Anne Donovan

Anne_Donovan-1
Anne Donovan, circa 1979-1983

Anne Donovan (1961-2018) was a member of one of the most prolific women’s basketball teams ever at Old Dominion University (ODU). A highly sought after recruit in high school, Donovan chose ODU over 200 other schools and led the Lady Monarchs to the 1979-1980 Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) championship and was the first female recipient of the Naismith College basketball player of the year in 1983. Donovan passed away on June 13, 2018, of heart failure in Wilmington, North Carolina at the age of 56.

Accomplishments

A native of Ridgewood, New Jersey, the 6-8 center earned Parade Player of the Year honors as a senior in 1979. In 1979, Donovan joined All-Americans Nancy Lieberman and Inge Nissen at ODU to form one of the best women’s collegiate basketball teams in the country. Throughout her career at ODU, Donovan was a three-time Kodak All-American, winner of the Naismith Trophy for the national Player of the Year, and completed her four years at ODU with a 3.5 GPA. When she graduated in 1983, Donovan amassed 2,719 points, 1,976 rebounds, and 801 blocks, an NCAA record.

After graduating in 1983, Donovan returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach under Wendy Larry from 1987-1997. She later served as head coach at East Carolina University, Interim Head Coach with the Indiana Fever of the WNBA, and in 2001, was named Head Coach of the Charlotte Sting. She coached several teams before resigning from the Connecticut Sun in 2015.

Donovan also played for the 1984 and 1988 United State Women’s Basketball teams, winning the gold medal in Seoul, Korea in 1984. In 2008, she coached the United States Women’s Basketball team to the gold medal, becoming the first person to win a gold medal as a player and a coach. She is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, and the ODU Sports Hall of Fame.

Resources

  1. Old Dominion University Athletics Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Perry Library, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, 23529.
  2. Old Dominion University Photographic and Multimedia Collection, Special Collections and University Archives, Perry Library, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, 23529.
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