2017 Women's Basketball Class Sarah Womack Parham
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Sarah2017 Womack Women’sParham Basketball Class Davidson College (1976-80) Parham was the first women’s basketball player to be inducted into the Davidson Hall of Fame. She set 18 school records in her four-year career and she’s the only female athlete whose jersey is retired. When she graduated in 1980, Womack’s school records included most career points (1,249) and rebounds (601). Ranking ninth in career points, she’s the all-time leader in points per game (16.7) and is third in made field goals (556). She holds the single-game record for attempted field goals (32) and ranks third in points per game for a single season at 19.1. She received the Rebecca Stimson Award in 1980 as the college’s most outstanding female athlete. Carol (Lammers) Lafountain University of Dayton (1977-81) Lafountain is the second-leading scorer in Dayton history, amassing 2,151 points in a four-year career. A 5-11 forward, she helped the Flyers post a 121-18 record in her career. She led Dayton to the 1979-80 AIAW Division II National Championship, scoring 22 points in the final. Lafountain was UD’s MVP, as well as an Academic All-American and overall All-American in 1980-1981. She still holds six UD records: most games played (139), most consecutive games played (139; she never missed a game in her career), free throws attempted in a game (16), free throws made in a game (14), highest FT %, in a game (1.000 - 12/12) and most consecutive free throws made (32). She is in UD’s Top 10 in eight different career categories. She was inducted in the UD Hall of Fame in 1989. Amy Alger Irvine Duquesne University (1985-89) Alger-Irvine graduated as the second-leading scorer in program history (1,306 pts), and recorded the highest scoring game in program history with 39 points. She is one of only two players in school history to record 18 field goals in one game. Alger finished her career with 735 rebounds ranking third in all-time for Duquesne. She was inducted into the Duquesne Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. Alger was named to the Atlantic 10 Third Team All-Conference in 1989, she was also named the 1989 Duquesne Female Student-Athlete of the Year and 1989 Alice Walton Mansmann Award winner. Mary Ann Bilotti2017 Women’s Basketball Class Fordham University (1976-80) Bilotti, a four-year starter for the Rams, graduated as the second-leading scorer in Fordham University women’s basketball history with 1,164 points, trailing only teammate and fellow Atlantic 10 Legend Anne Gregory. As a sophomore in 1978, Bilotti helped the Rams to the New York State Championship and AIAW Eastern Regional title. As a junior, she led Fordham to a 27-7 record and the AIAW Eastern Regional Championship. The Rams upset Long Beach State in the semifinals of the AIAW National Championship before falling to a Pat Summitt-led Tennessee team in Rose Hill Gym. The 27 wins is still a school single-season record today. As a senior, the Rams won their third straight New York State title with Bilotti serving as a co- captain. Bilotti was inducted into the Fordham Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. Vernessa Neamo George Mason University (2000-04) Neamo, the Lanham, Md., native still reigns as the program’s all-time steals leader with 256 steals. She also ranks in the top 10 in blocked shots (seventh, 69), scoring (ninth, 1,371 points) and rebounds (ninth, 658). The 5-foot-10 forward also dished out 241 assists for 13th most all-time. She led the team in rebounding and steals for three straight seasons. She earned All-Conference, All- Tournament and All-VaSID honors as a senior. In addition, she was named to the All-Defensive and All-Academic Teams. She was named an Academic All- American by Black Issues in Higher Education magazine. Neamo graduated from George Mason in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education/Fitness. She played in the National Women’s Basketball League for the Birmingham Power in 2005 and was selected to the NWBL All-Star Game. Tajama Abraham Ngongba George Washington University (1993-97) Abraham Ngongba is GW’s all-time leading scorer and only player to eclipse 2,000 points (2,134). She still holds all-time career rankings of third in rebounding (970) and second in scoring average (16.4), made free throws (432) and blocks (326). Abraham played in a program-record 130 games in her four-year career and made four consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament (1994-97), posting a marvelous record of 103-27 