Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Posted: Wednesday June 09, 1999 10:42 AM
The twenty-six inductees in the inaugural class of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame located in Knoxville, Tenn.:
Lidia Alexeeva
Played on Soviet National Team in 1950s
Coached Soviet teams to gold medals in 1976, 1980 Olympics
Guided Soviet team to four FIBA World Championship Titles (1967, 1971, 1975, 1983)
Registered 14 European Championships and 17 USSR National Championships
Senda Berenson Abbott
"The Mother of Women's Basketball"
Pioneered women's basketball a the director of physical education at Smith College
Modified original rules of "basket ball" invented by James Naismith for her female classes
Carol Blazejawski
One the games most prolific scorers, appropriately known as the "The Blaze"
Tallied 3, 199 points during a phenomenal collegiate career at Montclair (N.J.) State College from 1974-78
First-ever recipient of the Wade Trophy as 1978 Collegiate Player of the Year
A three-time Kodak All-American (1976, 1977, 1978)
Joanne Bracker
Provided distinguished leadership to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
Served on NAIA's Division I National Tournament Committee, National Division of Competition Committee
Member of NAIA Kodak All-American Selection Committee
Compiled 571-182 record for .758 winning percentage during 28-year coaching career at Midland Lutheran College
Jody Conradt
Winningest coach in women's collegiate basketball history
Entering 23rd season at University of Texas, has a record of 592-148; overall record of 709-210
Guided Texas to an NCAA title in 1986 as the Longhorns went 34-0, the first NCAA Division I women's team to post a flawless record
Joan Crawford
13-time AAU All-American
Helped lead Nashville Business College to 10 AAU titles, including eight consecutive (1961-1969)
Named Most Valuable Player at the 1963 and 1964 AAU National Tournament
Collected a pair of gold medals at the 1959 and 1963 Pan American Games
Denise Curry
Two-time Olympian (1980, 1984)
Tallied 3,198 points during her collegiate career, scoring the most points ever by a Bruin, male or female
A three-time Kodak All-American and Academic All-American
Named USA Basketball Player of the Year in 1981
Anne Donovan
A three-time Olympian (1980, 1984, 1988)
A three-time Kodak All-American during her collegiate career at Old Dominion University
Scored 2,719 points and collected 1,976 rebounds and 801 blocked shots during her collegiate career at ODU
Helped ODU go 37-1 and win an AIAW National Championship in 1980 as a freshman
Finished her collegiate career averaging a double-double (20.0 ppg and 14.5 rbg)
Carol Eckman
Commonly referred to as the "Mother of National Collegiate Championships"
Established first National Invitational Women's International Basketball Tournament in 1969, served as formation of AIAW
Served as coach at West Chester State College from 1967 to 1972
Coached one season at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1973) and four years at Lock Haven State College (1974-1977)
Betty Jo Graber
Established one of, if not the first, women's basketball programs in the Southwest
Compiled a 438-375 record in 34 years at Weatherford College
Voted National Junior College Coach of the Year in 1980
Represented the NJCAA on the ABAUSA Women's Games Committee (1977-1988), ABAUSA Council (1980-1984)
Lusia Harris Stewart
The prototypical center in modern women's collegiate basketball
Scored the first points in Olympic women's basketball history as a member of the 1976 US Olympic team
A three-time Kodak All-American at Delta State University
Led the Lady Statesmen to three consecutive AIAW National Championships (1975-77) and overall record of 109-6
John Head
Truly among the pioneer coaches of women's basketball
Coached women's basketball for 31 years, including 17 seasons at Nashville Business College (1952-1969)
Registered a 689-95 worksheet at NBC
Led the USA to gold medal at the 1963 Pan American Games
Coached USA women's teams to a pair of World Championships in 1953 and 1957
Nancy Lieberman-Cline
Youngest basketball player in Olympic history to win a medal as she helped US to a silver medal at the age of 18 in 1976 Olympics
A three-time Kodak All-American
Led Old Dominion to back-to-back AIAW National Championships in 1979, 1980 as well as an overall record of 72-2
Only two-time winner of Wade Trophy
Darlene May
Internationally recognized as one of women's basketball's all-time premier officials
