Cleveland Reporter

Kent State women's basketball alumna Chris Plonsky, '79 was named the 2023 Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Women's Basketball by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, the organization announced today.

Plonsky, who is currently the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director at the University of Texas, will be honored along with former Kansas and North Carolina men's basketball head coach and Hall of Famer Roy Williams at the 2023 Final Four.

"The impact that this year's honorees have had on the game of college basketball is astounding, and their contributions will be felt for decades," said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. "Roys on the court successes speak for themselves, but how he developed coaches and players off the court is equally remarkable. And we cannot celebrate women's basketball without appreciating the role that Chris has played in its meteoric rise. We are proud to call them both Naismith Outstanding Contributors to Basketball award winners."

First presented in 1982 to Curt Gowdy on the men's side and in 1993 to Margaret Wade for women's, the Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Basketball Award is presented annually to individuals whose extraordinary efforts have made outstanding contributions and created a long-lasting positive impact on the game of basketball. The recipients display character, integrity and dignity, and have contributed to the growth, success and viability of the sport.

"Basketball long has been a personal love and career passion. I am humbled by and grateful for this honor since so many of our most accomplished and respected basketball leaders, mentors and professionals share it," said Plonsky.  "Thank you to the Atlanta Tipoff Club and Naismith Awards selection committee for this unexpected but appreciated gift. Working with others on behalf of the game continues to be a privilege."

Plonsky was a member of Kent State's first varsity women's basketball team and earned three letters from 1976-78. She worked in the sports information office and served as editor of The Daily Kent Stater during her time as an undergraduate before earning a bachelor's degree in Journalism in 1979.

About the Atlanta Tipoff Club

Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men's and women's college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men's and women's college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA's Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women's recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include Jersey Mike's and Werner Ladder.

Original source can be found here.