Ruth Ellen Riley Hunter (born August 28, 1979) is a former American professional basketball player. She played as a center for teams like the Atlanta Dream in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Ruth Riley is famous for winning championships in both college and professional basketball.

Her team at the Notre Dame won the NCAA women's championship in 2001. Later, her Detroit Shock team won the WNBA championship in 2003 and 2006. Ruth was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in both the 2001 NCAA and 2003 WNBA championship games. She was the first person ever to win MVP awards in both championships!

Ruth also won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in 2004 with the U.S. team. In 2019, she was honored by being added to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. After retiring from playing, she became the general manager for the San Antonio Stars. In 2022, she joined the Miami Heat as the Senior Director of Team Development.

Ruth Riley's Early Life
College Basketball Career
- College Honors and Awards
Professional Basketball Career
- Playing in the WNBA
- Playing in Other Leagues
International Basketball
Community Work
Other Activities and Achievements
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Ruth Riley's Early Life

Ruth Riley was born in Ransom, Kansas, and grew up in Macy, Indiana. She was always very tall. At birth, she was 25 inches (63.5 cm) long. By the time she was 12 years old, she was already six feet (1.83 m) tall!

While attending North Miami Middle/High School, Ruth played basketball, volleyball, and was on the track team. She started wearing a headband during games in high school, a habit she continued throughout her career. In high school, she scored 1,372 points, got 1,011 rebounds, and blocked 427 shots. Her high school even retired her jersey number (25) to honor her achievements.

College Basketball Career

Ruth Riley played college basketball at the University of Notre Dame. In her first year, she played in all 32 games, starting in 26 of them. For the rest of her college career, she was the main starting center for Notre Dame.

She was known for her high field goal percentage and for blocking many shots. In her junior and senior years, she was named a First Team All-American. As a senior, she won the Naismith Award and was the Associated Press Player of the Year. She was also recognized for her excellent grades as an Academic All-American.

The biggest moment of her college career happened in the 2001 NCAA tournament. In the championship game, Notre Dame was behind Purdue by two points. Ruth scored to tie the game. Then, with only 5.8 seconds left, she was fouled and got to shoot two free throws. She made both, giving Notre Dame a 68–66 win and their first national championship! Her coach, Muffet McGraw, even said, "Get the ball to Ruth!" Ruth was named the Most Outstanding Player of that year's Final Four.

Ruth is the only player in Notre Dame women's basketball history to score over 2,000 points and grab over 1,000 rebounds. She graduated from Notre Dame in 2001 with a degree in psychology. She was on the Dean's List every semester, showing she was great at both sports and school.

College Honors and Awards

Ruth Riley received many awards during her college years, including:

Two-time First-team All-American (2000, 2001)
Naismith Player of the Year (2001)
NCAA champion (2001)
NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (2001)
Big East Player of the Year (2001)
Three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year (1999–2001)
Inducted into the Notre Dame's Basketball Ring of Honor (2010)
Inducted into the WNBA Hall Of Fame (2019)

Professional Basketball Career

Playing in the WNBA

In 2001, Ruth Riley was chosen by the Miami Sol as the fifth player picked in the 2001 WNBA draft. She started her professional career coming off the bench. But soon, she became a starter for the rest of her first season.

Her second season in 2002 was tough because she broke a finger before the season began. This was the first time she missed a game due to injury. After the Miami Sol team closed down, Ruth was picked by the Detroit Shock in a special draft in 2003.

Her first season with the Shock was amazing! The team went from having the worst record in 2002 to the best record in 2003. They won the WNBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Sparks. Ruth was named the MVP of the WNBA finals for her great performance.

Ruth continued to play for the Shock and helped them win another WNBA championship in 2006. She was also chosen to play in the WNBA All-Star Game in 2005. Later, she played for the San Antonio Silver Stars, Chicago Sky, and Atlanta Dream before retiring in 2014.

Playing in Other Leagues

During the WNBA off-season, Ruth also played in other basketball leagues around the world.

NWBL: She played for the Colorado Chill in the National Women's Basketball League (NWBL). Her team won the NWBL championship in 2005 and 2006. She was even named the playoff MVP in 2006.
Spanish League: Ruth played in Spain for teams like Yaya Maria Porta XI and Rivasecópolis.
Polish League: She played for Lotos Gdynia in Poland.
Greek League: In 2010, Ruth joined the Athinaikos club in Greece. She helped them win their first EuroCup Women's Basketball Title.

International Basketball

Ruth Riley also represented the United States in international competitions.

In 1999, while in college, she played for the U.S. team at the World University Games in Spain. The team won the silver medal.
In 2004, she was chosen for the U.S. Women's Olympic Team. The team played perfectly, winning every game and earning the gold medal at the Athens Olympics.

Community Work

Ruth Riley cares a lot about helping others.

Nothing But Nets: Since 2006, she has been a spokesperson for the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign. This group helps prevent Malaria by providing bed nets. Ruth has traveled to Africa many times to raise awareness about malaria.
"No Kid Hungry": Ruth also supports Share Our Strength's "No Kid Hungry" campaign. This group works to end childhood hunger in America. Ruth has helped connect thousands of children to free meals during the summer.

Other Activities and Achievements

Ruth Riley at the ribbon cutting for four donated basketball courts in Angola.

Ruth Riley is also a writer! She wrote a children's book called The Spirit of Basketball in 2005. The book's message is that basketball is the same everywhere, no matter where you live or what language you speak.

She has also worked as a commentator for Notre Dame women's basketball games. In 2009, President George W. Bush appointed Ruth to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

In 2018, she became a broadcast analyst for the Miami Heat of the NBA. She was the first woman to have this role for the Heat team.

Personal Life

Ruth Riley's height is usually listed as 6 feet 4 inches or 6 feet 5 inches. She has said she is "six-foot-four and a half to be exact."

In 2001, Ruth bought a home in South Beach, Florida, and often returned there during the basketball off-season. On New Year's Day 2018, Ruth married Benjamin Hunter, who also went to Notre Dame and played football there.

Images for kids

Ruth Riley at the ribbon cutting for four donated basketball courts in Angola.

Ruth Riley facts for kids

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