Women's 50th Profile: Colleen McNamara Cimador ('95)

After speaking with Colleen McNamara Cimador, you'd never know that her name is listed amongst the greats in University of Delaware women's basketball history. You'd never know that she established 14 different school records during her career. And you'd never know that 25 years after graduation, her name is still in the Top 10 of 10 career categories and shows up 51 times in the record books.

Because that's who she is. Humble.

McNamara never expected things to fall into her lap or to walk away with all the accolades she accomplished during her Hall of Fame career. She didn't want things handed to her and was grateful that she had to play her freshman season in the Delaware Field House before the grand opening of the Bob Carpenter Center in 1992. She put the hard work in and built belief and confidence in herself with help from the late head coach Joyce Perry.

McNamara Cimador with the late head coach Joyce Perry — *McNamara Cimador with the late Joyce Perry*

"Sports were and are such a big part of my life," remarked McNamara Cimador. "They shaped and molded me into the person I am today. Sports correspond to life in that you learn how to work as team, you learn how to you know accomplish goals together. That's something that easily translates into later on in your professional life. And striving for things that are sometimes unattainable. Sports teach you how to work hard and how to mold the mentality of overcoming obstacles."

McNamara Cimador has coached her daughter's youth basketball team for years and while winning is great and the ultimate goal, she knows the lessons and teachable moments come from the losses.

"You throw your heart into something and sometimes it doesn't go your way, and guess what, you have to learn to deal with it. It builds a certain resiliency that is needed to grow," McNamara Cimador stated. "You appreciate things more when you work hard for it."

During her collegiate career, McNamara became the first Blue Hen to finish her tenure with 1,500-plus points and 1,000-rebounds. Currently, only two other Hens have done the same in Elena Delle Donne (2009-13) and Nicole Enabosi (2015-20).

She may not broadcast that fact to many, but "eventually it always comes out" thanks to Google.

While many may want to stay atop the record books forever, it only makes McNamara Cimador prouder to be a Blue Hen.

"It is the ultimate compliment and honor to see your name move down the lists when you have someone like Elena ahead of you," she said. "We all know that just as amazing she is as a player; she is as a person. And for me, the more great players that come through Delaware is only better for the program itself, and that makes me prouder to be a part of a great program."

And for McNamara Cimador, the program is a family for life.

WBB Parker Adair McNamara — *McNamara Cimador with Danielle Parker Gumbs '13 and head coach Natasha Adair*

University of Delaware Athletics

Players Mentioned

Nicole Enabosi

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