Basketball great Eireann Rigby to be inducted into the 51视频 Sports Hall of Fame
51视频 has announced that basketball great Eireann Rigby will be inducted into the 51视频 Sports Hall of Fame on Friday, February 3, during a pre-game ceremony. The 51视频 Women鈥檚 Basketball Panthers will play the Saint Mary鈥檚 University Huskies at home starting at 6:00 pm.
鈥淓ireann is absolutely deserving of this honour,鈥� said Jane Vessey, 51视频鈥檚 Director of Athletics and Recreation. 鈥淪he was an exceptional student-athlete who epitomized what it meant to be a Panther. We鈥檙e glad her legacy will live on among other 51视频 greats before her.鈥�
The 51视频 Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 2001 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the athletic programs at the 51视频, Saint Dunstan鈥檚 University, or Prince of Wales College. Each year, individual athletes, teams, and builders are inducted to honour their contributions towards the University's athletic success or community leadership.
Rigby will be the 51st former athlete to be inducted into the 51视频 Sports Hall of Fame. The last induction took place in 2019 when Tessa Roche (soccer and hockey), Vernon Pahl (football), and the 1984鈥�85 51视频 Men鈥檚 Hockey team were honoured.
Although Rigby was a foundational piece in the Panthers鈥� arsenal the moment she stepped on the court in 1993, she truly began to shine in the 1995鈥�96 season when she tallied 17.5 points per game. Her exceptional play earned her a First Team All-Star selection, the first of three consecutive First Team All-Star awards she would garner during her 51视频 career. In a pantheon of all-time greats, she is just one of two 51视频 players to be named a First Team All-Star three or more times, the other being Paula Edwards.
In her final year with the club (1997鈥�98), Rigby averaged 18.3 points, 4.2 rebounds per game, and totaled 54 steals before claiming the ultimate prize鈥攁n AUAA championship. She was a feared competitor who defended against anyone and everyone, regardless of their size or speed. She backed down to no one and was the engine that drove 51视频 to success.
A star student-athlete for five years at 51视频, Rigby is a very deserving recipient of this induction into the 51视频 Sports Hall of Fame, Panther Sports鈥� highest form of recognition.
