The WNBA announced on Sunday that Ann Meyers Drysdale has been named the recipient of the 2024 Kobe and Gigi Bryant Advocacy Award. She will be presented with the award during the 2024 NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis on Sunday night by WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
“Annie Meyers Drysdale is a pioneer who has had a profound impact on our game and influenced generations of athletes,” Engelbert stated in a press release. “She has worked tirelessly to elevate girls and women’s basketball during her decorated career as a player, executive and broadcaster. Presenting this advocacy award to such an inspiring leader is a wonderful way to honor the legacy of Kobe and Gigi Bryant, especially as we recognize the 45th year anniversary of Annie being the first woman to sign an NBA contract.”
Meyers Drysdale, a vice president and commentator for both the Phoenix Mercury and Phoenix Suns, was a star during her playing days and consistently broke barriers.
She went to UCLA, where she became the first woman in the country to receive a four-year athletic scholarship, and led the Bruins to the national championship in 1978. A year later, she became the first woman to sign an NBA contract when she inked a $50,000…
