Rebecca Lobo
Encyclopedia
Rebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin (born October 6, 1973) is an American television basketball
analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association
(WNBA) from 1997 to 2003. Lobo, at 6' 4", played the center
position for much of her career.
, the youngest daughter of RuthAnn (née Hardy) and Dennis Joseph Lobo. Her father is of Cuba
n and Polish descent and her mother is of German and Irish
heritage; Lobo was raised a Catholic
. Her brother Jason played basketball at Dartmouth College
and her sister Rachel played basketball at Salem State College. Both her parents were teachers; in addition, her father was a basketball coach. Raised in Southwick, Massachusetts
, Lobo was the state scoring record-holder with 2,740 points in her high school career for Southwick-Tolland Regional High School
in Massachusetts
. She held this record for 18 years until it was eclipsed by Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir of the new Leadership Charter School in Springfield on January 26, 2009.
due to proximity and her belief in its academic excellence. She helped lead the Huskies
to the 1995 National Championship
with an undefeated 35-0 record. In her senior year, she won the 1995 Naismith
and College Player of the Year award. Lobo was awarded the prestigious Honda-Broderick Cup
for 1994-95, presented to the athlete "most deserving of recognition as the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year". She was a member of the inaugural class of inductees to the University of Connecticut women's basketball "Huskies of Honor" recognition program. Lobo was named the 1995 Sportswoman of the Year (in the team category) by the Women's Sports Foundation. Lobo was the first player in the Big East Conference ever to earn first team all American honors for both basketball and academics
during the league's first player allocations on January 22, 1997. The first season the Liberty fell to the Houston Comets in the WNBA Finals. Lobo suffered a setback in 1999, tearing her left anterior cruciate ligament
and her meniscus in the first game of the season. In 1999, she was selected to the inaugural WNBA All Star team but could not play because of the injury. In 2002 she was traded to the Houston Comets
in exchange for Houston’s second-round selection (26th overall) in the 2002 WNBA Draft
. The next season she was traded to the Connecticut Sun
, where she retired in 2003. Rebecca also played two seasons in the National Woman's Basketball league with the Springfield Spirit 2002 through 2003
2002: Houston Comets
2003: Connecticut Sun
with a focus on women's college basketball and WNBA games.
as part of the class of 2010.
At the induction ceremony, Lobo was introduced by her college coach, Geno Auriemma
who said, in part:
Lobo talked about touring the museum and seeing the exhibit of the All American Red Heads Team
. She talked about the influence of her grandmothers on her life, her parents, and others who helped her with her career. Then she related an anecdote about her daughter, epitomizing how things have changed for women in the sports world:
writer Steve Rushin
at the Basketball Hall of Fame
in Springfield, Massachusetts
. They have four children (3 girls and 1 boy) Siobhan Rose Rushin (Dec 25, 2004), Maeve Elizabeth Rushin (August 10, 2006), Thomas Joseph Rushin (October 6, 2008) and Rose Rushin (October 16, 2010).
. They also founded the RuthAnn and Rebecca Lobo Scholarship, which offers a scholarship to the UConn School of Allied Health for Hispanic students.
Rebecca was the 1996 spokesperson for the Lee National Denim Day
fund raiser which raises millions of dollars for breast cancer
research and education.
Starting in 2000, Lobo served as national spokesperson and backer for Body1.com, a consumer-targeted network of sites providing interactive content-rich information on medical technologies that treat ailments and diseases specific to body parts. Due to her recurring problems with a torn anterior cruciate ligament
, (ACL), she campaigned to raise awareness of knee injury risks in women. Lobo shared her story with others suffering from the same type of injury and strongly advocated for patient self-education via the Internet.
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Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
(WNBA) from 1997 to 2003. Lobo, at 6' 4", played the center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
position for much of her career.
