Storrs, Conn. ? The national champion Connecticut Huskies took a final lap around Gampel Pavilion on Monday night, high-fiving fans who waited for hours to welcome them home.

The Huskies beat Oklahoma, 82-70, on Sunday night in San Antonio for their third national title. They finished 39-0, the second perfect season in school history.

“I realize what we’ve done and what we’ve accomplished, but at the same time it’s kind of weird that I’ve played my last game. That part hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Sue Bird, the AP Player of the Year.

Senior starters Bird, Tamika Williams, Asjha Jones and Swin Cash took turns thanking the crowd and their coaches. Sophomore starter Diana Taurasi captured most of the action with a video camera.

They and coach Geno Auriemma watched with the nearly 7,000 fans as highlights of the championship game played on scoreboard screens.

Dawn Riquier-Shayer, a wheelchair-bound fan from nearby Willimantic, handed Jones a sign as the 6-foot-2 forward greeted the crowd. Jones couldn’t agree more with its message, “We didn’t shock the world, we were simply the best.”

“There was never one moment in the season where I thought we were going to lose,” Jones said.

The group hug started hours earlier when the team arrived at Bradley International Airport. About 1,000 fans gathered for that homecoming.