UConn will retire the number of former great Swin Cash, making the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member just the third player in Huskies history — men or women — to receive the honor.
The ceremony to retire No. 32 will be held Nov. 14 when the Huskies host Texas at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn.
Cash joins Ray Allen (34) and Rebecca Lobo (50) as the only Huskies with retired numbers. Only members of the Hall of Fame who played at UConn are eligible for a number retirement.
Cash was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in September. She played on four WNBA All-Star teams.
“I’m truly humbled and grateful to the University of Connecticut, my coaches and my amazing teammates,” she said in a statement released Friday. “To know my number and name will be going to the rafters in Gampel is still mind-blowing.
“For me, this recognition represents a shining symbol of hope to any young female baller out there wondering if she’s good enough, who comes from humble beginnings or just doesn’t see a clear pathway. Being the best you, is always enough.”
Cash, 43, was a two-time NCAA champion at UConn (2000, 2002) and named the most outstanding player of the NCAA Tournament in the latter year. The Detroit Shock selected her with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 WNBA draft, and she won three league championships in her 15-year career with Detroit (2003, 2006) and the Seattle Storm (2010).
She also played with the Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist (2004, 2012), Cash is the vice president of basketball operations and team development for the New Orleans Pelicans.
“Anyone who was around when Swin played, or who saw her play in person, will never forget the energy that she played with, the force of her personality and the passion that she brought to everything that she did,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said in the statement. “Hanging No. 32 up in the rafters is the ultimate sign of respect from everyone here in our program and every UConn fan all over the world.”
–Field Level Media