VANCOUVER – UBC Thunderbirds women's basketball legend Joanne Sargent will be inducted into The Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame. She's one of six Class of 2019 inductees unveiled Monday by Basketball Canada.

"Being inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame is the highest honour I could hope to achieve in my sport," said Sargent, who is entering in the Player category, in a Basketball Canada news release. "It was such a privilege and source of pride for me to represent Canada on our National and Olympic teams in World Championships, Pan American Games and the 1976 Olympics. To be worthy of recognition in the Hall of Fame as someone who played basketball with tenacity, skill and integrity and as an ambassador for Canada is such a thrill. I am indebted to those who advocated for my admission to the Hall and am grateful and humbled to be included alongside other talented individuals and teams in the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame."

After winning three-straight BC high school championships between 1965 and 1967 with the famed Salmon Arm Jewels, Sargent joined UBC for the 1968-69 season and competed in blue and gold until 1973 when she graduated with a Kinesiology degree.

One of the greatest Thunderbirds basketball players ever, Sargent led UBC to four western Canadian banners, and three Canadian university championships (1969-70, 1971-72, and 1972-73), as well as a Canadian senior 'A' title (1969-70), in five seasons.
 
At the Canadian university championship in Montreal in March 1973 – her final games in a UBC uniform – Sargent received a standing ovation from the crowd for her fine play and consistent effort. She and her teammates had outscored their opposition 117-69 in the national semifinal and championship contests, capturing the Canadian title in the process.
 


Between 1970 and 1976, she represented Canada as part of the senior national team. During that time, Sargent appeared in two Pan American Games, two FIBA World Championships (both 1971 and 1975), and the 1976 Olympic Summer Games in Montreal.
 
Sargent captained Canada at the 1976 Olympics, which was the first to include women's basketball. In a round-robin game against Czechoslovakia on July 23, 1976, she dished out 14 assists, establishing the Olympic record for most in a single game that lasted until 2000.
 
Sargent also played on several Canadian senior 'A' national championship teams after graduating from UBC, being selected the tournament Most Valuable Player in 1981 while representing the winning BC team. Her career continued well into the 1990s playing senior 'B' basketball. 
 


Before Monday's announcement, Sargent's remarkable career had already earned her a place in the Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame (1987), the UBC Sports Hall of Fame (1995), the Basketball BC Hall of Fame (2005) and the BC Sports Hall of Fame (2014). 
  
Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame 
Since 1978, The Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame has honoured and celebrated those who have contributed to the development and enhancement of basketball both in Canada and internationally. Every other year, any person is eligible for election as an Honoured Member of the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame who has achieved an outstanding record of excellence in the following categories: athletes, teams, coaches, officials and builders. 

For more information, please visit http://basketball.ca/en/page/hall-of-fame

- With files from Fred Hume (UBC Sports Historian), Jason Beck (BC Sports Hall of Fame Curator) and Basketball Canada