Dec. 1, 2009
Bronx, N.Y. -
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On Saturday, December 5th, something will happen at Fordham University that has never happened before; the uniform of a former female student-athlete will be retired. That uniform number, number 55, belongs to the most prolific women's basketball player to ever grace the basketball court in the Rose Hill Gym, Anne Gregory O'Connell.
The ceremony will take place at halftime of the Fordham-Rider women's basketball game that will tip at 1:00 PM. A special pregame brunch will be held for former players, donors, members of the Board of Trustees and President's Council in Tognino Hall at the Duane Library beginning at 11:00 AM. Cost is $25. For more information on the brunch, contact Alex Morr at (212) 636-6489 or via e-mail morr@fordham.edu.
Gregory O'Connell, the top rebounder in women's college hoops history with 1,999 (pre-NCAA record still stands today) and the first Fordham women's player to score 2,000 points, starred for the Rams from 1976-80. She was the first female inductee in the Fordham Athletics Hall of Fame (1986) and joins only men's basketball legend, Ed Conlin, as the only former Fordham hoopsters to be honored by having their number hang from the rafters of the Rose Hill Gym.
On November 11th, Gregory O'Connell was honored at a special luncheon held at Gallagher's Steak House in Manhattan that highlighted the approach of her big day. Included in the audience were members of her family, former teammates and the 2009-10 Fordham University women's basketball team.
Mike Breen FCRH '83, who the play-by-play announcer for the NBA on ABC Sports and ESPN, served as the emcee, recounting the first time he met Gregory O'Connell.
"My first ever broadcast was a Fordham's women's game my freshman year for WFUV," said Breen. "Before the game everyone kept saying `you've got to watch this girl Anne Gregory'. And if I recall, she finished with 20 points and 20 rebounds. In all my days of covering basketball I can say that I never saw anyone play harder than Anne. That day changed my mind about women's basketball."
Following lunch, a special guest, WNBA President Donna Orender, who, like Fordham head coach Cathy Andruzzi, played basketball at Queens College, spoke. She recalled her playing days at Queens and paid tribute to the founding players of collegiate women's basketball, expressing their importance to the game to the current players.
"I'm here to pay tribute to the pioneers of the women's game," said Orender. "They worked hard to develop and establish the game so that the players here today can have a bright future in basketball."
Andruzzi then took the microphone to praise the success of Gregory O'Connell in establishing a strong foundation for the current squad as well as thanking the supporters in attendance, especially John Tognino, Chairman of the Fordham University Board of Trustees.
"When I first came to Fordham one of my goals was to bring Fordham back to what it was when Anne was here," said Andruzzi. "The team record over her four years was 91-36 and she was a part of three of the best five teams in Fordham history."
Then it was time for the person of the day to speak as Gregory O'Connell addressed the crowd.
"Having your jersey retired is a great reason to have a reunion," said Gregory O'Connell. "I'm looking forward to being together with my former teammates and watching the current team. I'm so grateful that the current team came out today and I hope they find the success and camaraderie we did in the `good old days'."
Even though her Fordham playing career ended in 1980, Gregory O'Connell still retains seven all-time career records including points (2,548), field goals (982), free throws (584) and blocks (200). Of course, her most impressive statistic, just one rebound short of 2,000, is not only over 1,000 more than the runner up, but continues to set the standard for women's basketball, and the record has yet to be reached since the NCAA was established in 1983.
Gregory O'Connell also retains the top spots in single-season field goal percentage (.607) and free throws (176), and still holds the top four spots in both rebounds and rebounding average. Her best season came as a freshman, posting 640 rebounds and an average of 23.7 per game.
Gregory O'Connell is now a guidance counselor at Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville, New York, and resides in Elmont with her husband, Associated Press Hall of Fame college basketball writer Jim O'Connell, and their adult children James and Andrew, who followed in mom's footsteps and is a sophomore at Fordham.
