Donovan, Anne (1961—)

American basketball player. Born in Ridgewood, New Jersey, on November 1, 1961.

Named the 1983 Naismith College Player of the Year; was a member of the women's team that won the gold in 1984; won the first Champion Player of the Year award given by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association; became a coach at Old Dominion; inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame (1995).

At 6′8″, Anne Donovan towered over everyone, male and female, making her well suited to basketball. Her position as center used this height to her advantage. While on scholarship at Old Dominion, she totaled 2,719 points, and averaged 14.5 rebounds per game in her four-year career. In 1983, Donovan won the Naismith College Player of the Year award and the first Champion Player of the Year award given by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. She was also named to two Kodak All-American teams as well as the 1980 Olympic team. But when the United States boycotted those games protesting the invasion of Soviet troops into Afghanistan, her opportunity to play was lost.

In 1983, Donovan was on the U.S. team at the world championship in Brazil, where she played against Iuliana Semenova , who at 6′10½″ was even taller than Donovan. As opportunities in professional basketball for women were extremely limited, no opportunities awaited Donovan when she finished college. Like many before her, she went to Japan where her team won the Japanese championship. After playing with the 1984 national team that won a gold in the Olympics, she then returned to Old Dominion where she became a coach.

Karin Loewen Haag , Athens, Georgia