. This is one of the best women's basketball teams I've ever seen.

Kara Wolters, UConn 1994-97
"People look at that team like it played 20 years ago. OK, the starters were not so athletic, but look at the teams we beat. They were very athletic and we still managed to win. Being smart and tough can overcome athleticism every time. I wouldn't put us second on the list."

Jennifer Rizzotti, UConn 1993-96
"Think about how many phenomenal teams UConn has had -- about six of them. I'd say this team is the most talented and battle-tested. But I'm going to say the 1994-95 team (was better). Obviously, I'm biased. What would happen if we played them? Who knows? I know this team has four Naismith (award) finalists, and that they've beaten people by much bigger margins than we did. But look at the players they have. It's not the same type of player we had. We might have made it possible to get those players."

Tara VanDerveer, Stanford coach
"I'm probably the wrong person to ask because we got beat badly by that 1994-95 team. They were a great, great team. Physically, last year's team might have the most depth before the injuries. Injuries always throw a wrench into the whole thing. This current team is terrific, but are they the best? I guess we'll see."

Greg Garber is a senior writer at ESPN.com.