Cunningham

Beth Cunningham to be Inducted into 2019 Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Class

NEW CASTLE, Ind. – The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame announced its 2019 women’s induction class on Tuesday and it had some Irish flair. 1997 graduate and current Associate Coach Beth (Morgan) Cunningham will be honored at the 18th annual Women’s Awards Banquet on Saturday, April 27, 2019. Cunningham joins 11 other individuals in the 2019 class.

“I have such fond memories playing basketball in the state of Indiana,” Cunningham noted. “There is an unmatched tradition and history of basketball here, and to now be recognized in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, it’s truly an honor.”  

A Bloomington South High School graduate, Cunningham was a 1993 All-American and Indiana All-Star after setting the Monroe County career scoring record of 1,645 points. Cunningham averaged an impressive 27.8 points per game as a junior, only to outdo herself senior year at 33.2 ppg.
 
She began a record-setting career at the University of Notre Dame as the only freshman to be named team MVP, broke the program’s career scoring record during her junior year and became the first Notre Dame women’s player to score 2,000 points when she graduated with 2,322 points and a then 28 program records. 
 
A four-time First Team all-conference pick and two-time team captain, Cunningham was a 1996 and 1997 Kodak and AP All-American, 1996 UPI All-American and led the Irish to their first Women’s Final Four appearance her senior season. 
 
Drafted by the Philadelphia Rage in the 1997 ABL Draft, she later played with the WNBA’s Washington Mystics.  Cunningham later spent nine years as head coach at Virginia Commonwealth University, leading them to 167-115 record and exiting as the Rams’ all-time leader in women’s basketball coaching wins.
 
In 2012, Cunningham returned back to the Notre Dame family after being named an associate coach under Muffet McGraw. Since joining the staff, the Irish have posted a 219-16 record, reached four Final Fours and claimed the 2018 NCAA national championship.
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