From DeLand, Florida, a star was born! Bridgette Gordon was a standout basketball player throughout her life. Under the rigorous coaching of Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee, she helped lead the Lady Volunteers to the Final Four all four seasons and brought home National Championships in 1987 and 1989. As the first freshman to ever lead the team in points, the Lady Vols posted an impressive 115-21 record during her four year tenure. Earning herself the league’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1986, she also lead her conference in scoring in both 1988 and 1989.
Gordon was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team in both national championship seasons and was the Final Four’s Most Valuable Player in 1989. Her 2,450 career points as a Lady Vol are second only to Chamique Holdsclaw’s record and her 917 rebounds place her eighth in the Lady Vol record books. Gordon is also one of only five players to have their numbers retired at the school and one of five players named to the NCAA’s 25th Silver Anniversary Team in 2006. A four-time All-SEC selection, Gordon was named the SEC Player of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year as a senior. She finished her college basketball career as the NCAA Tournament top scorer and set a record of making the most free throws in one game with 17 against Long Beach State in 1989. Gordon’s outstanding accomplishments as a college basketball player made her a 2007 inductee to the Lady Vols Athletic Hall of Fame.
After college, Gordon played professionally in Italy where she was a perennial All-Star, won seven Italian championships and two European Cups before playing for the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs. In 1998, she was the fourth leading scorer of Team USA that brought home the Olympic gold medal. Her .571 field goal percentage was second the squad.
Gordon is currently in her fourth year as an assistant coach for Wichita State and her second year as a recruiting coordinator.