Anne Donovan facts for kids
Donovan at the 2011 Women's Basketball Coaches Association convention at Indianapolis
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| Born | November 1, 1961 Ridgewood, New Jersey |
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| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | June 13, 2018 (aged 56) Wilmington, North Carolina |
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| High school | Paramus Catholic (Paramus, New Jersey) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Old Dominion (1979–1983) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 1989–2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1989–1995 | Old Dominion (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1998 | East Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Philadelphia Rage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Indiana Fever (interim) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Charlotte Sting | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2007 | Seattle Storm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | New York Liberty (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | New York Liberty | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | Seton Hall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Connecticut Sun | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As player:
As coach:
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Medals
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Anne Theresa Donovan (born November 1, 1961 – died June 13, 2018) was an amazing American basketball player and coach. She was known for her tall height and incredible skills on the court.
As a player, Anne won a national championship with Old Dominion University. She also earned two Olympic gold medals, which is a huge achievement! Her talent was recognized when she was added to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995. Later, she joined the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015. She was also part of the first group of people inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
After her playing career, Anne became a successful coach. She led the Seattle Storm to their first championship in 2004. This made her the first woman to coach a WNBA Championship team. She was also the youngest coach to win a WNBA title at 42 years old. Anne is the only person who has won a college national title as a player and a professional title as a coach.
She coached several teams, including the Indiana Fever, Charlotte Sting, and New York Liberty. From 2013 to 2015, she was the head coach of the Connecticut Sun. Anne also coached the United States Women's Basketball team to an Olympic gold medal in 2008.
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High School Basketball Star
Anne Donovan went to Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus, New Jersey. She was very tall, standing at 6 feet 6 inches. Anne led her high school team to two perfect seasons in a row. They also won two state championships! In her senior year, she scored about 25 points and grabbed 17 rebounds per game.
College Career at Old Dominion
At 6 feet 8 inches, Anne Donovan was the most sought-after female basketball player in the country for college. She chose to play for Old Dominion University (ODU). There, she helped the Lady Monarchs win the 1979–80 Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) basketball championship.
In 1983, Anne became the first female Naismith College Player of the Year. She also won the Honda Sports Award and the WBCA Player of the Year award for basketball. Anne set many records at ODU. She scored 2,719 points and had 1,976 rebounds in her career. She also blocked an amazing 801 shots, which is still the best in NCAA history!
Anne averaged a double-double throughout her college career. This means she averaged at least 20 points and 14.5 rebounds per game. She even scored 50 points in one game, which is an ODU school record!
In 1980, Anne helped ODU win the AIAW national title with a fantastic 37–1 record. She had 10 blocks and 17 rebounds in their championship win. In 1983, her senior year, the Lady Monarchs reached the NCAA Final Four.
Playing Professionally
After college, there weren't many professional basketball teams for women in the United States. So, Anne Donovan played professionally overseas. She played for teams in Shizuoka, Japan and Modena, Italy from 1984 to 1989.
Coaching Journey
After retiring as a player, Anne became an assistant coach at ODU from 1989 to 1995. Then, she became the head coach at East Carolina University. She later coached for the American Basketball League's Philadelphia Rage.
Anne then moved to the WNBA. She was an assistant coach for the Indiana Fever. She also served as interim head coach for the Fever in 2000. She then led the Charlotte Sting to the WNBA Finals in 2001.
In 2003, Anne Donovan became the head coach of the Seattle Storm. She coached star players like Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird. In 2004, she led the Storm to win the WNBA championship. This was the first national championship for the city of Seattle in 25 years!
Anne became the first female coach to win 100 WNBA games in 2005. She resigned from the Seattle Storm in 2007. In 2009, she joined the New York Liberty as an assistant coach and later became their interim head coach.
She then coached college basketball at Seton Hall University from 2010 to 2013. Finally, she coached the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA for three seasons, until 2015.
USA Basketball: Player and Coach
Anne Donovan was a key part of the USA National Team.
As a Player
- Olympic Gold Medals: Anne was a three-time Olympian. She won gold medals in 1984 (Los Angeles) and 1988 (Seoul). She also qualified for the 1980 Olympic team but couldn't compete due to a boycott.
- Pan American Games: She won gold medals at the Pan American Games in 1983 and 1987.
- World Championships: In 1983, the USA team won a silver medal at the World Championships in Brazil. Anne also helped the USA win a gold medal at the 1986 World Championship in Moscow.
As a Coach
- Olympic Gold Medal: Anne was the head coach for the USA National Team that won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
- World Championships: She was an assistant coach for the USA team that won gold medals at the World Championships in 1998 and 2002. As head coach in 2006, she led the team to a bronze medal.
- Olympic Assistant Coach: She was also an assistant coach for the team that won gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Anne Donovan received many awards and honors throughout her life:
- In 1988, she was inducted into the ODU Sports Hall of Fame.
- She was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.
- In 1999, she joined the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
- She received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Old Dominion University in 2008.
- In 2015, she was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame.
- She was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2019.
Her Passing
Anne Donovan passed away on June 13, 2018, at the age of 56. She died from heart failure in Wilmington, North Carolina.
See also
In Spanish: Anne Donovan para niños
