Class of 1996

Anne Donovan

Standing at 6’-8”, Anne Donovan dominated the basketball court while Old Dominion University dominated college teams as National Champions. She played as a leader on three US Olympic basketball teams, two of which won gold medals, and later joined the coaching staff for the gold medal-winning US Olympic team in 2004.
 
Donovan started 136 games for the ODU Monarchs and rewrote the record books by becoming the all-time leader in scoring (2,719), and rebounding (1,976), as well as setting NCAA and ODU records for career blocked shots (801). She scored 50 points in a game against Norfolk State University, a single game record for both ODU and the state of Virginia.
 
During her collegiate career, Donovan was named All-American three years, and was awarded the 1983 Naismith Trophy signifying women’s basketball Player of the Year. She concluded her senior season by being named a First Team Academic All-American.
 
After graduation, Donovan played professional basketball in Japan (1983-1988) and in Italy (1988-1989). She represented the United States in the Olympic Games in 1980, 1984, and 1988, as well as in two World Championships in 1983 and 1986.  Donovan returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach, then became head coach at East Carolina University in 1995. 
 
Her professional coaching career began in 1998 with the now-defunct ABL Philadelphia Rage.  Donovan briefly acted as head coach for the WNBA Indiana Fever before officially taking over the reigns of the Charlotte Sting.  In 2003, she became head coach and Director of Player Personnel for the Seattle Storm, who won the WNBA title in 2004.
 
Donovan received the ultimate reward for her efforts when was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1995.  She had previously been inducted into the Old Dominion University Hall of Fame in 1988 and the CoSIDA/GTE Academic Hall of Fame in 1994.
   
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