West Liberty University Athletics

    Joanna Bernabei was the first women's basketball player to earn four straight first-team All-WVIAC honors but that doesn't even scratch the surface of her impressive accomplishments. The Weirton, W.Va. native stepped into the starting lineup from her first day on campus and led the Lady Hilltoppers to four straight winning seasons, three consecutive WVIAC championship games and the first WVIAC regular-season and tournament titles in program history.
    A dynamic playmaker, Bernabei set all-time NCAA Division II records for single-game assists (24), career assists (1,107), assists/game (9.54) and freshman assists/game (8.85) that were still standing more than a quarter-century after she hung up her jersey for the final time. She is one of only four players in NCAA history to rack up more than 1,000 points and 1,000 assists during their careers.
    After graduating from West Liberty, Bernabei set out on a highly-successful coaching career. She was an assistant coach with the University of Maryland's 2006 NCAA Division I national championship squad before getting the head coaching job at Pikeville (Ky.). She led Pikeville to two NAIA national tournaments before moving on to NCAA Division I Albany (N.Y.).
    After the Great Danes earned back-to-back postseason bids, Bernabei took the head coaching reins at Boston College and was voted ACC Coach of the Year in her second season.