New UTC women's basketball coach Jim Foster along with coach Gary Blair and players Peggie Gillom-Granderson, Jen Rizzotti, Annette Smith-Knight and Sue Wicks will be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame June 8.
With the addition of the Class of 2013, the WBHOF will recognize the Wayland Baptist University Flying Queens from 1953 to 1958 as “Trailblazers of the Game” for their contributions. The Flying Queens will join the All American Red Heads, Edmonton Grads and the Former Helms/Citizens Savings/Founders Bank as the only four groups recognized as “Trailblazers of the Game.”
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame's Board of Directors serves as the selection committee in determining which individuals will be inducted each year.
Voting is based on various factors, which include moral character, integrity, sportsmanship, record of performance, ability, national or international recognition and contributions to women’s basketball. Players must be retired from the highest level of play for at least five years and coaches must have coached at least 20 years.
Gary Blair ranks in the top 15 in career victories and in the top 25 by winning percentage among Division I coaches; Jim Foster amassed a 765-294 record as head coach in 34 years; Peggie Gillon-Granderson is one of two Ole Miss players to ever score more than 2,000 points and grab more than 1,000 rebounds; Jen Rizzotti was a two-time Kodak All-American and NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player in 1995 and 1996 for her collegiate career while attending the University of Connecticut; Annette Smith-Knight is the University of Texas’ all-time leading scorer with 2,523 points and helped lead the USA Basketball team to gold in the 1983 World University Games; Sue Wicks still holds records for points scored, scoring average, rebounds, blocked shots, free throws made/attempted and field goals made/attempted at Rutgers University.