Gold Medallist & Basketball Legend Anne Donovan Dies

Legendary basketball player and Olympic gold medalist Anne Donovan of the US team died of a heart failure on June 13. She was 56.

Donovan won the Olympic gold medal as a player and a coach. She became the first female head coach of a WNBA champion team, the Storm, to win a 2004 WNBA title.

“While it is extremely difficult to express how devastating it is to lose Anne, our family remains so very grateful to have been blessed with such a wonderful human being,” Donovan’s family said in a statement, according to reports. “Anne touched many lives as a daughter, sister, aunt, friend and coach.”

"She played for her first USA Basketball team in 1977 and during her Hall of Fame, 31-year USA career, she was a member of five US Olympic teams and four USA World Championship teams as an athlete and coach, culminating in leading the 2008 US Olympic Team to gold as our head coach in Beijing"

She was also the head coach of the Connecticut Sun from 2013 to 2015. During her time as a player, she played as the center. Donovan made it to the 1980 US Olympic team as its youngest player after her freshman year at Old Dominion. However, she couldn’t play the Moscow games because of the US boycott.

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At 26, she won gold with the US in 1984. In 1988, she was the team's oldest player. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame added her to the coveted list in 1995 and the women’s basketball Hall of Fame added her in 1999.

“USA Basketball mourns the passing of Anne Donovan,” USA Basketball said in a statement.

“She played for her first USA Basketball team in 1977 and during her Hall of Fame, 31-year USA career, she was a member of five US Olympic teams and four USA World Championship teams as an athlete and coach, culminating in leading the 2008 US Olympic Team to gold as our head coach in Beijing. She used to say she bled red, white and blue. As much as we remember her accomplishments in the game, we mourn a great friend who will be greatly missed.”

Picture credit- abc7ny

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