Athletes

Rebecca Lobo, the No.1 pick in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) inaugural draft in 1997, missed all but one minute of the 1999 season with the New York Liberty because of a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament.

During the 1998 season, she started all 30 games and led the team in shooting percentage, rebounding, blocked shots and double-doubles. In 1997, Lobo started all 28 games and averaged 12.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.9 assists and played 33.5 minutes per game. She led the team in rebounding in 15 games and posted four double-doubles (scoring and rebounding). Lobo earned All-WNBA Second Team honors for the 1997 season. In 1996, she was the youngest member of the U.S. Basketball Team that won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Atlanta.

At the University of Connecticut (UCONN), she led the Huskies to a 35-0 record and a National Championship during the 1994-95 season and a 106-25 record for her career (1992-95), as well as four NCAA Tournament appearances and two Big East Conference Championships. In the 1994-95 season, she ranked No. 1 on the team in scoring (17.1 ppg), rebounding (9.8 rpg) and blocks (3.5 bpg), and was named the 1995 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. She ended her college career as the UCONN all-time leader in rebounding (1,268) and blocks (396).

She received the 1995 Wade Trophy and was named the U.S. Basketball Writers' Association's 1995 National Player of the Year. Her other 1994-95 honors include the Kodak All-America first team, Big East Conference Player of the Year and Big East Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Lobo's 3.626 grade point average earned her a selection as a Rhodes Scholar candidate and a place in history as the only Big East basketball player to earn both the Big East Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards in her career—winning both twice. She was named the Women's Sports Foundation® Team Sportswoman of the Year in 1995. Lobo posted a 102-game winning streak which ended on July 7, 1997. Lobo also worked as a studio hosts/analyst for ESPN's coverage of the 1997 and 1998 NCAA basketball tournament. (10/99)