Woodard Named A 2005 Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee
Nov. 14, 2004
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.–The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame announced its seventh group of inductees, the Class of 2005, on Sunday, November 14.
The six members of the Class of 2005 are:
JOE CIAMPI Compiled a 607-213 ledger in 27 seasons as a Division I collegiate coach, including a 568-203 mark in 25 years at Auburn, where he directed the Tigers to 16 NCAA tournament berths, advancing to the Final Four with national championship runner-up finishes three consecutive times, as well as four Southeastern Conference regular season titles to go along with four SEC Tournament crowns
KELLI LITSCH A four-time All-American at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where she was recognized as NAIA Player of the Year three times while leading the Lady Bulldogs to a trio of national championships and a 129-5 record, including a pair of undefeated seasons, during a four-year span (1982-85), garnering MVP distinction at the national tourney three times
HUNTER LOW Often referred to as the “Father of the All-America team” for his role in the creation and formation of the Kodak Women’s Basketball All-America team and in managing that program for its first 17 years as well as for providing the impetus for organizing the foundation of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)
EDNA TARBUTTON Put Baskin (La.) High School on the map by posting 218 consecutive wins to set a national record for organized basketball (high school, college, or pros) as well as winning nine state championships, including eight straight (1948-55), on her way to posting a 654-263-2 worksheet during a 33-year coaching career
DIXIE WOODALL Credentials include three AAU All-America citations with the Raytown Piperettes and a silver medal with the USA’s 1967 Pan American Team as a player and a combined record of 390-97 in 14 years as a coach at Seminole Junior College and Oral Roberts University with a junior college national championship in 1976 and a pair of NJCAA national runner-up finishes
LYNETTE WOODARD University of Kansas legend scored 3,649 points to become the all-time leading scorer in Division I women’s collegiate basketball en route to becoming a four-time Kodak All-American and winning the 1981 Wade Trophy then went on to become a two-time Olympian, serving as captain of the USA’s 1984 gold medal-winning squad, and the first female to play for the Harlem Globetrotters before playing professionally in Japan and Italy and two seasons in the WNBA
“Our sport has so many tremendous people who have contributed to its growth, profile and credibility,” said Jody Conradt, University of Texas women’s basketball coach, president of the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors, and herself a Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee in 1999. “Certainly, this class of inductees has done the same. There are so many ways that these individuals have contributed, with Joe Ciampi and Edna Tarbutton as successful coaches and Lynette Woodard, Dixie Woodall and Kelli Litsch as outstanding players. Without Hunter Low’s role as a great ambassador for women’s basketball, we wouldn’t have the Kodak All-America award, which is the highest profile All-America honor in our sport. This is truly a worthy class of inductees.”
In what has become essentially a tradition, the Class of 2005 will be announced in conjunction with the State Farm Women’s Tip-Off Classic, an event, which directly benefits the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame’s inaugural class of inductees was announced during the 1998 Tip-Off Classic. This year’s Tip-Off Classic will be played on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, with Baylor facing LSU in the first game and Penn State taking on Texas in the second game of the doubleheader. Both games will be televised by ESPN2 with tipoffs set for 1:30 p.m. and approximately 4:00 p.m. EST (12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. locally in Austin). The announcement of the Class of 2005 is scheduled for center court at the Frank Erwin Center at halftime of the second game (approximately 5:00 p.m. EST/4:00 p.m. CST).
The six individuals in the Class of 2005 will be formally enshrined as members of the Hall of Fame during a weekend of induction festivities to be held Friday and Saturday, June 10-11, 2005, in Knoxville.
With the addition of the Class of 2005, the list of individuals who have been recognized as Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductees will increase to 85.
The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors serves as the selection committee in determining which individuals will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Voting is based on various factors, which may include moral character, integrity, sportsmanship, record of performance, ability, national or international recognition, and contributions to the game of women’s basketball.
In order to be considered for selection for induction, an individual must meet the following prerequisites:
• Player: Must be retired from the highest level of play for at least five years
• Coach: Must have coached the women’s game at least 20 years
• Referee: Must have officiated the women’s game at least 10 years
• Contributor: Must have significantly impacted the game of women’s basketball
The mission of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, which opened in June 1999, is to “honor the past, celebrate the present, and promote the future” of women’s basketball.
