Rebecca Lobo, second from left, poses for a photo alongside Kathy Sisolak, far left, Governor Steve Sisolak, Nevada Wolf Pack mascot Alfie and Nevada athletic director Stephanie Rempe.
Photo by Carter Eckl.
Rebecca Lobo became the first woman to headline the Governor’s Dinner Thursday evening at the Governor’s Mansion in Carson City.
Lobo, who was inducted in the 2017 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017, centered her speech around the 50th anniversary of the passage Title IX in 1972.
“The focus is on Title IX. … I’m sort of a Title IX baby. I was born in 1973 and Title IX was passed in 1972. I’m excited to tell my story, which is about a little girl who didn’t have many opportunities as a kid and how many opportunities I’ve gotten since then as a direct result of Title IX,” said Lobo.
The mother of four, including three daughters, has witnessed first-hand the maturation of the movement, but is looking to see it continue forward.
“Hopefully it just continues to grow,” added Lobo. “I’ve seen how much growth that there has been in that league (WNBA). I’ve seen how much growth there has been in women’s college basketball and women college sports all around.”
Lobo joked that Gabby Williams might be her favorite person from Northern Nevada – hinting at Governor Sisolak being from Southern Nevada.
In 1995 Lobo was named the Consensus National Player of the Year and the University of Conneticut and led the Huskies to the team’s first national championship.
The annual Governor’s Dinner included a VIP reception and live music along with cocktails before transitioning to dinner later in the evening.
