Anne Donovan
A 6'8" pioneer who dominated the paint as a player and then shaped champions from the sidelines as a coach.
1961–2018 (age 57)·American basketball player and coach·Birthday: November 1·Baby Boomers
Biography
Anne Donovan's height made her an unmistakable figure on the court, but her skill and intelligence defined her legacy. She led Old Dominion University to a national championship in 1979, setting the stage for an Olympic gold medal as a player in 1984 and another as a head coach in 2008. Donovan navigated the early, lean years of professional women's basketball, eventually becoming the first woman to coach a WNBA team to a title when she guided the Seattle Storm to the 2004 championship. Her career arc traced the evolution of the women's game itself, from college star to foundational pro coach, always commanding respect through a quiet, determined competence.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Anne was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anne Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Anne's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2018Died at 57
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
Key Achievements
- Won an Olympic gold medal as a player in 1984 and as the head coach of the US team in 2008.
- Led Old Dominion University to the AIAW national championship in 1979, earning tournament MVP honors.
- Became the first woman to coach a WNBA team to a championship, winning with the Seattle Storm in 2004.
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.
Did You Know?
At 6'8", she was one of the tallest players in women's basketball history during her era.
She was the first female basketball player to appear on a box of Wheaties cereal.
She served as head coach for three different WNBA franchises: Charlotte, Seattle, and Connecticut.
Donovan won a total of three Olympic gold medals—one as a player and two as an assistant coach before her head coaching win.
“You have to be the hardest worker in the gym, because talent alone doesn't win championships.”
