Rebecca Lobo headlines 2010 Hall of Fame class

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Rebecca Lobo became the first Connecticut player inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, leading a class of six inductees Saturday.

Lobo helped UConn to its first national championship with an undefeated season in 1995. She got the call that she was to be honored from former WNBA president Val Ackerman.

“She called me a couple times and I finally called her back. I am truly honored, but my kids weren’t that impressed,” said Lobo, the mother of two young children. “They were only happy when I got to play Big Bird 1-on-1.”

Lobo was joined in the Class of 2010 by Olympic great Teresa Edwards, who won four gold medals for the United States, and Teresa Weatherspoon, who led the New York Liberty to three WNBA finals.

Other inductees include Chris Weller, Gloria Ray and Leta Andrews.

“Rebecca was UConn basketball,” said Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma, who was inducted himself in 2006. “She is the same now as she was 20 years ago when I first recruited her. It’s truly amazing she’s the first Connecticut player to make it.”

Weller coached 26 seasons at Maryland averaging 20 wins a year. Ray was the first women’s athletic director at Tennessee and Andrews is the winningest high school girls’ basketball coach with more than 1,300 victories.

The six individuals in the Class of 2010 will be formally inducted as members of the Hall of Fame on June 12, 2010, in Knoxville, Tenn.