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| Miami Heat | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Senior Director of Team Development | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1979-08-28)August 28, 1979 (age 46) Ransom, Kansas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | North Miami (Denver, Indiana) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Notre Dame (1997–2001) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| WNBA draft | 2001: 1st round, 5th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Miami Sol | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2001–2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward /center | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Miami Sol | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Detroit Shock | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | San Antonio Silver Stars | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Chicago Sky | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Atlanta Dream | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Stats at WNBA.com | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Women's Basketball Hall of Fame | |||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Ruth Ellen Riley Hunter (born August 28, 1979) is a retired American professionalbasketball player (acenter), playing most recently for theAtlanta Dream in theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA). HerNotre Dame team won theNCAA women's championship in 2001, and herDetroit Shock team won theWNBA championship in 2003 and 2006. Riley was theMost Valuable Player in the 2001 and 2003 championship series, becoming the first person to win the MVP awards in both the NCAA and the WNBA championships. She has also played on teams that won theNational Women's Basketball League (NWBL) championship, thegold medal at theOlympic Games, and the 2010 EuroCup Championship. In 2019, Riley was inducted into theWomen's Basketball Hall of Fame.
In March 2016, Riley participated inMogul's IAmAMogul campaign for inspiring women to believe that they have the "power to shape the world through their voices and actions."[1][2] She was the general manager for theSan Antonio Stars from May 2016 until the team's sale and relocation to Las Vegas in the 2017–18 off-season. In 2022, she joined the Miami Heat front office as the Senior Director of Team Development.[3]
Riley was born inRansom, Kansas and grew up inMacy, Indiana. She has always been tall, measuring 25 inches (63.50 cm) at birth, and six feet (1.83 m) by the time she was 12 years old.[4] While attendingNorth Miami Middle/High School outside Denver, Indiana, she was on the basketball,volleyball andtrack teams. It was in high school that she began her practice of wearing a headband while playing. During her four years at high school she scored 1,372 points, acquired 1,011 rebounds and blocked 427 shots.[5] She averaged 26 points a game as a senior, and had her jersey number (25) retired by the high school.[6]
In her freshman year atNotre Dame, Riley played in all 32 of the team's games, starting in the final 26. Thereafter she was the starting center in all but one of Notre Dame's games. She was a mainstay of the team in all four years, and consistently ranked high in the nation among women basketball players infield goal percentage and blocked shots. In both her junior and senior years she was anAssociated Press First Team All-American selection. As a senior, she won theNaismith Award and was the Associated Press Player of the Year. In addition, she was the 2000-01Verizon Academic All-American of the Year for the University Division I.
The highlight of her college career came in the 2001 NCAA tournament. In the championship game, Notre Dame was trailingPurdue, 66–64, when Riley scored the tying field goal. Then, with 5.8 seconds left and the score still tied, Riley drew a foul. She made bothfree throws to give Notre Dame its final 68–66 edge and its first women's national championship.[7] Notre Dame coachMuffet McGraw, when asked about the critical play on which Riley was fouled, said, "It's the same play we've been running all season. It's called: 'Get the ball to Ruth.'"[8] Riley was the Most Outstanding Player of that year'sFinal Four. The only player in Notre Dame women's basketball history to score 2,000 career points and grab 1,000 career rebounds, Riley was a two-time first-team Academic All-American in both 2000 and '01. In 1999, Riley led the nation in field goal percentage shooting 68.3% to become the first Irish player to rank first in an NCAA statistical category.[9]
Riley graduated from Notre Dame in 2001 with a degree inpsychology, having made theDean's List every semester. She finished her Notre Dame career with 2,072 points, and school records forrebounds (1,007), blocked shots (370), and field goal percentage (.632).
On April 20, 2001, Riley was selected by theMiami Sol as the fifth overall pick in the2001 WNBA draft. She came off the bench for the first 12 games. On July 1, she made her first professional start, on the road against theLos Angeles Sparks, and started for the rest of the season.
Her second season (2002) was a difficult one. After playing well in the preseason, she broke a finger the day before the regular season started. She could not play for the Sol's first several games – the first time in her career she had missed a game because of an injury. She returned, playing with a splint on her hand, but lost her starting spot. During the WNBA's off-season, she played inValencia,Spain.
After Riley's second season with the Sol, that franchise folded. On April 25, 2003, the WNBA held a special one-rounddispersal draft, in which the remaining WNBA teams could select players from the Sol and from thePortland Fire, which had also folded.[10] The Detroit Shock, by virtue of having the worst regular-season record in the WNBA in 2002, received the first pick in the dispersal draft, and used it to select Riley.[11]
In Riley's first season with the Shock (2003), she was a key member of the team. She bettered each of her previous WNBA season totals in points, rebounds, blocked shots, and assists. The Shock, in a notable turnaround, went from a 2002 season with the worst record in the league (9–23) to a 2003 season with the best record (25–9) and a victory in the WNBA Championship. In the finals, the Shock defeated the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Sparks to win Detroit's first WNBA title. Riley was named theMVP of the WNBA finals.
