Class of 1999 – Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

Nera White

A 15-time AAU All-American
Led Nashville Business College to 10 AAU national championships between 1955-1969
Tabbed as the Most Valuable Player at the AAU national tournament 10 times
Led the USA to a gold medal in the 1957 World Championships
Also saw considerable action in international competition as a member of all-star teams that toured Russia, Germany, France, Brazil, Venezuela, and Great Britain

Coached 21 years on the high school level, compiling a 453-89 record at Marietta, Belden, and Cleveland high schools in Mississippi
Played collegiately at Delta State for three years before school administrators disbanded the team after deeming the sport too strenuous for girls
Returned to her alma mater in 1959 as head of the women’s physical education department
Resurrected Delta State’s women’s basketball program in 1973-74 at the age of 60
Went 16-2 her first season then reeled off three AIAW national championships (1975, 1976, 1977) and a 93-4 record that included a 51-game winning string
Retired in 1979 with a 157-23 collegiate worksheet
The Wade Trophy, given annually to the top women’s collegiate player, is named in her honor

Known as “Mrs. Basketball of Oklahoma”
Began her coaching career at Cairo (Okla.) but moved to Byng (Okla.) High School after one year, where she guided the school to 38 conference titles, 27 district championships, and 22 state tournament berths
Won eight state crowns at Byng and finished as state runner-up seven times
Coached from 1926-1969, amassing a career record of 1,152-115 for a winning percentage of .910
Posted five undefeated seasons, including a three-year stretch (1936-1938) in which her squads wired together 98 straight victories and three consecutive state crowns
Helped organize the Oklahoma High School Girls’ Basketball Coaches Association in 1962 and was named the organization’s first president and was then re-elected to seven consecutive one-year terms
Served on the National Rules Committee of the Division of Girls and Women’s Sports from 1949-1960
Has also been credited with being an innovator in the area of basketball apparel

Has compiled an overall record of 695-146 in 25 seasons as the head coach at the University of Tennessee
Has guided the Lady Vols to six NCAA Championships (1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998)
Directed UT to a storybook 1997-98 campaign as the Lady Vols posted a flawless 39-0 worksheet en route to claiming an unprecedented third consecutive NCAA crown
Has had teams advance to the Final Four 15 times altogether
Coached the USA to its first gold medal in women’s basketball competition in the Olympics in 1984
Earned a silver medal as co-captain of the 1976 U.S. Olympic squad
Has produced 10 basketball Olympians as well as 16 Kodak All-Americans receiving 27 citations
Has led the Lady Vols to eight regular season titles and nine postseason tourney crowns in the rugged Southeastern Conference

Stands alone as the winningest basketball coach at any level in the history of the sport
Posted a 1,217-206 ledger during 45-year coaching career for an .855 winning percentage
Coached eight seasons at Charleston (Tenn.) High School before taking over the reins of the Bradley Central (Tenn.) High School program in 1957
Guided the Bearettes to five state championships (1962, 1970, 1973, 1975, 1976) and to mythical national titles in 1975 and 1976

A dominant force on the international basketball scene
Towered above the opposition, both literally and figuratively, as a seven-foot plus stalwart for the Soviet National Team for over two decades
Collected some 45 medals in a career which began in 1968
Was a two-time Olympic gold medalist, playing for the Soviet Union in both the 1976 and 1980 Games
Collection of gold medals also includes 15 from the Soviet National Championships, 11 from the European Championships, and three from the World Championships
Never lost a single game playing in international competition during her 18-year career
Was voted the most popular athlete in her country 12 times between 1970 and 1985

Coach of the Hutcherson Flying Queens of Wayland Baptist University
Compiled a 431-66 (.867 winning percentage) record in 18 years as the coach of the Flying Queens, winning the first 76 games he coached to complete Wayland’s 131-game winning streak in the 1950s
Guided Wayland to six AAU National titles
Coached 30 players who merited 55 AAU All-America citations and eight players who received NWIT All-America distinction 15 times
Spent 27 years altogether coaching the men’s (1947-1957) and women’s (1956-1973) teams at Wayland Baptist, coaching both teams simultaneously for two years
Contributed significantly to the development of women’s basketball with terms of service on the U.S. Olympic Committee, National Women’s Basketball Committee, and the AAU Rules Committee
Credited with being a driving force behind the adoption of several progressive rule changes in women’s basketball, including the continuous unlimited dribble, the 30-second clock, and the five-player, full-court game
Was a Marine Corps bomber pilot in World War II

Recognized as the single most outstanding player in Asia for a period of 12 years
Was selected as the MVP of the fifth FIBA World Championships in 1967 as Korea finished second to the Soviet Union
Has continued to make vital contributions to the sport following her playing career
Served as the administrator for both the 1979 FIBA World Championships and the 1988 Seoul Olympics
Has served on committees for both the Korean Basketball Association and the Asian Basketball Confederation

Holds the distinction of being the first USA Olympic Women’s Basketball Coach, having served as head coach for the 1976 USA team, which earned a silver medal in Montreal
Compiled a 436-196 record in 24 years on the collegiate level, going 296-191 (.621 winning percentage) in 16 seasons at UCLA and 140-15 (.903 winning percentage) in eight years at Cal State Fullerton
Guided both schools to national championships with Cal State Fullerton earning a national title in 1970 and UCLA winning the AIAW National Championship in 1978
Retired from coaching following the 1992-93 season but continues to be actively involved in the sport as a consultant and instructor for a variety of teams, camps, and academies

One of the most decorated high school and collegiate women’s basketball players in history
Helped her Riverside Poly High School team post a four-year record of 132-4, notch an 84-game winning streak, and win four straight CIF-Southern Section championships
Scored 105 points in a single game as a prepster
Became the first high school player, male or female, to be named a Parade All-American four straight years
A four-time Kodak All-American (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986)
Selected as the Naismith Player of the Year three times and earned the Wade Trophy once
Led USC to a 112-20 record and back-to-back NCAA titles in 1983 and 1984
Amassed 3,018 points and 1,534 rebounds (23.6 ppg, 12.0 rpg) during her four years at USC
Guided the United States to gold medals in the 1984 Olympic Games, 1983 Pan American Games, and 1986 Goodwill Games