June 9, 2012
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KNOXVILLE, TN - Inge Nissen, who helped lead the Lady Monarch basketball team to back-to-back AIAW National Championships was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2012, Saturday night at the Bijou Theatre.The 6-5 Nissen joined her fellow inductees Nancy Fahey, Nikki McCray, Pamela McGee, Robin Roberts and Dawn Staley.
Inge becomes the third Lady Monarch, joining Lady Monarch teammates, Anne Donovan, and Nancy Lieberman who were inducted into the Hall in 1999. Their head coach Marianne Stanley was inducted in 2002. Women's Basketball Hall of Fame - Class of 2012:
Inge Nissen (Player) Nissen led Old Dominion University to the AIAW National Championships in 1979 and 1980 finishing her career with 2,647 points and 1,459 rebounds. She was named the team's MVP during the 1978, 1979 and 1980 seasons as well as the Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year in 1980. Nissen was a two-time Wade Trophy Finalist and a 1980 Kodak All-American. She was inducted into the Old Dominion University Hall of Fame in 1985. She also holds the ODU single game rebound mark of 28 which she did twice, and grabbed 20 or more rebounds nine times. During her career at ODU, the Lady Monarchs were 125-15.
Inge completed her 23rd year on the staff and 21st as associate head coach, at Florida International University with Head Coach Cindy Russo (ODU'75). Nissen's jersey, No. 42, is also retired by ODU and she was selected to ODU's All-Time Lady Monarch squad, as voted by fans on the university's athletic website, in 2006. Nissen was also honored as one of ESPN.com's top-25 players of the pre-NCAA era for her accomplishments with the Lady Monarchs.
Nissen,a native of Randers, Denmark, was one of the top amateur players in Europe in the early 1970s. During that time, she played an important role on five national championship teams with Denmark (1972), Norway (1973) and France (1974, 1975 and 1985). She then won the French National Championship with the Asnieres junior team. Nissen spent a season in the Women's Pro Basketball League with Chicago.
Nissen received her bachelor's degree in French Literature from Old Dominion in 1990. Nissen and her husband, Lance Bennett, live in Perrine, Florida.
Many of Inge's Old Dominion teammates were on hand for the induction. They areChris Critelli, Nancy Lieberman, Jan Trombly, Lynn Virgili, Fran Clemente, Sue Davy Witherspoon, Sharon Hall Wizieck and Sandy Burke as well as their head coach Marianne Stanley.
WBB Hall of Fame Class of 2012
L-R: Dawn Staley, Inge Nissen, Nikki McCray, Nancy Fahey, Pamela Mcgee, and Robin Roberts