Domond, Nadine

Nadine Domond's exceptional story as both player and coach began in Bridgeport, at the Boys & Girls Club where she challenged all comers to one-on-one matchups and at Bridgeport Central High School where she won the 1994 Class LL girls' basketball state championship along with her sister Nancy. She lists those as two of the fondest memories in her career, which has included first team Parade All-America honors as a senior in high school, a long association with Naismith Hall of Fame head coach C. Vivian Stringer - whom Nadine played for at the University of Iowa and now coaches alongside at Rutgers University - and a career in the WNBA.

"My mother (Evelyne Domond) and grandmother (Adelcide Williams) had the greatest influence," Nadine said. "I wanted them to be proud of me. ... Larry and Jimmy inspired me along with other kids who grew up on the East side of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

"... Basketball is special because it has opened so many doors, opportunities and relationships. Basketball has created a lifetime of great memories of friendship, happiness and laughter. It continues to give me a great journey."

Nadine will be presented her Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honor by another big part of her history in former Bridgeport Central coach Richard Fisher. Fisher coached the Hilltoppers to a 27-0 record in 1993-94, culminating with a 45-41 victory over Shelton for the Class LL title. Nadine, a 5-foot-7 guard, averaged 23.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 6.4 steals per game as a senior, scoring a career-high 56 points in a game against Norwalk, and finished as the Gatorade Connecticut Player of the Year and a four-time all-state selection. She scored 2,302 points in her career with 921 rebounds, 476 assists and 472 steals.

At Iowa, where she earned a degree in African American World Studies and Instructional Design, Nadine played in three NCAA tournaments, with the Hawkeyes advancing to the Sweet 16 in 1996. Nadine was a second team All-Big Ten honoree in 1998. She was chosen 19th overall by the New York Liberty in the 1996 WNBA Draft and played extensively overseas in France, Poland and Israel.

Nadine recently finished her fourth season an assistant women's basketball coach under Stringer at Rutgers. She began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Hampton University in 2002, helping lead the team to an NCAA tournament bid. Nadine later served as head coach at Grambling State for two seasons, earning 2016 Southwestern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors, before resigning to reunite with Stringer. A resident of North Brunswick, N.J., Nadine is also the founder of Nadine Domond Basketball, a service that provides online networking, personal training, tournaments and workshops for young players and college coaches.

Nadine, whose goal it is to coach a team to a national championship, takes pride in being honored in her home state of Connecticut, back where she began.