KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Lady Vols announced on social media they would be celebrating Gloria Scott Deathridge, the first female African-American basketball player at the University of Tennessee.
Deathridge played for the Lady Vols from 1971 to 1974 under coach Margaret Hutson.
In a video tweeted by the team, Deathridge said she was going to UT on an academic scholarship and tried out for the basketball team after seeing a flyer on a telephone.
She was a two-time all-state player from Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tennessee, according to UT Athletics.
She would go on to earn a spot on the Eastern Region USA All-Star Team that had the opportunity to represent its country vs. the USSR, according to the athletics department.
"My experience being the first Black to step foot on the basketball court for the University of Tennessee was a wonderful experience. I guess I didn't realize at the time how amazing it was," Deathridge said in the video. "And I never thought about being the first Black. I just loved the game, and I played because I loved the game."
