Anne Donovan

Anne Theresa Donovan (November 1, 1961 – June 13, 2018) was an American women's basketball player and coach.

Donovan, at 6'8", was the most recruited female player in the nation going into college. Two years earlier, Anne's sister Mary received only a handful of offers before going to Penn State. In 1979, Anne received offers from more than 250 schools, including a recruiting pitch from Penn State's Joe Paterno. Despite the personal plea, she chose to follow Nancy Lieberman to ODU. At Old Dominion University (ODU), the center led the Lady Monarchs to the 1979–80 Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women basketball championship. She was the first female Naismith College Player of the Year in 1983. Donovan also won the 1983 Honda Sports Award and WBCA Player of the Year award for basketball. She set ODU career marks for points (2,719), rebounds (1,976), and blocked shots (801), and seasonal marks for most games played (38), most minutes played (1,159), most field goals (377), and field goal percentage (.640).

She averaged a double-double for her entire career, with 20 points and 14½ rebounds per game.

Donovan's 50 points in a single game against Norfolk State on December 11, 1980, is a school record, while her 801 career blocked shots is best in NCAA history.

At ODU, Donovan helped the Lady Monarchs win the 1980 AIAW national title (their second straight) with a 37–1 record.

She had ten blocks and seventeen rebounds in their win over Tennessee.

In 1981, ODU finished third in the AIAW National Tournament, having compiled a 28–7 record.

The first two NCAA Women's Final Fours (1982 and 1983) were hosted by ODU at Scope in Norfolk, Va.

In 1982, Old Dominion (28–7) lost to Kansas St. in the East Regional semifinals.

In Donovan's senior year, the Lady Monarchs (29–6) advanced to the 1983 Final Four in their hometown, but lost 71–55 in the national semifinals to rival Louisiana Tech.

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As there were few professional opportunities for women basketball players in the U.S., Donovan played pro ball for Chanson V-Magic in Shizuoka, Japan and Modena, Italy from 1984 to 1989.

Upon her retirement as a player, she became an assistant coach at ODU from 1989 to 1995, then head coach at East Carolina University from 1995 to 1998, reaching the Colonial Athletic Association finals against her alma mater, Old Dominion.

She was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995, and became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015.

Donovan was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995, and as part of the inaugural class of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.

Her coaching career moved to the professional ranks via a brief stint with the American Basketball League's Philadelphia Rage in 1997–98.

As the ABL folded, she joined the rival WNBA as an assistant coach for the expansion Indiana Fever.

Donovan was inducted in the inaugural class at the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.

With coach Nell Fortner leading the U.S. Olympic team, Donovan served as interim head coach for the Fever for the 2000 season.

She then led the Charlotte Sting to the WNBA Finals in 2001, losing to the Los Angeles Sparks.

In 2002, she led the Sting to an 18–14 record, losing to the Washington Mystics in the first round of playoffs.

In 2003, Donovan was hired as the second head coach of the Seattle Storm, inheriting a team with two number one draft picks from 2001 and 2002, the Australian Lauren Jackson and University of Connecticut star Sue Bird.

As a professional basketball coach, she guided the Seattle Storm to their first title in 2004, becoming the first woman to coach a WNBA Championship team (as well as the youngest person to coach a WNBA champion, at age 42).

She is the only person to have both played for a national women's college title and coached a team to a professional title.

In her first year, Donovan's team narrowly missed the playoffs, but in 2004, after Donovan became director of player personnel and added Betty Lennox, the Storm earned the city of Seattle its first national championship in 25 years.

In the 2005 season, in which Donovan became the first female coach to win 100 games, the Storm made the playoffs but lost in the first round.

At season's end, Donovan's contract was extended to keep her in Seattle for several years.

With her 120th victory on August 6, 2006, she became the coach with the third-most WNBA victories, passing former Los Angeles Sparks coach Michael Cooper.

She trails only Van Chancellor and Richie Adubato in victories.

On November 30, 2007, Donovan resigned from her position of head coach of the Seattle Storm.

Donovan was also the coach of the Olympic gold medal-winning 2008 United States Women's Basketball team.

Donovan attended Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus, New Jersey.

At 6'6", Donovan led her high school team to consecutive undefeated seasons, including two state championships. She averaged 25 points per game and 17 rebounds her senior year.

After coaching the Indiana Fever and the Charlotte Sting earlier in her career, Donovan joined the New York Liberty as an assistant coach in the spring of 2009, then took over as interim head coach of the Liberty on July 31, 2009.

She then went back to college to Seton Hall for two seasons before resigning to take the Connecticut Sun head coaching job for two seasons.

On April 28, 2009, Donovan was appointed as an assistant coach for the New York Liberty.

She assumed the position of interim head coach of the Liberty on July 31, 2009, replacing former head coach Pat Coyle.

On March 31, 2010, she accepted the women's basketball head coaching position at Seton Hall University on March 29, 2010, although she completed the 2010 season with the Liberty.

From 2013 to 2015, she was the head coach of the Connecticut Sun.

In her playing career, Donovan won a national championship with Old Dominion University, won two Olympic gold medals, and went to three Final Fours overall.