Olympic Gold Medalist and First Female Harlem Globetrotter Lynette Woodard Inducted as Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. has inducted basketball pioneer Lynette Woodard, the first female member of the Harlem Globetrotters, as an Honorary Member. The sorority announced the induction today, Friday, July 24, 2026, during its 61st Biennial Boule in Tampa, Florida.

Lynette Woodard is one of the most important figures in the history of women’s basketball. She captained the gold-medal-winning United States Olympic team at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, and in 1985 she broke a decades-old barrier by becoming the first woman to play for the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters.

Woodard’s greatness was established long before the pros. At the University of Kansas, she was a four-time Kodak All-American and finished as the all-time leading scorer in women’s college basketball with 3,649 points, a record that stood for 43 years until Caitlin Clark surpassed it in 2024. In 2004, she was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Today, Woodard channels her legacy into the next generation. She is the founder of Power Forward, an initiative dedicated to enriching the lives of underrepresented youth through sport, mentorship, and leadership development.

Woodard was inducted as part of Sigma Gamma Rho’s Honorary Membership Class of 2026, a group of women recognized during the 2026 Boule Honorary Membership Ceremony for achievements spanning sports, entertainment, education, public service, advocacy, entrepreneurship, and global humanitarian work.

The ceremony took place as Sigma Gamma Rho gathered in Tampa, Florida, for its 61st Biennial Boule under International President Marica T. Harris. In announcing the class, Harris said the 2026 honorees “embody the spirit of service, the power of purpose,” carrying forward the sorority’s mission of Greater Service, Greater Progress.

We at Watch The Yard would like to congratulate Lynette Woodard on her induction as an Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

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