"As Lobo is enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Friday, she enters as a contributor. It's fitting — few have contributed more to the growth of their sport than Lobo has to women's basketball since arriving on the national scene as a highly touted recruit for
UConn's burgeoning program."
"Carol Callan, USA Basketball women's national team director, oversaw the 1996 Olympic team and spent lots of time with Lobo during a time when growing the game was very much a priority. Callan saw a person naturally inclined to treat fans with respect, not because she was promoting her sport or representing her team.
Lobo was simply being herself.
"There were little girls wanting autographs," Callan said. "Everywhere we went, they wanted autographs. And not only did Rebecca stop and sign, but she stopped, she looked them in the eye, she asked them their name, she asked them if they played basketball. So for somebody who was in such demand, she gave of her time. … Rebecca engaged with the kids she gave autographs to. For me, that's why Rebecca was so good for the game. She was the right person."
"Said Auriemma, "As an analyst, she's bringing the game to another audience. That's exactly what she did in college. So her impact … some player's impact diminishes. Hers has grown. Hers has grown even more."
Lobo Heads Into Hall Of Fame, Called Icon Of Women's Basketball
I've gotta say I'm a bit staggered at the seeming indifference to the honors being paid to one of the founders of UConn's legacy, putting aside the WNBA.
