March 07, 2024

March Madness: Carolyn Peck, Stephanie White and Ukari Figgs Reflect on the 25th Anniversary of Purdue Winning the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship

1 hour 13 minutes

In this episode of “This Is Purdue,” we’re talking to former head coach Carolyn Peck and co-captains Stephanie White and Ukari Figgs as they reflect on the Purdue women’s basketball team’s 1999 NCAA National Championship.

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of this legendary win and listen as Coach Peck, Stephanie and Ukari share more about this historic season and the real story behind what happened when they arrived in San Jose for the Final Four of March Madness.

From starting the season beating No. 1-ranked Tennessee and selling out Mackey Arena for the first time ever to finally hoisting the championship trophy and cutting down the net after beating Duke in that championship game, you’ll hear behind-the-scenes stories from these three women who experienced it all. And you certainly don’t want to miss Ukari’s story about taking a mechanical engineering exam during the Final Four.

Plus, Stephanie, head coach of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, and Ukari, a mechanical engineer at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, discuss balancing Purdue’s academics while fighting for a national championship. They also share how Purdue helped set them up for success within the WNBA and, later, their careers outside of playing professional basketball.

The friendship, commitment, determination and, of course, Boilermaker spirit that led this legendary women’s team to a national championship will forever be celebrated in the Purdue community.

Relive all the heart-wrenching, jaw-dropping and emotional moments in this special episode of “This Is Purdue.”

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By Purdue University