in those years. In her senior season, she was a Kodak First Team All-America selection in addition to being named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year as the Colonials made the program’s first ever NCAA Elite 8 appearance. Throughout her career, Abraham was also named Kodak All-America Honorable Mention (1996), A-10 Rookie of the Year (1994), was a two-time Atlantic 10 First Team All- Conference pick (1996, 1997), an A-10 Second Team All-Conference selection (1995), and the 1996 A-10 Championship Most Outstanding Player. Abraham also holds single season records for points (675, 1996-97), field goals made (257, 1995-96), free throws made (165, 1996-97), free throws attempted (219, 1996-97) and games played (34, 1996-97). A member of the GW Athletics Hall of Fame, Abraham was drafted in the fourth round of the 1997 WNBA Draft by the Sacramento Monarchs. Cheryl Reeve 2017 Women’s Basketball Class La Salle University (1984-88) Reeve finished her career at La Salle with 420 assists to rank among the leaders in school history in the category. A 5-7 guard, she led the Explorers to a pair of NCAA Tournaments. Over her four-year career, she helped La Salle compile an impressive 89-29 record (.754 winning percentage). As a senior, the team set a then-school record for wins in a season with 25. She still ranks in a tie for third in career games started and ninth in steals in program history. Originally a native of Turnersville, N.J., Reeve is currently the head coach of the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx and was named the league’s Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2016. Reeve has the highest winning percentage of any coach in WNBA history and has won three WNBA titles (2011, 2013 and 2015). She has also served as an assistant coach for the USA National Team during the 2016 Summer Olympics. Kathy Coyner University of Massachusetts (1998-2001) Coyner was a key figure during one of the most successful eras of UMass women’s basketball. In her time with the Minutewomen, she helped UMass reach the NCAA Tournament in 1998 and the Atlantic 10 Championship Semifinals twice. Coyner, a 5-foot-6 guard, was known for her prowess as a playmaker and defender. She ranks third all-time in assists (515), eighth in steals (169), and 15th in points scored (1,132) for her career. The mainstay played 3,729 minutes which ranks third all-time in school history and holds the school record for consecutive free throws made (31). Along with her success on the court in helping UMass average 15 wins a season, Coyner excelled in the classroom as a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and Atlantic 10 All-Academic honoree in 2001. Anne Kelsen University of Rhode Island (1990-94) A member of the Rhode Island Athletics Hall of Fame, Kelsen was a two-sport star, earning All-Atlantic 10 accolades in both basketball and softball. She initially made the basketball team as a walk-on, earning a full scholarship after just one week of practice. She went on to be a four-year starter for the Rams and is tied for the school’s all- time record in games started with 112. Kelsen scored scoring 1,347 career points, which still ranks sixth in program history. She graduated as the career leader in assists and still ranks second with 370, behind only fellow A-10 Legend Dayna Smith. Kelsen earned First-Team All-Conference honors in 1993, and was a third-team selection in 1992. She still ranks fifth in URI history in career free throws made (336) and also ranks 10th in program history with 216 steals. Abby Oliver 2017 Women’s Basketball Class University of Richmond (2008-12) Oliver finished her decorated four-year career as Richmond’s seventh all-time leading scorer (1,488 points). The Roanoke, Va. native earned First Team All-Atlantic 10 honors as a senior and the Sixth Player of the Year Award as a sophomore. As a senior, she led the A-10 in scoring at 16.5 points per game and was the nation’s best free throw shooter (94%). Oliver finished her career fourth in three-point field goals (152), second in games played (129), eighth in free throws made (296) and ninth in field goals made (519) in program history. Her 85.1% career free throw percentage is second at Richmond only to the late Ginny Doyle (85.4%). Oliver amassed 72 career double-figure scoring games, including 28 as a senior, when she scored a career high 28 points against Dayton. The Spiders won 85 games during her four seasons, including three appearance in the WNIT. She was a two-time captain. Following her Richmond career, Oliver played professionally in Israel.