From Press Release
A chance to meet legendary basketball star Jackie Stiles and watch the movie about her amazing career is set for Tuesday, March 1 at the Gillioz Theatre in Springfield.
Missouri Sports Hall of Fame President Byron Shive on Monday announced a special VIP Reception presented by Reliable Chevrolet, Elite Mercedes-Benz, Infiniti of Springfield. It will be held between the two debut screenings of “The Jackie Stiles Story,” which details the rise of the legendary Missouri State Lady Bear who ended her career as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball history.
The VIP Reception is set for 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at The Gallery at the Gillioz. A VIP Reception ticket is $100, or $125 with entrance into one of the two film screenings. The ticket includes an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, an autographed movie poster, and a chance to meet Jackie and movie producers. Call 417-889-3100 for more information or to reserve tickets.
The reception takes place between the movie’s two showings, which are set for 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Stiles played for the Lady Bears from 1998 and 2001 and scored 3,393 points. She also led the 2001 team to the Final Four, the culmination of a collegiate career that featured numerous national and conference awards and recognition. Stiles also played for the gold medal-winning USA Basketball Jones Cup team in 2000.
In 2001, Stiles earned Kodak First Team All-America honors in addition to Associated Press First Team recognition. She also was named the Women’s Basketball News Service Player of the Year.
Stiles was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. A larger-than-life bronze statue of Stiles stands at the start of The Legends Walkway at the Hall of Fame in southeast Springfield.
After her senior season, Stiles was the No. 4 overall selection by the Portland Fire in the Women’s National Basketball Association Draft. She was voted to the 2001 WNBA All-Star team and was the league’s Rookie of the Year. She also played for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002 and professionally in Australia.
Stiles, who was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in June 2016, has been an assistant women’s basketball coach in recent years. She coached for Missouri State for seven seasons and spent a season at the University of Oklahoma.
Her scoring record stood until Feb. 25, 2017, and her single-season scoring record of 1,062 points (set in 2001) remained the only 1,000-point season in D-I women’s basketball history until 2014.
Synopsis from IMDb:
Jackie Stiles averages 47.5 points a game in High School. 30 points per game in College. Sets the all-time NCAA scoring record. Becomes a national phenomenon. She turns professional. Is named the WNBA Rookie-of-the-Year. And then Jackie Stiles…..disappears.
This is the story of a 5’8″ girl from a small Kansas town, population 600, who became a basketball legend in the Midwest. Against all odds, Jackie became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history. A record she held for 16 years. This feat was accomplished through hard work and unwavering determination. Her coaches and teammates agree that Jackie’s work ethic will probably never be matched.
Even though schools like UConn and Tennessee offered Jackie basketball scholarships she chose to play at small-Missouri State University, known as SMS at the time. Jackie’s father, Pat, a successful High School coach, told Jackie that if she picked SMS she would never be an All-American or go to the Final Four. To Pat’s delight, she did both!
Jackie lead SMS to the Final Four beating teams like Rutgers, Duke and Washington in the Big Dance. When Jackie fouled out in the Washington game, the Washington fans gave her a standing ovation. When SMS played the favored Duke, Jackie was guarded by future 2-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Alana Beard. Jackie dropped 41 points.
After being drafted 4th in the 2001 WNBA Draft, Jackie went on to become the Rookie-of-the-Year for the Portland Fire. Unfortunately her professional career was cut short due to injuries. Many believe the injuries were due to all the wear and tear on her body because of her intense workouts throughout her life.
Jackie has beat numerous opponents throughout her career but now she is facing her biggest challenge. In 2017, Jackie was diagnosed with Ocular Melanoma cancer in her eye. This form of cancer can be fatal, but if anyone can beat this, it’s Jackie.
Jackie is a inspiration, role model and a great ambassador for Women’s basketball and the WNBA.
Loyola-Marymount head coach, Charity Elliot, said “The Story of Jackie Stiles is…..Anything is Possible!”
(Photos courtesy IMBd page)
