Dishin & Swishin 07/03/14 Podcast: Ruth Riley calls it a career, and what a career it was!
Substance. On the court willing to do whatever is needed to win, off the court ready to step up and be an ambassador for basketball. Those are the players that are truly special and hard to find. Those are the ones that win championships.
That is the type of player Ruth Riley was throughout her career. From a spectacular career at Notre Dame that culminated with that program’s only national championship, to a gold medal for USA Basketball plus championship rings in Detroit with the Shock, Riley produced results.
If they needed 15 points one night, she could do it; if they needed 15 rebounds the next, she could do that to. In the beginning, she would give you 40 minutes in a night without complaint, and by the end if you needed her to play every few games and mentor the young players, she would do that as well.
It is a pleasure to have Ruth Riley as the guest of this week’s Dishin & Swishin podcast, to reminisce about the past, discuss the WNBA and the present, and the future of both.
Most outstanding player in the Final Four and Naismith Award winner while at Notre Dame, finals Most Valuable Player while with the Detroit Shock and the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award winner with the San Antonio Stars are just a few of the awards Riley earned as a player.
However, her work with the Nothing but Nets and No Kid Hungry initiatives impact far more lives than her on-the-court heroics. It is that work, as she returns to school, and continues as an NBA/WNBA Ambassador, that will continue to label Ruth Riley a star.
We will miss her on the court, but smile when we think of the great moments she provided, and the lives she will still impact.
Enjoy the podcast!
Ruth Riley’s Awards & Accolades
USA Basketball
- 2004 Gold Medal Olympic Games (Athens)
- 1999 Silver Medal World University Games
WNBA
- 2006 WNBA Champions (Detroit)
- 2005 WNBA All-star (Detroit)
- 2003 WNBA Champions (Detroit)
- 2003 WNBA Finals MVP
- 2003 No. 1 Overall WNBA Dispersal draft pick by Detroit
- 2001 No. 5 Overall WNBA draft pick by Miami Sol
College Basketball Awards and Honors
- 2001 NCAA Finals MVP
- 2001 NCAA Champions
- 2001 Naismith Player of the Year Recipient
- 2001 Big East Player of the Year
- 2001 NCAA Verizon Academic All-American of the Year
- 2001 Big East Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award (encompasses all sports)
- 2001 Big East conference Silver Anniversary Women’s Basketball Team
- 2001 Recipient of the NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award recognizing athletics, academic achievement, character and leadership
- Three-time Big East All-Tournament Team (1999- 2001)
- Three-time Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year (1999-2001)
- Two time Associated Press All-American First Team (2000, 2001)
- Two time Verizon Women’s Basketball Academic All-american first team (2000, 2001)
- 1998 Big East All-Rookie Team
