Before LeBron There Was Donovan

Anne Donovan is a legend in women’s basketball. Too few of us celebrated her brilliance. Now she’s gone.

Their names are etched into our collective memory. Mickey, Michael, and LeBron are three. We know exactly who they are. Then there’s Tiger, Serena, and Brady. We know them, too.

Courtesy: Old Dominion University

But how many of us know “Donovan,” Anne Donovan, to be specific?

Donovan is a sports legend–college and pro player, a college and pro head coach, and three-time Olympic Gold medalist. She made headlines in a sport that all too frequently flies below the radar–women’s basketball.

Anne Donovan died of heart failure on June 13. She was only 56 years old.

There were accolades, of course, but nothing like there would have been—and should have been—had “Donovan” been a household name. Instead, Anne went rather quietly from a sports world that’s known for larger-than-life responses.

George Mikan (photo, NBA.com)

And in a very real way, Donovan was larger than life. She was to women’s basketball what George Mikan was to men’s basketball—the first “big person” in the game.

Mikan came first. At 6’11” he played for DePaul in the mid-1940s before moving to the pros later in the decade and through the mid-1950s. He’ll always be remembered for playing with the-then Minneapolis Lakers. In seven years, he averaged over 23 points and 13 rebounds game. I was wowed.

Anne Donovan (photo, The Virginian-Pilot)

I had the same reaction to Donovan when she emerged as a collegiate star in the late 1970s-early 1980s. I had never seen a women’s basketball player that tall. At 6’8” Donovan looked capable of making a mockery of the game, which she often did.

At Old Dominion University, Donovan averaged 20 points, 15 rebounds, and nearly 6 blocked shots over four years. She played alongside another women’s court legend, Nancy Lieberman. That duo led the Lady Monarchs to three Final Fours, winning two straight.

There wasn’t a WNBA back then, so Donovan had to go overseas to play pro ball, which she did for five years. Thankfully, after her playing days coaching was an available option and Donovan ended up bookending a long coaching career with college stops—initially at her alma mater, then at East Carolina, and, near the end of her career, at Seton Hall.

In between, she served as head coach for six WNBA teams, winning the WNBA title in 2004 with the Seattle Storm. Donavan was the first female WNBA coach to win 100 games.

Her Olympic exploits also stood out. Donovan won Gold twice as a player—at Los Angeles (1984) and, again, at Seoul (1988). She won Gold a third time—this time as head coach—at Beijing (2008).

For all of this (and more), Donovan was elected to three halls of fame—the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (1995), the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (1999), and the FIBA Hall of Fame (2015).

There was plenty to celebrate, too. Katie Meier (head coach, U of Miami, FL) expressed it this way (from Twitter): “Anne Donovan never called attention to herself. Never wanted to be “the story.” Always cared for others FIRST and always understood how impactful she was. Extended herself whenever you needed her.”

Anne Donovan.

Photo courtesy of NPR