Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame announces finalists for 2019 class
The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame announced its 12 finalists for consideration for induction into its Hall of Fame. The 12 finalists for the Class of 2019 are:
- Beth Bass (Contributor)
- Debbie Brock (Veteran Player)
- Joan Cronan (Contributor)
- Nora Lynn Finch (Contributor)
- Lucille Kyvallos (Veteran Coach)
- Ticha Penicheiro (International Player)
- Ruth Riley (Player)
- Carolyn Bush Roddy (Veteran Player)
- Paul Sanderford (Coach)
- Bob Schneider (Coach)
- Valerie Still (Player)
- Amy Tucker (Contributor – Assistant Coach)
The Class of 2019 will be selected from the 12 finalists and announced, along with the 2019 Trailblazers of the Game Award recipient, on ESPN2 during the February 4 Baylor at Texas game (7:00 p.m. ET). The Class of 2019 will mark the 21 st group of inductees to be honored by the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, which held its grand opening and inaugural induction in 1999.
Full bios of the finalists from the WBHOF:
BETH BASS (Contributor)
2001-2014 – CEO of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
2007- Assisted in the launch of WBCA’s Think Pink campaign for breast cancer awareness.
2004 – President’s Award from the National Association of Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS).
DEBBIE BROCK (Veteran Player)
Point guard for 3-Time AIAW National Champion Delta State University (1975, 1976, 1977), and one of 12 players recognized by the NCAA at the 2013 Women’s Final Four Championship.
1978 – Kodak All-American.
1988 – Inducted into the Delta State Sports Hall of Fame.
JOAN CRONAN (Contributor)
Served as Women’s Athletics Director at Tennessee for 29 years, elevating Tennessee as one of the nation’s premier women’s athletics departments.
2005 – Athletic Director of the Year by National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA).
2017 – First recipient of the NCAA President’s Pat Summitt Award.
NORA LYNN FINCH (Contributor)
1981-1988 – Inaugural Chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee.
Member of several key NCAA committees, including the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee, the NCAA Division I Management Committee, and the NCAA Division I Championships Cabinet (Chair), as well as many other committees.
The Atlantic Coach Conference’s (ACC) first female Assistant Athletics Director.
LUCILLE KYVALLOS (Veteran Coach)
Served on the United States Olympic Committee from 1969 to 1972 and from 1974 to 1976.
Holds a .810 winning percentage in her collegiate career with an overall record of 311-73.
Inducted into the Springfield College Athletics Hall of Fame, the Queens College Athletics Hall of Fame, the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame, and the West Chester State College Hall of Fame.
TICHA PENICHEIRO (International Player)
Russian League Champion (2007), EuroLeague Champion (2007), Czech League Champion (2011), and Turkish League Champion (2012).
4-Time WNBA All-Star, 7-Time WNBA Assist Leader, and named to the 2016 WNBA Top 20 players of all time.
2-Time Kodak All-American (1997, 1998) and the Wade Trophy Winner (1998)
RUTH RILEY (U.S. Player)
2004 – Olympic Gold Medalist
2-Time WNBA Champion with the Detroit Shock (2003, 2006) and the 2003 WNBA Finals MVP.
2001 – Naismith Player of the Year guiding Notre Dame to their first NCAA Division I National Championship.
CAROLYN BUSH RODDY (Veteran Player)
Two-Time NJCAA All-American at Hiawassee Junior College.
Led Wayland Baptist Flying Queens to two AAU National Championships, leading the team in both scoring and rebounding both years.
1975 – Texas Panhandle Player of the Year.
PAUL SANDERFORD (Coach)
25 Seasons as a collegiate head coach with a career record of 453-189 (.709).
Led Western Kentucky to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances including 3 Final Fours and was the 1992 NCAA Division I National Runner-Up.
Won a JUCO National Championship, was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2000 and into the Western Kentucky University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.
BOB SCHNEIDER (Coach)
All-Time coaching record of 1,045-293 (.781), with only 2 losing seasons in 40 years.
3rd all-time in NCAA Division II history with 634 victories.
During his 12 years at Canyon High School, his teams won 5 state championships and finished runner-up 5 times.
VALERIE STILL (U.S. Player)
Kentucky’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, guiding them to the 1982 SEC Regular Season and Tournament Championships.
1982 & 1983 – Kodak/WCBA All-American at Kentucky, and then led the Columbus Quest to back-to-back (1997-1998) ABL Championships.
First female to have her jersey retired at Kentucky, in any sport, and inducted in the charter class of the University of Kentucky’s Hall of Fame.
AMY TUCKER (Contributor – Assistant Coach)
Overall record of 889-183 in 32 seasons at Stanford as an assistant coach, associate head coach and head coach.
During her tenure, Stanford has won two NCAA Division I National Championships, reached 13 Final Fours, 19 Elite Eights and 24 Sweet Sixteens.
1996 – United Press International National Coach of the Year and Pac-10 Coach of the Year.
