Lisa (Winter) Finn named to Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Silver Anniversary Team
The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame announced its annual Silver Anniversary Team selections on Tuesday and among the honorees for the 2021 team was 1996 Huntington North High School graduate Lisa (Winter) Finn.
“I am very honored and humbled to be recognized in this way by the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame,” (Winter) Finn said. “It was exciting to see my cell phone ring and have it say ‘MAYBE: Judi Warren.’ She called to deliver the news and we had a really nice conversation. It feels great to take a trip down memory lane. There are so many memories from playing basketball that I cherish. I don't think this was something I thought about as a teenager, but now that I have my own kids and am coaching high school girls, it is important for me to help them understand how much can be learned and gained from these experiences.”
(Winter) Finn accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments during her time as a Lady Viking, highlighted by being named Indiana Miss Basketball as a senior in 1996 after leading Huntington North to a state championship in 1995 and being named the State Finals MVP. Among (Winter) Finn’s other achievements as a senior were a spot on the Indiana All-Star team and AP and ICGSA First Team All-State recognitions following being an AP Third Team All-State honoree and member of the Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team in 1995 as a junior.
The Lady Vikes saw immense success with (Winter) Finn, as her four years on the roster saw Huntington North amass an 87–17 record to claim two Olympic Conference championships, four sectional titles, three regional championships and semi-state and state crowns in 1995.
Throughout her time wearing the red and black, (Winter) Finn racked up 1,235 points, 419 rebounds and 282 assists. During her senior season, she posted averages of 19.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
After graduating from Huntington North, (Winter) Finn attended Ball State University before transferring to Valparaiso University to play two seasons for the Crusaders. Though her time at Valpo was limited, she wasted no time in rocketing up the program’s leaderboards, as her 264 career assists rank 12th all-time. (Winter) Finn was also named as the team’s MVP during the 1999–00 season.
Since her playing days, (Winter) Finn has remained actively involved in the basketball landscape throughout Indiana in a number of capacities. (Winter) Finn currently serves as the head coach of the Cathedral High School varsity girls basketball team in Indianapolis.
In all, 18 women were named to the 2021 Silver Anniversary Team, including 11 members of the 1996 Indiana All-Star team. Along with (Winter) Finn, other Indiana All-Stars include Mackenzie (Curless) Graft, Sarah (Hurrle) Kegerreis, Rachael (Honegger) Killinger, Jill (Morton) McFarling, Melaniece (Bardley) McKnight, Janette (Jaques) Meyer, Sarrah (Stricklett) Mosher, Nicole (McDaniel) Powell, Lauren Rice and Rachel (Garner) Young.
The final seven members of the Silver Anniversary Team are Angie (Hupfer) Bossnack, Carie (Wickham) Bronnenberg, Rainey (Alting) Jones, Lindsay (Winkler) Justus, Mandy (Lueking) Nowlin, Jamie (Stewart) Russell and Jaymee Wappes, all having earned All-State honors during their playing career.
“Looking at the list of honorees and remembering the experiences I was fortunate enough to have through basketball, it really gives me a sense of pride in what was accomplished, not only by myself, but by my teammates and friends,” (Winter) Finn said. “It feels amazing to be recognized among such a wonderful group of women! It is great to receive individual recognition, but I owe so much to my coaches and teammates.”
As is customary, the Silver Anniversary Team is expected to be honored during the 2021 Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Awards Banquet, however, a date has not yet been set for the banquet due to COVID-19 conditions.