A basketball dynasty. A dominating star player. A grueling regular seaon. A championship year. The Chicago Bulls? No, it's the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, gunning for their second consecutive NCAA women's basketball crown, and their fifth in a decade when the documentary special A CINDERELLA SEASON: THE LADY VOLS FIGHT BACK. It all started in 1996 when David Hoffman, an independent producer, suggested doing a documentary on Women’s Basketball. Reporters, Jon Alpert and Maryann DeLeo, took up the challenge. The selection of a team with “The right stuff” would be crucial since the reporters would be devoting one and a half years to the project. The University of Tennessee’s “Lady Vols” were the reigning champions, and it was suggested to feature them as the subject for this documentary. Even though the team had won the national championship in the previous season, they were not favored to win in ‘97. Besides, no team had ever won back to back consecutive championship titles, Alpert and DeLeo headed down to Knoxville TN. After talking with the “Lady Vols” charismatic coach, Pat Summitt, and three of the players, the reporters journalistic instincts started to quiver. Jon and Maryann knew this was the team they wanted to follow.
