An era of unprecedented success in Cal women's basketball history arguably came to an end last Sunday.

With a humbling 77-53 loss to undefeated Connecticut in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, seniors Devanei Hampton, Ashley Walker and Shantrell Sneed stepped off the basketball court for the final time in their collegiate careers.

The arrival of these three players four years ago, along with coach Joanne Boyle and redshirt junior Alexis Gray-Lawson, marked the beginning of something truly historic for the program.

"Before we got there, it was just nothing," Boyle said. "So for them to be able to do what they've done, we're not a program of 25 years, we're a program of three and a half or four years. We were able to do a lot, and just to take this team to the next level."

This year, the most clear-cut evidence of growth was that Cal advanced past the second round of the NCAA tournament-the furthest a Bears team has ever gone in the Big Dance.

But there were many other highlights. The squad tied a school record with 27 victories-a mark that this group of players set last year. This year's team set records for most consecutive overall wins and most consecutive conference wins in program history.

The Bears also achieved a No. 3 national ranking-their highest ever. To top things off, Cal beat Stanford at Haas Pavilion for the first time since 1993.

So, while the journey may have ended abruptly, the players are looking back at their time here with pride.

"I'm thrilled I got a chance to play with my teammates," Walker said. "We got a Sweet 16 under our belts and we're excited."

The Bears graduate two of their premier players in Walker and Hampton. The exit of the two dominant post players has brought a wave of relief around the conference.

"Hampton and Walker, I'm going to send them flowers for graduation," USC coach Mark Trakh said. "Those two, I'm glad I only have to see them once, maybe two times in the season, because they're great players."

Just two days ago, Walker nabbed third-team All-America honors for her work this season. It was a record-filled year for the Modesto, Calif., native, as she moved into second on the program's all-time scoring list and became Cal's all-time leading rebounder.

Hampton, meanwhile, was recognized with All-Pac-10 honorable mention honors despite playing only two-thirds of the season.

A third standout from this season was Gray-Lawson. If it weren't for a torn ACL two seasons ago, the guard would have likely graduated this year. Fortunately for the Bears, the All-Pac-10 first-team honoree will be back next season.

Arguably one of the nation's best recruiting classes will be joining her.

"As a group we've made this program what it is and left a little bit of a legacy behind us so the seven freshmen coming in can see what we have done and make another push and really put Cal on the map in the next couple years," Walker said.

Thanks to seasons like this, though, the Bears have already entered the national spotlight. Before this group of players arrived, the landscape of women's basketball in the Bay Area was dominated by the Cardinal. That isn't the case anymore.

"I said, 'I can't thank you enough for everything you've given,' and I don't think they realize, from a college student's perspective, what they've done," Boyle said. "Just in the Berkeley area, the support they're receiving and the hype about women's basketball ... I can't thank them enough for that."

Tags: CAL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL, JOANNE BOYLE, DEVANEI HAMPTON, ASHLEY WALKER