Early life and high school career
Lobo was born in Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, the youngest daughter of RuthAnn (née Hardy) and Dennis Joseph Lobo. Her father is of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n and Polish descent and her mother is of German and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
heritage; Lobo was raised a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
. Her brother Jason played basketball at Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
and her sister Rachel played basketball at Salem State College. Both her parents were teachers; in addition, her father was a basketball coach. Raised in Southwick, Massachusetts
Southwick, Massachusetts
Southwick is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,502 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, Lobo was the state scoring record-holder with 2,740 points in her high school career for Southwick-Tolland Regional High School
Southwick-Tolland Regional high school
Southwick-Tolland Regional High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Southwick, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Southwick-Tolland Regional School District.-Performance:...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. She held this record for 18 years until it was eclipsed by Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir of the new Leadership Charter School in Springfield on January 26, 2009.
College
More than 100 colleges recruited Lobo, but she chose the University of ConnecticutUniversity of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
due to proximity and her belief in its academic excellence. She helped lead the Huskies
Connecticut Huskies
The Connecticut Huskies, also known as the UConn Huskies, are the athletic teams of the University of Connecticut in the United States. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference for all sports except Men's Ice Hockey and Women's Ice...
to the 1995 National Championship
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
with an undefeated 35-0 record. In her senior year, she won the 1995 Naismith
Naismith College Player of the Year
The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....
and College Player of the Year award. Lobo was awarded the prestigious Honda-Broderick Cup
Honda-Broderick Cup
The Honda-Broderick Cup is a sports award for college-level female athletes. The awards are voted on by a national panel of more than 1000 collegiate athletic directors. It was first presented by the late Thomas Broderick, owner of a sports apparel company, in 1977, with the first award going to...
for 1994-95, presented to the athlete "most deserving of recognition as the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year". She was a member of the inaugural class of inductees to the University of Connecticut women's basketball "Huskies of Honor" recognition program. Lobo was named the 1995 Sportswoman of the Year (in the team category) by the Women's Sports Foundation. Lobo was the first player in the Big East Conference ever to earn first team all American honors for both basketball and academics
Professional
In 1997, the WNBA formed its inaugural season and Rebecca was assigned to the New York LibertyNew York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
during the league's first player allocations on January 22, 1997. The first season the Liberty fell to the Houston Comets in the WNBA Finals. Lobo suffered a setback in 1999, tearing her left anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
and her meniscus in the first game of the season. In 1999, she was selected to the inaugural WNBA All Star team but could not play because of the injury. In 2002 she was traded to the Houston Comets
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
in exchange for Houston’s second-round selection (26th overall) in the 2002 WNBA Draft
2002 WNBA Draft
2002 WNBA Draft – April 20, 2002On April 20, 2002, the regular WNBA draft took place.-College draft:-Round 1:-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:-UConn Fab Four:...
. The next season she was traded to the Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
, where she retired in 2003. Rebecca also played two seasons in the National Woman's Basketball league with the Springfield Spirit 2002 through 2003
WNBA Teams
1997–2001: New York LibertyNew York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
2002: Houston Comets
Houston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
2003: Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
Sports announcing
Today, Lobo is seen as a reporter and color analyst for ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
with a focus on women's college basketball and WNBA games.
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Lobo was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of FameWomen's Basketball Hall of Fame
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors men and women who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA...
as part of the class of 2010.
At the induction ceremony, Lobo was introduced by her college coach, Geno Auriemma
Geno Auriemma
Luigi "Geno" Auriemma is the head coach of the University of Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team, which he has led to seven National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I national championships...
who said, in part:
Lobo talked about touring the museum and seeing the exhibit of the All American Red Heads Team
All American Red Heads Team
The All American Red Heads was one of the first professional women's basketball teams. In 1936, almost 50 years after women's basketball began, C. M. "Ole" Olson started a barnstorming team which would play around the country until 1986. The name of the team came from Olson's wife, who owned a...