Riley continued to play for the Shock in the 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons. In 2005, she was selected for the Eastern Conference team in theWNBA All-Star Game. In 2006, she was the starting center when the Shock won its second WNBA championship, defeating theSacramento Monarchs.
In February 2007, she was traded to theSan Antonio Silver Stars in exchange forKatie Feenstra. The Shock also received the right to exchange first-round draft picks with the Silver Stars in 2008. TheChicago Sky signed the veteran 6-foot-5 center and two-time WNBA champion Riley, the team announced on Monday February sixth 2012.[12]
Riley was waived by Chicago on May 23, 2013.
On June 18, 2013, Riley signed with Atlanta after a roster spot opened up whenSancho Lyttle was suspended following her departure to play six games for her national team.[13]
The WNBA off-season was when the National Women's Basketball League operated. It provided a showcase for players hoping to make a WNBA team, and also attracted established WNBA players. In the fall of 2003, Riley joined theColorado Chill of the NWBL. On April 1, 2005, in her second season, the Chill won the NWBL championship.
In Riley's third season with the Chill, she broke her thumb in a preseason workout and missed the team's first 14 games. She returned to action on March 21, 2006. She played in the last four regular-season games, all of which the Chill won to finish tied for the regular-season championship. In the playoffs, the Chill won both its games to repeat as NWBL champions. Riley was named as the playoff MVP.[citation needed]
After the WNBA's 2005 season, Riley played for Yaya Maria Porta XI in the 2005–06 season of theSpanish League. In January 2009 she signed forRivasecópolis, and played again in the Spanish League.
Riley played the 2006-07 European season forLotos Gdynia in thePolish League. This club was long the European home for fellow WNBA playerMargo Dydek, and also at one time featured another American WNBA star inKatie Smith.
In January 2010, the Athinaikos club in the Greek league announced that Riley would join it for the remainder of its season. She replacedLaToya Davis, who broke her wrist. In April 2010, Riley helped Athinaikos to win their first EuroCup Women's Basketball Title.[14]
While in college, Riley played on the U.S. team in the 1999World University Games inPalma de Mallorca,Spain. The team won thesilver medal.
In 2002, she practiced with the USA Women's Senior National Team, but did not make the final cut to play in theBasketball World Championship.
In 2004, she again practiced with the USA Women's Senior National Team and played in several of its games. She was selected for the 2004 U.S. Women'sOlympic Team. InOlympic play, the team was undefeated and won thegold medal.
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | FG% | Field goal percentage |
| 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage | RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game |
| SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | TO | Turnovers per game | PPG | Points per game |
| Bold | Career high | * | Led Division I | ° | Led the league | ‡ | WNBA record |
| † | Denotes season in which Riley won aWNBA championship |
| * | Denotes seasons in which Riley won anNCAA Championship |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Miami | 32 | 20 | 25.0 | 47.5 | – | 77.1 | 4.1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 6.8 |
| 2002 | Miami | 26 | 8 | 20.0 | 46.5 | – | 60.9 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 5.7 |
| 2003 † | Detroit | 34 | 34 | 29.3 | 49.8 | – | 76.4 | 5.9 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 9.6 |
| 2004 | Detroit | 34 | 34 | 30.5 | 44.6 | 50.0 | 81.6 | 5.9 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 11.1 |
| 2005 | Detroit | 33 | 33 | 25.9 | 37.5 | 25.0 | 80.0 | 4.7 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 7.6 |
| 2006 † | Detroit | 34 | 34 | 25.8 | 45.6 | 33.3 | 88.9 | 4.9 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 7.3 |
| 2007 | San Antonio | 30 | 29 | 25.8 | 37.1 | 18.5 | 93.1 | 4.9 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 5.9 |
| 2008 | San Antonio | 30 | 3 | 19.3 | 43.4 | 32.1 | 85.7 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 5.1 |
| 2009 | San Antonio | 31 | 17 | 21.0 | 46.3 | 22.2 | 88.5 | 4.5 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 5.3 |
| 2010 | San Antonio | 20 | 2 | 13.1 | 53.7 | 20.0 | 80.0 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 3.8 |
| 2011 | San Antonio | 34 | 34 | 19.0 | 48.5 | 57.1 | 76.9 | 3.8 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 5.6 |
| 2012 | Chicago | 33 | 14 | 14.4 | 37.9 | 27.8 | 78.6 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 2.7 |
| 2013 | Atlanta | 16 | 0 | 7.6 | 31.6 | 40.0 | 66.7 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.1 |
| Career | 13 years, 5 teams | 387 | 262 | 22.2 | 44.2 | 29.7 | 78.7 | 4.1 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 6.3 |
