MANHATTAN, Kan. - Kansas State Associate Head Coach Kamie Ethridge will travel to Knoxville, Tenn., for her induction into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on April 27. The Class of 2002 Induction Gala Dinner and Cermony, will take place at 8 p.m. at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium in Knoxville.
Ethridge, who just finished her sixth season at Kansas State, helped the Wildcats reach the NCAA Sweet Sixteen this past season and post records of 26-8 overall and 11-5 in the Big 12 Conference. She also helped lead the 'Cats to the 1997 NCAA Tournament and the 1999 WNIT. Under her tutelage, K-State's perimeter game has blossomed into one of the nation's best. Ethridge helped freshman Laurie Koehn lead the country in three-point field goals this season and former Wildcat Kim Woodlee finish second all-time in the Big 12 Conference and as Kansas State's career three-point leader. She has also played a vital role in recruiting a WBCA High School All-American, four Gatorade and USA Today State Players of the Year, eight USA Today honorable mention All-Americans and three Miss Basketball's.
Ethridge began her coaching career in 1987 as a student assistant at Texas. In 1988, she played professionally in Italy and then returned that same year to take a graduate assistant position at Northern Illinois. She became a full-time assistant in 1990 and joined the Vanderbilt staff in 1991. In her five years at Vanderbilt, Ethridge was an integral part of landing five Kodak high school All-Americans and eight Gatorade State Players of the Year.
She assisted in one Final Four, two Elite Eights and two NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances while at Vanderbilt. When Ethridge joined the Vanderbilt staff in 1991, she helped the Commodores to the first NCAA Elite Eight appearance in the school's history and an overall winning percentage of .785 over five years.
As a player, the University of Texas graduate led the Longhorns to a 34-0 record, the first perfect season in NCAA Division I history, and to the 1986 NCAA Championship, garnering Most Valuable Player honors in the title game. She also was involved in two Elite Eight appearances and one trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. She received just about every national award possible. A two-time Kodak All-American, the Lubbock, Texas, native was honored with the Wade Trophy and the Broderick Cup, awarded to the top female student-athlete in the country each year. The final jewel in her awards crown was the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Player of the Year award, presented annually to the nation's top senior collegian under 5-foot-6 in height.
Ethridge continued her basketball successes following her collegiate career. She saw considerable action
on the international level. The pinnacle of her extensive USA Basketball experience came as a member of
the United States' gold medal-winning Olympic squad at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea. In addition, Ethridge won gold medals with Team USA at the 1986 Goodwill Games, the 1986 World Championships and the 1987 Pan-Am Games.
Continuing to work with USA Basketball, Ethridge spent a four-year stint on the USA Basketball Women's Player Selection Committee, which is responsible for the selection of numerous teams, including the World University Games, Pan American Games and Jones Cup teams. In the summer of 1999, she was invited to lead a point-guard camp in Colorado Springs, Colo., for current, past and prospective USA Basketball talent.
Since her playing days, Ethridge has continued to be honored. She was inducted into the University of Texas Women's Athletics Hall of Honor in 2000, was one of eight players selected to the Southwest Conference Players of the Decade team, and on Jan. 17, 1997, her No. 33 jersey was retired at Monterey High School.
The selections for this, the fourth induction class, were made by a board consisting of 26 members. This year's class will bring the number of Hall of Fame honorees to 59.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME 2002 INDUCTION CLASS
CINDY BROGDON, three-time Kodak All-American and 1976 U.S. Olympic Team silver medalist
MARGARET SEXTON GLEAVES, eight-time AAU All-American who played on five AAU National Championship teams
HORTENCIA de FATIMA MARCARI OLIVA, a basketball icon in her homeland who guided Brazil to a silver medal in the 1996 Olympic Games
SANDRA MEADOWS, legendary coach at Duncanville (Texas) High School whose overall record of 906-227 included four state championships
LEA PLARSKI, a leader in administration for women's basketball, both on the collegiate and international levels
MARIANNE CRAWFORD STANLEY, a multi-time national champion, both as a player at Immaculata and as the coach at Old Dominion
TARA VANDERVEER, Stanford head coach, who led the Cardinal to a pair of national championships as well as leading Team USA to a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics.