No state is prouder of its basketball tradition than Indiana, so to be honored for basketball in the state is extra special. Before Tuesday, 20 individuals with Notre Dame connections were inductees of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. The most recent of those inductees were [autotag]Ken Barlow[/autotag] and [autotag]Beth Cunningham[/autotag], both of whom were enshrined in 2019. Now, that number soon will be 22 with the announcement that [autotag]Ruth Riley[/autotag] Hunter and [autotag]Sheila McMillen[/autotag] Keller will be inducted in 2023.
Riley Hunter was the big player on the Irish’s 2001 national championship team, winning national player of the year and Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament among other honors. At the conclusion of her collegiate career, she held seven program records. She remains the Irish’s all-time leader in field-goal percentage, blocks average and personal fouls. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.
McMillen Keller was the first Irish player to appear in four consecutive NCAA Tournaments. She was an All-Big East selection as a senior captain and graduated with 1,439 career points. Her 98 3-pointers during her final season still are a program record.
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