NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame Monogram Club presented the 2015 Moose Krause Distinguished Service Award to former women’s basketball All-American Ruth Riley (’01) during No. 4 Notre Dame’s 68-52 win over No. 8/7 Louisville at Purcell Pavilion on Monday evening.
Riley, who retired from basketball in June 2014 following a 13-year playing career in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), was honored for her outstanding commitment to service and community involvement in the United States and around the world.
Stepping aside from her duties as radio color commentator for a few moments, Riley joined Monogram Club Executive Director Brant Ust (’00, baseball) and president Haley Scott DeMaria (’95, swimming) on the court during the second half.
Often presented during the Monogram Club’s Annual Mass, Meeting and Dinner (An Evening With the Monogram Club), Monday marked the first time the award has been given in conjunction with a Notre Dame sporting event.
After a feature produced by Fighting Irish Digital Media aired on the video board (watch above), a crowd of 8,911 welcomed the former Irish standout to the floor with a rousing standing ovation during the first timeout of the second half. Among those in attendance were several of Riley’s family members, including her mother Sharon, sister Rachel, and brother Jake.
While starring for the Fighting Irish, Riley was a two-time first-team Associated Press All-American and two-time first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American. She helped lead Notre Dame to its first women’s basketball national championship in 2001, and was selected by the Miami Sol with the fifth overall pick in the 2001 WNBA Draft.
She serves as an NBA/WNBA Cares Ambassador, and has been a spokesperson for the United Nations Foundation’s “Nothing But Nets” campaign to fight malaria since 2006.
Riley has represented the United States on numerous sports diplomacy trips, is active with Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, and is a co-founder of Inspire Transformation, an organization that creates community-based programs to support women and children and enact social change.
Last November, Riley was honored as a 2014 Junior Chamber International Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World recipient for her humanitarian and volunteer efforts. She became the first American to receive the award since 2008.
Riley graduated summa cum laude with a psychology degree in 2001, and is currently working towards her Master of Business Administration through Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business Executive MBA program.
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The Moose Krause Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor given by the Notre Dame Monogram Club. It is bestowed upon an active Club member who has achieved notoriety in the following areas:
– Exemplary performance in local, state or national government
– Outstanding dedication to the spirit and ideals of Notre Dame
– Demonstrated responsibility to and concern for their respective communities
– Extraordinary commitment and involvement with youth
The Monogram Club’s officers and board of directors select the annual recipient.
The award is named in honor of Notre Dame athletics legend Edward “Moose” Krause (1913-92), a three-sport Monogram winner in the early 1930s who earned All-America honors in football and basketball while also competing in track and field. He later served as an assistant football coach and assistant and head basketball coach at Notre Dame before becoming one of the nation’s most respected athletic directors, serving in that role at his alma mater from 1949-82.
Monogram Club Moose Krause Distinguished Service Award Recipients
1979 – Ray Meyer ’38 (basketball)
1980 – Clarence “Jake” Kline ’21 (baseball)
1981 – Edward “Moose” Krause ’34 (football, basketball)
1982 – Harvey Foster ’39 (football)
1983 – Jim Mello ’48 (football)
1984 – Ziggy Czarobski ’48 (football)
1985 – Rev. John Smyth ’57 (basketball)
1986 – Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C. ’39 (honorary member)
1986 – Rev. Edmund P. “Ned” Joyce, C.S.C. ’37 (honorary member)
1987 – Dan Harshman ’68 (football)
1988 – John Jordan ’69 (honorary member)
1989 – Leo Barnhorst ’49 (basketball)
1989 – Bill Hassett ’47 (basketball, baseball)
1990 – Dave Duerson ’83 (football)
1991 – Zeke O’Connor ’49 (football)
1992 – Joseph Signaigo ’48 (football)
1993 – Fritz Wilson ’28 (baseball)
1994 – Dr. Dennis Nigro ’69 (tennis)
1995 – Dick Rosenthal ’54 (basketball, baseball)
1996 – Chris Zorich ’91 (football)
1997 – George Kelly ’53 (honorary member)
1998 – Ara Parseghian (honorary member)
1999 – John Carney ’87 (football)
2000 – Mike Wadsworth ’66 (football)
2000 – Rev. William Beauchamp, C.S.C. ’75 (honorary member)
2001 – Rev. Jim Riehle, C.S.C. ’49 (honorary member)
2002 – Bill Hurd ’69 (track and field)
2003 – Pete Demmerle ’75 (football)
2004 – Jim Morse ’57 (football)
2005 – Rev. Edward A. “Monk” Malloy, C.S.C ’63, ’67 & ’69 (basketball)
