Numerically speaking, 17-year-old Mikayla Coombs has an impressive individual win streak going. She estimates she has won 200 consecutive one-on-one games against her brother, Carrington.
Of course, Carrington is just 9 years old.
"I never let him win," said Coombs, a 5-foot-10 guard at the Wesleyan School (Peachtree Corners, Georgia) and one of four high school seniors who has committed to the Connecticut women's basketball team.
On Saturday in Dallas, Coombs' future program, the Huskies, will put a considerably more impressive win streak on the line. The top-ranked Huskies, who have won 90 consecutive games, will visit SMU. If the Huskies prevail, as expected, they will break their program's record for the longest win streak in the history of college basketball.
"I don't think they know about my streak yet," joked Coombs, the No. 14 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Top 100 for the 2017 class.
Coombs' future teammate, Lexi Gordon, will be in attendance Saturday in Dallas. Gordon, a 5-11 wing from L.D. Bell (Hurst, Texas), will make the 50-minute drive from her home in Fort Worth to Moody Coliseum accompanied by her parents and younger sister. Gordon is thrilled that she will get a chance to witness history.
"I made the plan to come to this game a month ago," said Gordon, the No. 29 senior prospect in the country. "At that time, I had no idea [this game could break the record]. But now I'm really excited."
The trip
Megan Walker and Andra Espinoza-Hunter, the other recruits in Connecticut's four-player recruiting class, are excited as well.
Walker, a 6-1 wing from Monacan (Richmond, Virginia), is the No. 1 prospect in the nation. Espinoza-Hunter, a 5-10 guard from Ossining (New York), is ranked 37th. All four recruits were on the Connecticut campus Sept. 16-18, but Walker had yet to commit at that time.
"They tried to convince me in subtle ways," Walker said. "They would make jokes, saying, 'We're waiting on this one.' But I could feel our bond. I felt that it would be great to experience college with them."
Despite that feeling, Walker didn't decide on Connecticut during her trip. And she didn't decide on the Huskies in the days or weeks after she left Storrs.
Finally, in November, Coombs was driving home from school when she got a text that made her scream with delight.
"It was from Andi," Coombs said of Espinoza-Hunter. "She said [Walker] had committed to UConn. I didn't believe her at first. But when I got home, I checked Twitter, and I saw Megan's video. I ran upstairs and told my parents."
At that point, Coombs, Gordon and Espinoza-Hunter added Walker to their group text called "UConn '17 Commits." The thread comes equipped with a blue heart and a photo of a husky dog.
"Welcome to the family" was the first text sent to Walker.
Walker, who listed Notre Dame and Texas as her other finalists, said playing with girls she was comfortable with "sealed the deal." The other big factor, she said, was the Connecticut coaching staff that has orchestrated this historic streak.
"I know," Walker said, "that playing for Coach [Geno] Auriemma will help me."
The heat is on
There's a chance the Huskies will run the table and win a fifth straight title this year, and that creates even more pressure for the 2017 recruits. All four girls understand the dynasty they have joined and don't want to be the ones who mess up a great thing.
"There will definitely be some pressure," Walker said. "But all you can do is embrace that."
Espinoza-Hunter said the responsibility to keep the tradition going extends beyond the players.
"Everyone who is a part of the program is held to high accountability," she said. "But if I remain calm, I will have the support of my coaches and teammates, and I will be able to handle the pressure."
Espinoza-Hunter said she got a preview of what it was like to be a Connecticut player when she and the other three scrimmaged with and against current Huskies.
"It's hard to wrap your head around it." Lexi Gordon
Coombs and Walker were on one team -- and they ran off seven wins in a row before losing. The winners stayed on the court, and the losing players, including Gordon and Espinoza-Hunter, shuttled in and out.
"I was a little nervous," Espinoza-Hunter said. "Just being on the court with those girls, you could feel the intensity."
Espinoza-Hunter said she learned some things about "The Connecticut Way" during those scrimmages. For example, if a player gets a breakaway layup, her four teammates have to -- at minimum -- sprint past the half-court line.
"I like that rule," she said, "because you never know what can happen."
Another thing she noticed was the players' connection.
"At UConn, everyone is engaged, on the court and on the bench," Hunter-Espinoza said. "When someone makes a shot, everyone goes crazy on the bench. And that energy from the bench transfers onto the court. I tried to bring that attitude back to my high school this season."
Epic streak
There have been a lot of great streaks in sports. Hurdler Edwin Moses won 122 consecutive races, the UCLA men's basketball team won 88 straight games, Julio Cesar Chavez won 87 consecutive boxing matches, Martina Navratilova took 74 consecutive tennis matches, and, of course, Joe DiMaggio had at least one hit in 56 consecutive games.
Connecticut, with two win streaks of 90 games, certainly belongs on that elite list -- and maybe even at the top.
As to when this run will end, no one knows, of course. All four recruits are hoping to inherit it next season. For now, they're just as amazed as the rest of us.
"It's crazy," Gordon said. "It's hard to wrap your head around it."