| All-Star | 1 | 1 | 14.0 | 80.0 | – | 100.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.0 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Miami | 3 | 3 | 36.7 | 42.1 | – | 42.1 | 5.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 8.0 |
| 2003 † | Detroit | 8 | 8 | 32.3 | 38.7 | – | 80.8 | 6.1 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 12.9 |
| 2004 | Detroit | 3 | 3 | 31.7 | 42.9 | – | 73.3 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 9.7 |
| 2005 | Detroit | 2 | 2 | 27.0 | 41.2 | 100.0 | – | 5.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 8.5 |
| 2006 † | Detroit | 10 | 10 | 22.5 | 38.5 | – | 100.0 | 3.2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 4.4 |
| 2007 | San Antonio | 5 | 5 | 26.4 | 45.2 | 50.0 | – | 5.0 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 6.0 |
| 2008 | San Antonio | 9 | 1 | 17.1 | 21.2 | 11.1 | 75.0 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 2.0 |
| 2009 | San Antonio | 3 | 0 | 14.7 | 50.0 | – | 66.7 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 4.0 |
| 2010 | San Antonio | 2 | 0 | 15.5 | 45.5 | – | 100.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 7.5 |
| 2011 | San Antonio | 3 | 3 | 18.7 | 45.5 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| 2013 | Atlanta | 4 | 0 | 6.5 | 75.0 | 100.0 | 50.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 2.0 |
| Career | 11 years, 4 teams | 52 | 35 | 22.8 | 39.3 | 42.1 | 69.9 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 6.0 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | Notre Dame | 32 | - | - | 60.0 | - | 74.8 | 7.3 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 2.2 | - | 11.5 |
| 1998–99 | Notre Dame | 31 | - | - | 68.3* | - | 69.0 | 8.4 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 3.3 | - | 16.6 |
| 1999–00 | Notre Dame | 32 | - | - | 61.5 | - | 80.5 | 7.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 2.7 | - | 16.2 |
| 2000–01 * | Notre Dame | 36 | - | - | 62.8 | - | 76.8 | 7.8 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 3.1 | - | 18.7 |
| Career | 131 | - | - | 63.2 | - | 75.4 | 7.7 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 2.8 | - | 15.8 | |
Ruth Riley supports a number charitable organizations. Since its inception in December 2006, Riley has been a spokesperson of the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets, a global campaign that saves lives through the strategic prevention of Malaria. Through her work with the Nothing But Nets campaign, Riley has made multiple trips to different regions in Africa helping to amplify awareness of the malaria disease. In August 2008, Ruth helped raise money for Nothing But Nets during a San Antonio Silver Stars 5k run/walk. As a result of her efforts, Riley won August's WNBA Community Assist Award in 2008.
Riley was introduce to Share Our Strength at the NBA All-Star Jam Session. Share Our Strength is a national nonprofit committed to ending childhood hunger in America by making sure that children in need are enrolled in federal programs. It invests in community organizations fighting hunger, teaches families how to cook healthy meals on a budget, and builds public-private partnerships to end hunger on a national and state level. Riley, stopped by the booth to take the No Kid Hungry pledge and found out that they were launching an Illinois Initiative that March. She offered to help in any way she could and was subsequently asked to speak at their at the official launch. In the summer of 2012, Ruth, along with the NBA/WNBA joined with Share Our Strength to connect more than 50,000 youth to free meals in the summer across the United States.
Riley wrote achildren's book,The Spirit of Basketball, with co-author Paul Hickey and illustrator Christopher Hiller, that was published in 2005. According to Riley, the message of the book was "that basketball is the same no matter where you live or what language you speak".[17]
On January 26, 2005, Riley made her debut as a colorcommentator for a Notre Dame women's basketball game.
As of 2005[update], Riley was the vice president of the WNBA Players' Union.
In 2009,PresidentGeorge W. Bush appointed Riley to thePresident's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.[18]
In 2015, Riley was awarded the Moose Krause Distinguished Service Award by the Notre Dame Monogram Club.
In 2018 she became one of the broadcast analysts for theMiami Heat of theNBA, the first woman in that role for the Heat.[19] She is not related toPat Riley, the president of the Heat.[19]
Riley's height is variously listed as 6'4" and 6'5". She has said that she is "six-foot-four and a half to be exact" (1.94 m).[20]
In 2001, while playing for the Sol, Riley bought a home inSouth Beach, and returned to the area in the offseason even when playing for other organizations.[21]
Riley married Benjamin Hunter, another Notre Dame alum and varsity football player, on New Year's Day 2018.[22]
Awards and Achievements | |
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