Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2019
- Class:
- 1990
A year removed from the program’s first-ever post-season appearance in the WNIT, the 1990 women’s basketball team (25-5; 11-1 CAA) gave an encore post-season performance, but this time on the sport’s biggest stage – the NCAA Tournament.
Coach Stephanie Gaitley’s team won a school record 25 games, including a program-best 15 game winning streak that was stopped on the road by perennial Top 25 women’s national power Old Dominion.
On the road to the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance, the Spiders did take care of conference power James Madison – twice. Richmond handed JMU its first home Colonial Athletic Association loss in five years during the regular season, then edged the four-time defending conference champs in the tournament title game, 47-46. Richmond won its first regular season and post-season CAA crowns.
Senior guard Pam Bryant was named CAA Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, and went on to be named CAA Tournament Most Valuable Player. She finished second in the league in scoring (17 ppg) and steals (2.5 spg). Bryant concluded her Richmond Hall of Fame career second all-time in scoring (1766 points).
In her fifth year at the helm, Gaitley was named CAA Coach of the Year. The Spiders led the CAA and were ranked nationally in scoring defense (53 ppg), free throw percentage (77%), three-point shooting (43%) scoring margin (14.5) and winning percentage (.852). Sophomore forward Amy Mallon earned Second-Team All CAA honors, freshman center Kristy Sipple was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team and Bryant to the CAA All-Defensive Team.
