Cavalier Corner

CAVS FOR LIFE SPOTLIGHT MONICA WRIGHT Meet Monica Wright, a University of Virginia alumna from Woodbridge, Va., who has forever left her mark on the women's basketball program. In her first season, she was named the ACC 2006‑07 Rookie of the Year and in her second season she was named to the All‑Defensive team and scored her 1,000th point. Her third year she made the All‑ACC team as the conference's top scorer. She ended her fourth year as ACC Defensive Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and as the National Defensive Player of the Year. To say the least, Monica was a huge contributor to the success of UVa women's basketball during her time at the University, and her success did not stop there. Monica was drafted second overall in 2010 to the Minnesota Lynx. They have gone on to win two WNBA titles, one in 2011 and the other in 2013. Looking back on her career at UVa, Monica said that her time at the Uni‑ versity taught her many lessons that have stuck with her — one of which is that the University of Virginia breeds a different kind of person and student‑athlete. The effects of traditions and different concepts put in place, such as the Honor System and Uncompromised Excellence, are easy to spot in UVa students and graduates across the country. It is no surprise that the lessons students learn at UVa do not only prepare them for their transition into the real world, but also prepares them to be better citizens. To expand on the topic of Uncompromised Excellence, which has been a trope of the athletics department since Craig Littlepage became the athletics director, Monica's take on Uncompromised Excellence in retrospect is that, "There was no funny business or things of that nature taking place as we strove to achieve excellence. We were held to the standards of integrity, being professional, doing the right thing on a daily basis and not cutting corners." This mantra, though specific to UVa student‑athletes, can be applied to all facets of life even after departing from the University. Just as the athletics program has given Monica so much and has taught her many intangible lessons, she has also found the importance of giving back to the Virginia Athletics Foundation. During her time at UVa, Monica was able to attend an ACC leadership conference for student‑athletes and was better able to understand how much her school and the Virginia Athletics Foundation does to fund and create great experiences for UVa student‑athletes. It was from there that she realized, "It's always a good idea to give back and to give what you can; really just to pay it forward because the school gave so many resources to me." Western Wahoo Weekend (UVa @ UCLA) Sept. 4‑6, 2015 Location: Los Angeles, Calif. 40-Year Milestone Dinner Sept. 18, 2015 Celebrating longtime donors who reached their milestone year in 2014 Homecoming Oct. 17, 2015 Syracuse vs. UVa game All student‑athlete alumni receive two complimentary tickets Tee It Up Golf Tournament Oct. 30, 2015 Benefits the Men's and Women's Golf Programs UPCOMING VAF EVENTS

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