The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hall of Honor
- Induction:
- 2016
Sport: Basketball
Inducted: 2016
A two-time All-Southwest Conference player in 1989-90 and 1990-91, Edna Campbell helped lead Texas to a NCAA "Elite Eight" appearance in 1990 and a 48-14 (.774) overall record in her two seasons in Austin. Campbell joined the Longhorns in 1989 after playing two seasons at the University of Maryland. During her junior season of 1989-90, Campbell was named the Most Valuable Player of the Southwest Conference Tournament and the SWC Newcomer of the Year. She averaged 15.7 points per game for her 55-game UT career, which ranks sixth on the school's all-time career list. Her career field-goal percentage of 56.2 ranks sixth all time in school history, while her career free-throw percentage of 77.9 is 10th all-time. Campbell graduated from UT in 1991 with a bachelor of arts degree in kinesiology. She played two seasons for the Colorado Xplosion of the American Basketball League before being selected as the 10th pick in the 1999 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury. Campbell spent seven seasons in the WNBA with four different teams, averaging 7.1 points per game for her career. Her vast international basketball experience culminated in Team USA winning a gold medal at the 1998 FIBA World Championship. Her inspirational story of overcoming cancer has been well documented. While playing for the Seattle Monarchs in 2002, Campbell was diagnosed with breast cancer and continued to play despite her diagnosis. She was awarded the WNBA's Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award in 2003 and was the lead spokesperson for the WNBA's partnership with the Susan G. Komen Foundation. In July 2006, Campbell was the recipient of the WNBA's "Greatest Inspirational Moment" in the league's 10-year history for her return to the court after successfully battling breast cancer. Campbell, who in 2008 became a nurse, has authored The Breast Cancer Recovery Manual and is the CEO and Founder of Breathe and Stretch, a health restoration program for breast cancer survivors. Campbell has one son, David, and resides in Sacramento, Calif., where she is an author, public speaker and health advocate.
