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RETIRED JERSEYS
KANSAN.COM
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Photos courtesy of University Archives
▶ SEAN COLLINS
@seanzie_3
The G.O.A.T. - The Great-
The G.O.A.T. - The Greatest of All-Time. The saying is thrown around quite often in sports whether the player being discussed deserved it or
not.
If there was ever a player in Kansas basketball history that deserved the almighty title of the best to ever do it, Lynette Woodard earned it in her four years at Kansas from 1978-1981.
In each of those four years Woodard was an All-American, a feat that very few achieve.
As the first woman to have her jersey retired at Kansas and the first woman to be inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, Woodard accumulated many accolades in her time at Kansas.
The obvious players that come to mind when it comes to the best players to put on crimson and blue are the likes of Wilt Chamberlain and Danny Manning. At 26.2 points per game during her time at Kansas, only Chamberlain averaged more points per game in his career. It goes Wilt, then Woodard.
The 6-foot point guard finished her time at Kansas with the most points in the history of women's college basketball, nearly eclipsing 3,700 points.
Although her jersey hangs in the banners of Allen Fieldhouse currently and her stats remain impressive, part of what makes Woodard an all-time great is the way she has changed and affected the game off the court. Her relentless mentality and ability to push doubters to the side helped her revolutionize women's basketball.
Woodard was the first woman to play for the Harlem Globetrotters, a feat that was discussed and analyzed heavily at the time. However, her ball handling ability helped her fit the Globetrotter title.
Woodard told People.com that when she first began playing for the Globetrotters she was worried about how she would perform against men. She was also a fan of track: not just the sport, but also the metaphors.
"I love the quarter mile because it says so much about life," Woodard told People.com. "Everybody's got what it takes until they come around the curve. Then there's nothing left. Whoever's going to win has to do it on guts."
For the majority of her career there was no such thing as professional women's basketball. The Allen Fieldhouse floor and the Globetrotters were as close as she got. Finally, after her career was almost over, she was able to play in the WNBA.
Woodard's retired number remains as one of only three women's basketball jerseys to be retired at Kansas.
- Edited by Frank Weirich
"I love the quarter mile because it says so much about life. Everybody's got what it takes until they come around the curve. Then there's nothing left. Whoever's going to win has to do it on guts."
-LYNETTE WOODARD
LYNETTE WOODARD
Guard,1978-1981 No.31
presents
A classic musical that takes an honest look at adult relationships.
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Farth
Originally Produced and Directed on Broadway by Hattie Paige
Orchestrations by Jonathan Parnell
March 3,4,5*,10,11,12*,2017 7:30 p.m.,*2:30 p.m.
Crafton-Preyer Theatre
Murphy Hall, 1530 Naismith Dr.
Reserved seat tickets are on sale at the University Theatre, Box Office, 785-864-3982 Land Center Box Office, 785-864-ARTS, and online. Tickets are $22 for adults, $21 for senior citizens and KU faculty and staff, and $10 for children. KU Student tickets are $10 in advance. $15 at the door.
Company is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre international (M1T). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MITShows.com
The University Theatre is partially funded by the KU Student Senate Activity Fee. The University Theatre's 2016-17 season is sponsored by Trusty Credit Union
www.KUtheatre.com STUDENT SENATE TRUITY CREATIVE WORK
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