. She talked about the influence of her grandmothers on her life, her parents, and others who helped her with her career. Then she related an anecdote about her daughter, epitomizing how things have changed for women in the sports world:
Family
On April 12, 2003, Rebecca changed her last name from Lobo to Lobo-Rushin after marrying Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
writer Steve Rushin
Steve Rushin
- Early life :Rushin grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota, the third in a family of five kids. "Beer has long been in my blood, and not just in the literal sense," he wrote. "My ancestors were much practiced at naming bars." In 1946, his father's father, Jack Rushin, opened a saloon on Market Street...
at the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
in Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
. They have four children (3 girls and 1 boy) Siobhan Rose Rushin (Dec 25, 2004), Maeve Elizabeth Rushin (August 10, 2006), Thomas Joseph Rushin (October 6, 2008) and Rose Rushin (October 16, 2010).
Breast Cancer Advocate and Health Spokesperson
In 1996, Lobo and her late mother, Ruth Ann Lobo, collaborated on a book entitled The Home Team, which dealt with Ruth Ann's battle with breast cancerBreast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
. They also founded the RuthAnn and Rebecca Lobo Scholarship, which offers a scholarship to the UConn School of Allied Health for Hispanic students.
Rebecca was the 1996 spokesperson for the Lee National Denim Day
Lee National Denim Day
Lee National Denim Day is a fundraiser created by Lee Jeans to support the Women's cancer programs of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Every year, people are asked to donate the money they'd spend on a pair of jeans to support breast cancer research and wellness programs...
fund raiser which raises millions of dollars for breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
research and education.
Starting in 2000, Lobo served as national spokesperson and backer for Body1.com, a consumer-targeted network of sites providing interactive content-rich information on medical technologies that treat ailments and diseases specific to body parts. Due to her recurring problems with a torn anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
, (ACL), she campaigned to raise awareness of knee injury risks in women. Lobo shared her story with others suffering from the same type of injury and strongly advocated for patient self-education via the Internet.
Awards and honors
- 1994—Kodak First team All-America
- 1994—Honda Sports AwardHonda Sports AwardThe Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States of America, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Award are automatically in the running for the Honda-Broderick Cup award, as...
, basketball - 1994—Honda-Broderick Cup
- 1995—ESPY Award–Outstanding Female Athlete
- 1995—AP Female Athlete of the Year
- 1995—NCAA Women's Basketball Player of the Year
- 1995—Women's Sports Foundation–Woman of the Year
- 1995—Wade Trophy
- 1995—Kodak First team All-America
- 1995—Honda Sports AwardHonda Sports AwardThe Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States of America, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Award are automatically in the running for the Honda-Broderick Cup award, as...
, basketball
- 1997—All WNBA Second team
- 1997—WNBA Eastern All-Star team
University of Connecticut Statistics
| Rebecca Lobo Statistics at University of Connecticut | |||||||||||||||||||
| Year | G | FG | FGA | PCT | 3FG | 3FGA | PCT | FT | FTA | PCT | REB | AVG | A | TO | B | S | MIN | PTS | AVG |
|||||||||||||||||||
| 1991-92 | 29 | 167 | 338 | 0.494 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 82 | 117 | 0.701 | 228 | 7.9 | 26 | 78 | 46 | 30 | 675 | 416 | 14.3 |
| 1992-93 | 29 | 189 | 421 | 0.449 | 29 | 85 | 0.341 | 77 | 119 | 0.647 | 326 | 11.2 | 37 | 75 | 97 | 26 | 926 | 484 | 16.7 |
| 1993-94 | 33 | 243 | 445 | 0.546 | 11 | 34 | 0.324 | 138 | 187 | 0.738 | 371 | 11.2 | 68 | 107 | 131 | 34 | 966 | 635 | 19.2 |
| 1994-95 | 35 | 238 | 476 | 0.5 | 18 | 51 | 0.353 | 104 | 154 | 0.675 | 343 | 9.8 | 129 | 91 | 122 | 40 | 1005 | 598 | 17.1 |
| Totals | 126 | 837 | 1680 | 0.498 | 58 | 171 | 0.339 | 401 | 577 | 0.695 | 1268 | 10.1 | 260 | 351 | 396 | 130 | 3572 | 2133 | 16.9 |