All-time Connecticut players

[Aluminny69]

Well, the most famous CT. basketball player had to be Joan Joyce


Joyce played on the USA women's national basketball team in 1964 and 1965, setting a national tournament single game scoring record in 1964 with 67 points. She was a four-time Women's Basketball Association All-American, and a three-time Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) All-America player.



CT Women's Basketball Hall Of Fame

 

[Aluminny69]

Besides Joan Joyce, I also had the pleasure of watching Donna Lopiano pitch for the Brakettes.

From her impressive Bio:

"Lopiano played basketball at Stamford High School before attending Southern CT State College. She played for Coach Louise O’Neal, whom she credits for having the most influence on her career. Southern’s five trips to the AIAW National Championships are among her greatest basketball thrills."

"As an athlete, Lopiano participated in 26 national championships in four different sports. Sports Illustrated Women named her as one of the century’s greatest sportswomen."

 

[Aluminny69]

BTW, I went to high school with Peggy Kellers, the HOF catcher for the Raybestos Brakettes. Peggy had the fortune of catching for both Joan Joyce and Donna Lopiano. Last I heard, Peggy was coaching softball at the University of Virginia.

A little trip down memory lane.

 

[Blakeon18]

This is a a bit of a repeat on Nadine Domond from a long ways back.
I saw her play as a soph or junior and she was one wildly talented guard....could shoot, handle, very athletic...and took a ton of crazy shots.
During her senior year I saw Bridgeport Central play in the state championship game. Nadine played with buttoned-down
control throughout. The game was fairly close and the Central fans I was sitting with were concerned and would occasionally
yell out to her to take control....take over the game. At several points I swear that Nadine would look over to those fans
and make a motion with her hand...as in...." I got this thing under control....don't worry." And she did.....they won.
She was one of the most talented kids I have ever seen in person in high school....along with Breanna, KML, Holdsclaw, EDD, Bird etc.

BTW #1: that frosh class at Iowa was an anaconda thing....I believe they had 6 or 7 super frosh. After C. Viv left at the end of their frosh year I think I recall
that Stacy Freese transferred to Iowa State. Stacy of course is the sis of Maryland's Brenda Freese.

BTW#2: during Nadine's junior or senior year Iowa came to Gampel to play UConn....a 'coming-home' game I assume.
Iowa was good during her stay there but UConn had won Ring #1 in her frosh year and was a national power. UConn won the game
fairly easily with Domond playing pretty well. I was in the end zone seats and at the end of the game Nadine walked out to the Husky logo on the court and just stood there staring forlornly at the scoreboard. Geno saw her and went out and they hugged and had a brief conversation before parting.
I have no idea what they said to each other but a guess might be:

Geno: good game Nadine....but we sure could have used you at UConn....for one we would have beaten LadyVol in the '96 semifinals and gotten ring #2 [the OT game
where Nykesha hit the trey at the end of regulation to tie].

Nadine: thanks coach....I've been thinking about just that myself of late.


Iowa used to be a national type power during C. Viv's reign out there.....haven't been since she left.

 

[Icebear]

BTW, I went to high school with Peggy Kellers, the HOF catcher for the Raybestos Brakettes. Peggy had the fortune of catching for both Joan Joyce and Donna Lopiano. Last I heard, Peggy was coaching softball at the University of Virginia.

A little trip down memory lane.

I had the good fortune of seeing all three a good number of times. Joyce was simply a beast like Babe Didricksen as an athlete. Besides softball, basketball and golf she had played volleyball and bowling. Their was little athletically either of those women could not do.

 

[Vowelguy]

that Stacy Freese transferred to Iowa State. Stacy of course is the sis of Maryland's Brenda Freese.

BTW#2: during Nadine's junior or senior year Iowa came to Gampel to play UConn....a 'coming-home' game I assume.
Iowa was good during her stay there but UConn had won Ring #1 in her frosh year and was a national power. UConn won the game fairly easily with Domond playing pretty well. I was in the end zone seats and at the end of the game

Stacy Freese is Brenda's sister-in-law.

Domond also got to play at UConn in the 1997 NCAAs. #8 vs #1.

 

[Waquoit]

Abandoned? A little harsh by any stretch. Coach Stringer took another job. Ms Domond went on to have a very nice career at Iowa. Certainly no bitterness on her part toward Coach Stringer when Stringer refused to take any Iowa players with her to Rutgers.

"Very nice" means not that great in this context. Tell me how a Bridgeport girl ends up in the middle of corn country.

 

[jerlis]

1st team: Jen Rizzotti, Nadine Domond, Nykesha Sales, Tracy Lis, Tracy Claxton
2nd team: Maria Conlon, Rita Williams, the SJU guard

It seems like Laura Lishness never gets the credit she is due. She was Big East freshman of the year in 1988, beating out Kerry Bascom. In 1989 she achieved a triple double in a Big East tournament game, a feat never duplicated by any Uconn women's player as of this date. She will always be the original #10 to me! Oh, and she also started at guard for the 1991 final four team.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Well, the most famous CT. basketball player had to be Joan Joyce


Joyce played on the USA women's national basketball team in 1964 and 1965, setting a national tournament single game scoring record in 1964 with 67 points. She was a four-time Women's Basketball Association All-American, and a three-time Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) All-America player.



CT Women's Basketball Hall Of Fame

Raybestos was unbelievable. Donna Lopiano had a stellar 10-year career and then went on to do even bigger things.

Joan Joyce may be only person in the category with Babe Didrickson Zaharias. Joan was a 4-sport standout: softball, golf, basketball, and volleyball. Her career softball stats include 150 no-hitters and an ERA of 0.09. She also hit .467 one season. She still holds the LPGA record for fewest putts in a round: 17.

Bertha Regan Tickey was a little older than Joan. Bertha had 162 career no-hitters and 757 wins. She makes Cy Young look like a slouch. (Bertha was born in California.)