Former University of Tennessee Women's Athletic Director Joan Cronan will soon be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
A legend of the Lady Vols, Cronan served as Women's Athletic Director at UT for nearly three decades.
"To get in the hall of fame that's in Knoxville, that we helped develop that we dreamed about that we raised the money for that we picked out the brick. All those things, it's really a dream come true," said Cronan.
She is joined by six other women in the 2019 Hall of Fame class, including Olympic Gold Medalist Ruth Riley, who have played a vital role in the development and proliferation of the women's game. As she reflects in the Hall of Fame, Cronan looks up at a wall covered in pictures of those already honored.
"I think about how many of these people I know, how many people gave their heart and soul to play, to coach, to raise money and all of that, it just makes this really special for me,"
Cronan is currently an Athletic Director Emeritus at UT and served as Women's Athletics Director for 29 years. In 2017, she was named the first recipient of the NCAA President's Pat Summitt Award.
The induction ceremony will be held at the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on Hall of Fame Drive in Knoxville on June 8. Tickets for the ceremony are on sale now.
"As I reflect, as I sit here today, on what it means to be in the Hall of Fame," said Cronan, "it means I had a wonderful journey."