Mary Ann O’Neill, who is a first-year nominee for the 2016 Hall of Fame, started the game for the Courage Rolling Gophers in Minnesota, under the tutelage of Hall of Fame Coaches Bob Szyman and Terry Hanson. Both coaches concur that O’Neill defined competitiveness for the women’s game. She was a tenacious defender who perfected the art of the back picking the opponent’s bigger and taller players, ultimately preventing them from gaining position under the basket. From 1987-89, she help lead the Rolling Gophers to three national championships. Her skill excelled to the international scene where she was a member of the U.S. teams from 1982-1992. Mary Ann was the starting guard for three gold-medal teams at the 1982 Parapan Am Games, 1988 Seoul Paralympic Games and the 1990 World Championships. O’Neill died in December of 2008.