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What Anne Donovan meant to women’s basketball

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 01: Head coach Anne Donovan of the New York Liberty watches during Game Three of the 2010 WNBA Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Indiana Fever on September 1, 2010 at the Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Liberty won 77-74. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 01: Head coach Anne Donovan of the New York Liberty watches during Game Three of the 2010 WNBA Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Indiana Fever on September 1, 2010 at the Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Liberty won 77-74. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
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High Post Hoops spoke to a few of the countless figures in women’s basketball touched by the life of Anne Donovan.

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Wednesday night, basketball lost a legend. Anne Donovan died at the age of 56.

Donovan was recently in Knoxville for the 2018 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony. She traveled to Tennessee to support her high school coach Dr. Rose Battaglia, and her former players Katie Smith and Tina Thompson. Any number of people will tell you, when it came to women’s basketball, Donovan stood well above her 6’8″ frame.

Playing Days

Donovan comes from along line of basketball success. In high school, she was coached by recent Women’s Basketball hall of Fame inductee Dr. Rose Battaglia. The duo won two state championships with the Paramus Catholic High School girls team.

From there, Donovan played at Old Dominion University where she led the Lady Monarch to the 1980 AIAW National Championship. Donovan then went on to win two Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball.

Anne Donovan is the star female basketball player of Paramus Catholic High School. As a senior with a height of six feet eight inches she is heavily recruited by women’s college basketball teams. Here she speaks with an unidentified person who stands on a box in order to even the height differential.
Anne Donovan is the star female basketball player of Paramus Catholic High School. As a senior with a height of six feet eight inches she is heavily recruited by women’s college basketball teams. Here she speaks with an unidentified person who stands on a box in order to even the height differential.

Dr. Battaglia was tickled pink to have her former players, including Anne, celebrate her Hall of Fame induction. “It’s been so exciting,” Battaglia told High Post Hoops through tears of joy.

Anne was one of over 72 people who showed up to honor her, reported NorthJersey.com. “I spent most of last weekend with Anne,” Battaglia told the local New Jersey outlet. “God acts in mysterious ways.”

Coaching Days

In 1995, she landed her first head coach position at East Carolina University. She spent three seasons with the Pirates and led them to a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship game as the sixth seed.

Donovan returned to her beloved New Jersey to coach at Seton Hall from 2010-2013. She also coached USA Basketball from 2004 (assistant coach) to 2008. Anne was the first Team USA coach to win Olympic gold as a player and head coach.

Donovan also coached several WNBA teams, including the 2004 WNBA Championship Seattle Storm team. Her 2004 title with Seattle made her the youngest head coach, and the first female to win a WNBA title.

Related Story: Anne Donovan, Cheryl Reeve, Dawn Staley and the biggest miracle in WNBA history

Liberty head coach Katie Smith won gold under Donovan in the 2008. “It’s tough,” said Smith when asked about the passing of Donovan after a 78-63 loss to the Las Vegas Aces Wednesday night. “I just saw her this weekend,” added the Hall of Famer through tears.

Liberty center Tina Charles added,

"“It hurt. It hurt bad. To be totally honest, she’s the only coach that I have played for that coached me, challenged me and forced me to be better. At a young age, I didn’t understand it and for me it stuck because I always wanted to text her to tell her, ‘Thank you.’ I wanted to say thank you to her always telling me, ‘You are not taking a hook shot this practice. Get to the basket, figure it out.’ My thoughts and prayers are with her family and close friends.”"

“Coach Anne was an amazing woman,” said Aces assistant coach and WNBA veteran Vickie Johnson. “Every time I saw her, we talked, she encouraged me (and) always gave me a warm hug. The basketball world—the world period—will miss her greatly.”

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