More sad news: North Carolina State basketball coach, Kay Yow, has died of breast cancer at the age of 66. Yow, a Naismith Hall of Fame inductee, was first diagnosed with cancer in 1987.
Her battle with cancer did not stop her from leading her team to over 700 victories, as well as leading the U.S. Women’s basketball team to a gold medal in the 1988 Olympics. Yet her victories, as impressive as they are, may not be her most lasting legacy. As the New York Times notes, “for many fans, Yow was best defined by her unwavering resolve while fighting cancer, from raising awareness and money for research to staying with her team through the debilitating effects of the disease and chemotherapy treatments.”
Yow’s positive outlook on life inspired her players, who wear pink shoelaces in her honor. In 2007, after the team lost to the UCONN Huskies in the NCAA tournament, forward Khadijah Whittington noted: ”There were so many times I felt like giving up, and then I see Coach Yow and she never gives up.”
Kay Yow, Basketball Coach, Dies At 66 [NYTimes]