Penn junior Karen Habrukowich understands the opportunity that sits in front of the Penn women's basketball team this weekend.
"Going to the Big Dance, we all understand how important this is," Habrukowich said. "We've been dreaming about this since we were little and started playing basketball. It's every girl's dream to go to the NCAA Tournament."
The Quakers (17-10, 11-3 Ivy) will go up against two-time defending champion Connecticut (25-4, 14-2 Big East) Sunday at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn.
The Huskies feature Diana Taurasi, widely considered to be the best player in women's college basketball. But Penn coach Kelly Greenberg cautioned that her opponents are much more than one player.
"The difference in our level to their level is really the size," Greenberg said. "Right now, we need to talk about Barbara Turner, Jessica Moore and [Willnett] Crockett inside. That's going to be the difference.
"They're just bigger inside. So we can't focus too much on Taurasi, because we need to be helping inside. So we need to be balanced."
The Red and Blue hope to perform better than they did the last time they qualified for the tournament in 2001, when they were defeated, 100-57, by Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas.
In order to do that, Penn will need to play its best game, and maybe more. The team is convinced that it must stay with the game plan that has worked for most of the season. Greenberg will use 10 players and attempt to create transition baskets with its defense.
Just as important for the Quakers is that they maintain their composure despite the huge crowd and ESPN2 audience.
"We just need to come out with confidence and not be scared and not say 'Wow, it's UConn out there,'" Habrukowich said. "We need to just play smart, play solid defense and just play our game, and we'll have a chance."
As a No. 15 seed, most observers give the Red and Blue little chance to pull an upset. But the Quakers need look no further than their league rival Harvard for inspiration.
In 1998, the Crimson became the only No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 seed when they upset Stanford, 75-71, at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto, Calif.
Penn will face a similar homecourt disadvantage, playing the game in the Huskies' backyard.
Connecticut has its sights set on loftier goals than winning a first-round game. But Moore, the Huskies' junior center, was quick to deny that her team is overlooking the Quakers.
"The thing about those teams that are seeded No. 15 or 16 is that you cannot take them for granted and overlook them," Moore said. "That's when they come up and surprise you.
"All of a sudden you have a game on your hands. We have to treat everybody big, because that's the only way we are going to be successful. The moment we take people for granted is the moment that we break down."
But apparently the Huskies' coach doesn't feel the same way.
On Wednesday night, ESPN's Budweiser Hot Seat featured UConn coach Geno Auriemma.
"We could lose in the second round, we could win the championship. Anything in between would not surprise me," he said.
Auriemma seems to have forgotten that the Quakers are even coming to Bridgeport.
Isn't that some interesting bulletin board material for coach Greenberg?
But rather than talk about UConn, Greenberg preferred to talk about her own team, specifically her high hopes for seniors Jewel Clark and Mikaelyn Austin.
"I expect us to come out overanxious, overexcited, overwhelmed," Greenberg said. "And then I expect Jewel and Mik to really calm us down, to step up and say, 'OK, we were here before.
"I think that those two are really gonna step up and calm us down. And I expect us to do pretty well to be honest. I think we match up pretty well."
For Greenberg and the Quakers, this will be an unprecedented opportunity.
At the very least, it will be an opportunity to give exposure to the program and get NCAA experience.
At most, it's an opportunity to shock the world.
