Photos: Arizona Wildcats women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Joan Bonvicini, head coach of the University of Arizona Women's Basketball team from 1991-2008, was selected for the 2019 UA Sports Hall of Fame class.
Bonvicini is the winningest coach in Arizona women’s basketball history with 287 victories. She rebuilt a struggling program into one that was expected to finish in the top half of the Pac-12. She took her teams to the postseason nine times, and won a WNIT Championship. Her 2003-04 team won a share of the Pac-10 Conference title. She coached one Pac-10 player of the year and three freshmen of the year; 54 of her players earned Pac-10 accolades, and 21 earned conference academic honors. – PJ Brown
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini during her debut as head coach on Nov. 14, 1991, at McKale Center, Tucson. The team won against South Australia, 73-63.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
University of Arizona womens basketball coach Joan Bonvicini in April, 1991, just after she was hired as the head coach.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini works with players at McKale Center in 1991, her first year as coach.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini during her debut as head coach on Nov. 14, 1991, at McKale Center, Tucson. The team won against South Australia, 73-63.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Arizona woman's team coach Joan Bonvicini passes the ball during the first practice at McKale center in 1996.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Arizona Head coach Joan Bonvicini talks to Felicity Willis during a game against UCLA game in 1997.
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UA women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini talks with players in May 1991, just after she was hired as the head coach. Bonvicini said she was starting from scratch, which was putting it kindly.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Coach Joan Bonvicini talks with the team during halftime, Wednesday, December 18, 2002, as Aimee Grzyb lays on the floor with a hot towel on her back.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
University of Arizona basketball players hoist coach Joan Bonvicini in the air to celebrate her 600th career victory on Feb. 8, 2007. The team beat over Oregon State, 65-61.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini mourns as she views the body of her star player Shawntinice "Polkey" Polk, during Polk's funeral at Hanford High School in Hanford, CA. The funeral service was attend by about 1,500 people her Polk's hometown.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Arizona women's head coach Joan Bonvicini reacts to a refs call in the closing moments of the wilcats game against Stanford held at the McKale Center, Sunday January 9, 2004 in Tucson, Ariz. The Wilcats lost the game to Stanford.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
High school photo of Joan Bonvicini, head coach of the University of Arizona women's basketball team. She was active in student council, drama club, and "Z," an action and discussion group. Hints to the future: She was voted "most athletic" in the class and was dubbed "Cathedral's answer to Wilt Chamberlain." She graduated from Cathedral High School in Bridgeport, Conn., in 1971.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Assistant coach Todd Holthaus and Coach Joan Bonvicini keep an eye on the ball during practice at McKale on January 18, 2006.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
University of Arizona basketball coach Joan Bonvicini and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano share a laugh before the start of the Arizona-UCLA basketball game on Saturday, January 20, 2007 at McKale Center. The Wildcats lost to the Bruins 76-73 as a comeback late in the game comes up short.
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Arizona coach Joan Bonvicini celebrates a 3-point shot with Malia O'Neal, right, in the Wildcats' 2007 game against Stanford.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
UA's Aimee Grzyb listens to her coach Joan Bonvicini during the Arizona Basketball Classic game vs Holy Cross at the McKale Center, November 30th 2001
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Head coach of the Arizona Wildcats, Joan Bonvicini, gets an unexpected lift from her players, Michelle Mitchell, left, and Jen Chesney, right, as player, Reshea Bristol, and the rest of the team help Bonvicini celebrate her 500'th career win on Feb. 3, 2001.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
The 200-01 Arizona Women's Basketball team, from left: Julie Brase, Reshea Bristol, Krista Warren, head coach Joan Bonvicini, LaKeisha Taylor, and Elizabeth Pickney.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Assistant Athletic Director Rocky LaRose with Joan Bonvicini, Gov. Janet Napolitano and UA Pres. Robert Shelton in 2007
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Arizona Women's Basketball coach Joan Bonvicini reacts during the UA vs UCLA womens basketball game held at the McKale Center.1/20/00.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Arizona Womens Basketball Head Coach Joan Bonvicini during a game against UCLA, March 7, 1998.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Arizona Women's Basketball head coach Joan Bonvicini demonstrates an exercise on October 16th, 1999 during the teams first day of pratice for the 1999-00 season.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Joan Bonvicini , Head Coach of the Arizona Wildcats, looks as her lady cats basketball team plays the Georgia Bulldogs in the women's 1997 NCAA Southeastern Regionals.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
UA Women's Basketball coach Joan Bonvicini talks with press on March 11th, 2001 after hearing the NCAA tournament selection show in which the Wildcat's did not make the cut.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Arizona Women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini goes over the game plan for the second half of play against Washigton State University on Sat. 13 Jan. 2001 at McKale Center.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Arizona basketball coach Joan Bonvicini consoles her players during the memorial for Shawntice Polk at McKale Center in 2007.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Arizona head coach Joan Bonvicini, left, and players Shannon Hobson (50), Danielle Adefeso, center, Natalie Jones (23) Katrina Lindner and Rachael Schein, right, react in the final moments of their 72-69 win over Oklahoma in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Knoxville. Tenn., Saturday, March 20, 2005.
University of Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini
Preseason preview photo of the 2003-04 Arizona Women’s basketball team: Highlighting the new “triangle” offense, starters Shawntinice Polk (floor), Aimee Grzyb and Dee-Dee Wheeler, and coach Joan Bonvicini in the background.
Rick Wiley
Photo editor
Hansen's Top Teams, No. 87: Adia Barnes, Joan Bonvicini put Wildcats on map, in pollsFor Star subscribers: Arizona advanced to face third-seeded UConn in the Sweet 16 in Dayton, Ohio.
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