Ellington Hoop Legend Elected to CT Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

ELLINGTON, CT - A state championship game Most Valuable Player from Ellington High School is among seven new electees to the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, according to an announcement released by that organization Tuesday.

Dr. Jennifer Monti, a 1998 Ellington graduate, is one of 18 players in Connecticut girls' basketball history prior to the 2015-16 season to reach the 2,000-point club, finishing with an Ellington record 2,089. She was a member of Hall of Fame coach Bill Fortin's teams which finished second in Class M in 1996 and went on to win the Class M championship in 1997, a game in which she was named Most Valuable Player.

As Ellington's point guard, Monti averaged 23.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game. She was a four-time all-conference and three-time all-state selection. As a senior, she was named the Gatorade Connecticut Girls' Basketball Player of the Year, as well as being named player of the year by the New Haven Register and Hartford Courant.

Monti went on to play at Harvard University, where she set what is still the Ivy League record for career assists with 558, earning All-Ivy League honors twice and being named the winner of Harvard's Mary G. Paget Prize in 2002 for the senior contributing most to women's athletics.

She is currently a cardiologist at the University of Pennsylvania, and resides in Philadelphia.

The 2016 inductees (pictured in this order) are:

• Kara Crismale-Burgarella, High School Player, Guilford H.S.
• Jennifer Monti, High School Player, Ellington H.S.
• Bill Scarlata, High School Coach, Norwich Free Academy
• Carla Berube, College Player, UConn
• Francine Perry Little, College Player, Quinnipiac
• Charlene Shepard, Referee, New Britain
• Judy Sylvester, Honorary, Hamden

The 29th annual Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held Wednesday, April 20 at Cascade Banquet Facility, 480 Sherman Avenue, Hamden. Ticket information may be obtained from Ann V. Fariss at 203-378-6581 or avfariss@sbcglobal.net.

The Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame was the first organization of its kind in the country. It was created in 1987 by five professional and personal friends who strongly felt the need to honor outstanding basketball players, coaches, officials, and advocates.

The Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to the enhancement of women’s basketball in Connecticut - either through participation, through service, through support, or through achievement. The 2016 Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Famers exemplify the finest achievements in Connecticut.

Photos courtesy of Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame