167 tradition BREAK.qxd - University of Kentucky Athletics

Tradition
RETIRED JERSEY—VALERIE STILL
UK’S ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER AND REBOUNDER, UK HALL OF FAME CHARTER CLASS
UK Great Valerie Still
Some programs have a once-in-a-lifetime player
who serves as a standard for all future studentathletes.
An exceptional personality. An outstanding
role model. A great basketball player.
For Kentucky, that player is Valerie Still.
Although Still played long ago (1979-83),
she remains the “Top Cat” in UK women’s
basketball annals. She was honored as such on
January 12, 2003 with a jersey retirement ceremony
at halftime of the Alabama game. She
became the first female letter winner in any
UK sport to have her jersey retired.
Still is the leader among all Wildcats (men
or women) for career scoring (2,763) and
rebounding (1,525). She was a consensus All-
American. She led the program in scoring
four straight seasons with a career average of
23.2. At one point during the 1981-82 season, she led the nation in both
scoring and rebounding before finishing second in both categories (24.8
ppg and 14.3 rpg).
She led the Cats to their highest national ranking (4th) in 1983 and
helped UK roll up a 30-game home court win streak from 1980-82. In
1983, Still led the sixth-ranked Cats to an 80-66 upset over powerhouse Old
Dominion before a record crowd of 10,622 in UK's Memorial Coliseum.
After leaving Kentucky, Still had a successful
career in the Italian Professional
League. While in Italy, Still was a television
actress and hosted her own TV show, "Still
Basket." She is also an accomplished print
model and a professional caliber jazz, pop
and concert pianist.
Upon her return to the United States, Still
became a charter member of the American
Basketball League for Women and was a twotime
MVP of the ABL Championship Series.
Still later played for the Washington Mystics
of the WNBA before retiring from basketball.
She also was an assistant coach for the Orlando
Miracle for two seasons.
Still returned to Lexington to complete
her degree in animal sciences and graduated
with honors in 2001.
In September 2005, Still was inducted
into the charter class in the newly created UK Athletics Hall
of Fame. She was the only female of the 88 inductees.
Still now lives in Powell, Ohio, with her husband Rob Lock, a former
Kentucky basketball player, and their son, Aaron. She runs The Valerie
Still Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that works to ensure that
girls are encouraged and instructed to develop their talents.
(Above:) Still was presented with the key to the city of Lexington in 2003 by Mayor Teresa Isaac.
(Right:) UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart and UK President Dr. Lee Todd Jr. present Still
with her Hall of Fame honor in September 2005.
181 • 2005-06 Women’s Basketball