Dishin & Swishin: An anniversary no one wants to celebrate: A tribute to Rosalind Ross
Yesterday, I celebrated my 20th wedding anniversary with my lovely and very patient wife. I was so happy to celebrate that anniversary. Today, I have to talk about another anniversary, one I wish I did not have to.
It was one year ago today that former Oklahoma Sooner star and Los Angeles Sparks 1st round draft choice Rosalind Ross was tragically killed in a domestic situation.
Ross never played in the WNBA, but it was grit and determination that made her excel on the collegiate level. Prior to her time at Oklahoma, she was a two-time Junior College All-American at Northeastern Oklahoma. She played through constant knee pain. In fact, it was her knee issues that prevented her from having a WNBA career.
At the time of her passing, Oklahoma Coach Sherri Coale said:
The entire Oklahoma women’s basketball family is saddened by the sudden and tragic loss of Rosalind Ross. She was an integral part of that incredibly special 2002 national runner-up team that put our program on the map. She was the consummate competitor, a teammate in the truest sense of the word. Her contribution and legacy are forever etched in our program’s history.
To fully understand the impact Rosalind Ross had on her family, and on her friends, I suggest you listen to this podcast, A Tribute to Rosalind Ross we recorded last year with Ross’ loved ones and former teammates, and also to visit a special Facebook page setup as to Remember Rosalind Ross.
[display_podcast]In closing, I would just like to remind each of you that nothing is a given, and that life can be taken in the blink of an eye, so enjoy what you have, and take nothing for granted. And by all means, if you are involved in a domestic situation that is a powder keg, get out as fast as possible.
- Oklahoma Photo Gallery: Remembering Rosalind Ross
- WNBA Playerfile
- Oklahoma Playerfile
- Former Tech, Oklahoma basketball standout shot outside restaurant Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- Box Score: Oklahoma vs. Connecticut, March 31, 2002, NCAA Championship Game
- In the midst of life Mechelle Voepel on Rosalind Ross
- Rosalind Ross Visits the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center Los Angeles Sparks online archive