First female to officiate an Olympic women's basketball game when she refereed in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles
Winningest coach in NCAA Division II women's basketball history
Posted career record of 519-119 (.813 winning percentage) in 20 years as coach at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona
Ann Meyers-Drysdale
First four-time Kodak All-American
First woman to receive a full athletic scholarship to UCLA
Played on the first women's Olympic basketball team, earning a silver medal at the Montreal Games in 1976
Helped lead UCLA to the AIAW National Championships as a senior in 1978
Cheryl Miller
One of the most decorated high school and collegiate women's basketball players in history
Scored 105 points in a single game as a prepster
Four-time Kodak All-American
Led USC to a 112-20 record and back-to-back NCAA titles in 1983 and 1984
Guided the US to gold medals in 1984 Olympic Games, 1983 Pan American Games and 1986 Goodwill Games
Billie Moore
The first USA Olympic women's basketball coach, serving as coach for the 1976 team which earned a silver medal in Montreal
Compiled a 436-196 record in 24 years on the collegiate level, going 296-191 in 16 seasons at UCLA and 140-15 at Cal State-Fullerton
Guided UCLA to a AIAW National Championship in 1978 and Cal State-Fullerton to a National title in 1970
Shin-ja Park
Recognized as the single most outstanding player in Asia for a period of 12 years
Selected as the MVP of the fifth FIBA World Championships in 1967 as South Korea finished second
Served as the administrator for both the 1979 FIBA World Championships and the 1988 Seoul Olympics
Harley Redin
Coach of the Hutcherson Flying Queens of Wayland Baptist University
Compiled a 431-66 record in 18 years as coach of the Flying Queens
Won first 76 games he coached to complete Wayland's 131-game winning streak in the 1950s
Guided Wayland to six AAU National Titles
Coached 30 players who merited 55 AAU All-American citations and eight players who received NWIT All-American distinction 15 times
Uljana Semjonova
Dominant force on international basketball scene
A seven-foot plus stalwart for the Soviet National team for over two decades
Collected some 45 medals in her career which began in 1968
A two-time Olympic gold medallist, playing for Soviet National Championships, 11 from European Championships, 3 World Championships
Jim Smiddy
Stands alone as winningest basketball coach at any level in history of the sport
Posted a 1,217-206 ledger during the 45-year coaching career for an .855 winning percentage
Coached eight seasons at Charleston (Tenn.) High School before taking over the reins of the Bradley Central (Tenn.) High School program in 1957
Guided Bearettes to five state championships (1962, 1970, 1973, 1975, 1976) and to national titles in 1975 and 1976
Pat Head Summitt
Compiled an overall record of 664-143 in 24 seasons as head coach at University of Tennessee
Guided the Tennessee Lady Vols to six NCAA Championships (1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998)
Coached USA to first gold medal in women's basketball competition in the 1984 Olympics
Earned a silver medal as co-captain of the 1976 US Olympic squad
Bertha Teague
Known a "Mrs. Basketball of Oklahoma"
Coached from 1936-1969, amassing a career record of 1,152-115 for a winning percentage of .910
Guided Byng (Okla.) High School to 38 conference tiels, 27 district championships and 22 state tournament berths
Won eight state crowns at Byng and finished as state runner-up seven times
Margaret Wade
Coached 21 years on the high school level, compiling a 453-89 record at Marietta, Belden and Cleveland High Schools in Mississippi
Resurrected Delta State's women's basketball program in 1973-74 at the age of 60
Went 16-2 her first season then reeled off three AIAW National Championships (1975, 1976, 1977) and a 93-4 record that included a 51-game winning streak
The Wade Trophy, given annually to the top women's collegiate player, is named in her honor
Qualifications: Voting is based on various factors which may include moral character, integrity, sportsmanship, record of performance, ability, national or international recognition, and contributions to the game of women's basketball.
Contributions shall be evaluated on the significance of their accomplishments to women's basketball whether on a voluntary basis or performing the duties of a salaried position.
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