Ann Meyers Becomes First Woman Named to UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame

Ann Meyers figures she came along just at the right time. A couple of years earlier, there would have been no chance at an athletic scholarship for her. But in 1975, Meyers was the first woman to receive a full athletic scholarship at UCLA.

Given that opportunity, Meyers was a four-year All-American in women’s basketball and led UCLA to the AIAW national title in 1978. She also played on the silver medal Olympic team in 1976.

Besides playing briefly with the New Jersey Gems of the short-lived Women’s Basketball League, Meyers was also the first woman to seriously try out for a National Basketball Assn. team when she signed a contract and took the floor with the Indiana Pacers.

Tonight, she will be the first woman inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame.

“Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a great honor,” Meyers said. “As far as being the first woman is concerned, I think I was lucky to come along at a time when intercollegiate athletics for women was making great strides. . . . I feel like I was a small part in helping to get women’s athletics established, but there were a lot of other women who were also contributing.”

Ann’s contract with Indiana provided she would stay on with the Pacer radio network if she didn’t make the team. She is currently doing work for Prime Ticket.

Through Superstars competition she met her husband, former Dodger Don Drysdale. They have a son and live in the Los Angeles area.

Her older brother, David, played basketball at UCLA and went on to the NBA.

Also being inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame tonight are Sam Balter, who played basketball at UCLA from 1927-29, played on the U.S. Olympic basketball team that won the gold in 1936, and then became a radio personality in Los Angeles; Mel Farr, who was an All-American at UCLA and a running back back with the Detroit Lions; Bob Fischer, a former athletic director; Marques Johnson, the college basketball player of the year in 1977 who later played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Clippers; and C.K. Yang, a track athlete from China who came to UCLA to work with Ducky Drake in preparation for the 1960 Olympics, where he finished second to Rafer Johnson in the decathlon.