Ann Meyers
(Born 1955)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1993
Card Shown:
2009-10 Panini Hall of Fame
Famed Signatures
Position: 5’9″
Height: SG
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Ann Meyers was a pioneer in the game of women’s basketball. Legendary UCLA coach John Wooden said, “She was the one who really got Women’s basketball going.” Meyers led UCLA to its first National Championship in women’s basketball, she represented the USA in a number of international competitions, she played professionally in the first women’s professional basketball league, and she was invited to try out for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA. Ann later married Hall of Fame baseball player Don Drysdale, became a Vice President for both an NBA and a WNBA team, and has continued to broadcast basketball games on a variety of stations.
Awards and Honors
- In 1976, Meyers became the first woman to be awarded a full four-year athletic scholarship to UCLA.
- Ann was a four-time All-American basketball player at UCLA. She also played played volleyball and track for two years. In 1978, Meyers led UCLA women’s basketball team to the AIAW National Championship title.
- Meyers played on the first USA Women’s Olympic Team in 1976. Playing with fellow Hall of Famers Lusia Harris and Nancy Lieberman, Ann helped lead the USA to the silver medal in Montreal, Canada. Uljana Semjonova led the USSR to the gold medal.
- In 1979, Ann became the first woman to try out for an NBA team when the Indiana Pacers signed her to a contract and invited her to tryouts. Although she was cut, Meyers remembers being told by one of the Pacers assistant coaches that fundamentally she was better than half of the guys who were out there.
- Ann played in a number of international competitions for the USA National Team: In 1975 she won a gold medal at the Pan American Games, in 1977 a silver medal at the World University Games, and in 1979 a gold medal at the World Championship and a silver medal at the Pan American Games.
- Meyers was selected by Houston with the number one overall pick in the first draft of the WBL, the Women’s Professional Basketball League. Now defunct, the WBL was the precursor to today’s WNBA. Ann played for the New Jersey Gems in 1979-80 and was voted the co-Most Valuable Player of the league.
Points of Interest
- Ann was one of eleven Meyers children. Her older brother, Dave, was a star player at UCLA under coach Wooden. Dave and the Bruins won two NCAA Championships in 1973 (when he was a reserve) and in 1975 (when he was the star player and led the team in scoring and rebounding). Dave was the second pick of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1975 NBA Draft. Nineteen days later he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the trade for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
- Hall of Fame basketball player Ann Meyers and Hall of Fame baseball player Don Drysdale were married on November 1, 1986. They had three children together. Don Drysdale passed away as the result of a heart attack on July 3, 1993 at the age of 56. The Dodger broadcaster was in Montreal to call a game between the Dodgers and the Expos at the time. Their three children were six years old or younger when their father passed away.
- In 1988, Ann became the first women named to the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1999, Ann was enshrined in the inaugural class of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2007 she was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in its inaugural class.
- After her playing days were over, Meyers remained very involved in professional basketball. She has served as the Vice President of both the Phoenix Suns (NBA) and the Phoenix Mercury (WNBA).
- In 2012, Meyers authored the book, “You Let Some Girl Beat You?: The Story of Ann Meyers Drysdale.” Celtics great Bill Russell said of Meyers, “Annie was one of the best players ever. I didn’t say male or female; I said ever.”
Personal Autograph Interaction
I asked Ann Meyers to sign my two cards in the lobby of the Mohegan Sun during the 2023 Hall of Fame Induction weekend. My son Joshua had previously gotten her to sign but she was in a hurry and said she would catch the rest of us on her way back from her appointment. I wasn’t in the lobby when she passed through on her way back, so was happy when another opportunity presented itself to have her sign. Ann was very nice and took her time to neatly autograph my cards and place the signatures so that they were not on top of the darker part of the card. The first card is a 2009-10 Panini Hall of Fame white border numbered out of 599. The second card is a 1994 Sports Illustrated for Kids card.
At the 2024 Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend, Ann signed three more cards for me including a custom card I made which shows her being the first recipient of the Hall of Fame’s Kobe and Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award. I had an extra one of these custom cards and asked Ann if she would like to keep it. She said yes so I gave it to her and she put it in her back pocket. Who knows if she still has it or what condition it might be in now? 🙂
Thank you, Ann!
In-Person Autograph Photos
The 2009-10 Hall of Fame card and the 1994 Sports Illustrated for Kids card were both signed at the 2023 Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend.
At the Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend in 2024, Ann signed the 1994 Fleer Flair USA Basketball card, the 1992 Topps card, and the custom card that commemorates her being the recipient of the inaugural Kobe and Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award presented by the Hall of Fame.