Valerie Still (born 1961) is an American former professional women's basketball player with the

Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference ...

of the WNBA and the

Columbus Quest The Columbus Quest was a professional women's basketball franchise located in Columbus, Ohio in the now-defunct American Basketball League (ABL). They were one of the league's original eight teams that started play in 1996. In the league's b ...

of the American Basketball League (ABL). During her four years at the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a public land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, the university is one of the state ...

, she scored more points than any other basketball player, male or female, with 2,763 points. Afterwards she went abroad, playing in Italy for 12 years (last team Famila Schio). During that time, she earned an Italian Professional Basketball Championship. She returned to the United States in 1996 and was drafted by the Columbus Quest of the fledgling ABL. She led the Quest to back-to-back championships, and was named MVP of the Championship Series both times. When the ABL folded during its third season, she went on to play in the WNBA for the Washington Mystics. In 1995, she married Rob Lock, also a former University of Kentucky basketball player. They met while Still was interviewing his teammate, Darryl Dawkins, on her television program in Italy. In 1996, they had a child named Aaron Lock. The couple divorced in 2007. Her brother, Art Still, was a

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...

for the University of Kentucky Wildcats football team from 1973 to 1977 and went on to have a 12-year NFL career for the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

and the Buffalo Bills, including 4 pro bowl appearances. Still lives in Palmyra, New Jersey. In 2019, Still was inducted into the

Women's Basketball Hall of Fame The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women's ba ...

Kentucky statistics

Source

USA Basketball

Still was named to the team representing the US at the 1980 William Jones Cup competition in

Taipei, Taiwan Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...

. The USA team ended with a 7–2 record, which was a three-way tie for first place. The tie-breaker was point differential, and the USA did not win the tie-breaker, so ended up with the bronze medal. Still was chosen to represent the USA on the USA Basketball team at the 1981 World University games, held in

Bucharest, Romania Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...

and coached by

Kay Yow Sandra Kay Yow (March 14, 1942 – January 24, 2009) was an American basketball coach. She was the head coach of the NC State Wolfpack women's basketball team from 1975 to 2009. A member of the Naismith Hall of Fame, she had more than 700 c ...

. After winning the opening game, the USA was challenged by China, who held a halftime lead. The USA came back to win by two points, helped by 26 points from

Denise Curry Denise Curry (born August 22, 1959) is an American former basketball player and college and professional basketball coach. Curry was inducted in the inaugural class at the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999. College basketb ...

. The USA also was challenged by Canada, who led at halftime, but the USA won by three points 79–76. The USA beat host team Romania to set up a match with undefeated Russia for the gold medal. The Russian team was too strong, and won the gold, leaving the US with the silver medal. Still averaged 0.7 points per game. Still also played for the USA team at the Jones Cup competition in 1982. This time, the USA posted a 7–1 record to earn the silver medal.

Ancestry

In the slavery abolitionist movement, Still’s family included both activists and individual

freedom seekers In the United States, fugitive slaves or runaway slaves were terms used in the 18th and 19th century to describe people who fled slavery. The term also refers to the federal Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850. Such people are also called freed ...

. Her great-great-great grandmother, Sidney, escaped from the

Maryland Eastern Shore The Eastern Shore of Maryland is a part of the U.S. state of Maryland that lies mostly on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay. Nine counties are normally included in the region. The Eastern Shore is part of the larger Delmarva Peninsula that ...

in cc 1806 to join her husband, a freeman, in New Jersey. She took two daughters with her. She was unsuccessful in her plan to return for her sons, Peter and Levin Jr. The boys, ages 6 and 8, were sold to a brickyard owner and builder in

Lexington, KY Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-larges ...

, the same city where Still lived while on the University of Kentucky basketball team. For 11 years, the brothers carried thousands of bricks where the university is now located.

William Still William Still (October 7, 1821 – July 14, 1902) was an African-American abolitionist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a conductor on the Underground Railroad, businessman, writer, historian and civil rights activist. Before the Ameri ...

, the youngest brother of Peter Still and Levin Still Jr., arrived in 1844 from New Jersey to Philadelphia, and became prominent in the Vigilant Committee. Its mission was to provide aid to freedom seekers. William Still kept detailed records of arrivals and used his records to reunite families.

Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Ross, March 10, 1913) was an American abolitionist and social activist. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 slaves, including family and friends, u ...

was among those he worked with and recorded. In his records, he referred to her as “Moses” when she arrived with others, including her parents, who she had guided to freedom from the Maryland Eastern Shore.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Still, Valerie 1961 births Living people All-American college women's basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Italy American women's basketball players Basketball players from Kentucky Basketball players from Camden, New Jersey Columbus Quest players Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball players People from Powell, Ohio Sportswomen from Kentucky Universiade medalists in basketball Universiade silver medalists for the United States Washington Mystics players