UPDATED 6 p.m." JAN. 24 SATURDAY -- Coach Kay Yow the long-time coach of the N.C. State women's basketball team and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame died Saturday morning after her second struggle with breast cancer.
Yow66 had coached the N.C. State team for 38 years. Yow also coached the US women's basketball Olympic team to a gold medal in 1988 and in 2002 became only the fifth female coach inducted into the Hall.
Yow's first struggles with breast cancer began in 1987 but she made a recovery and continued coaching. Her cancer relapsed in 2004 and Yow had taken a leave of absence at the beginning of this season.
Yow raised money for breast cancer awareness since her first diagnosis and in 2007" the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund was announced. The annual Hoops for Hope game was a fundraiser for that foundation.
""I said to her" 'Kay I can't think of anyone in women's basketball that doesn't owe you a debt of gratitude for all that you've done"'"" she said.
The UNC women are playing with pink jerseys at their game against Maryland tomorrow in honor of coach Yow. They had planned to play with the uniforms" which are pink with Carolina blue trim during breast cancer awareness week in February.
Yow's sister Deborah is the director of athletics at Maryland.
