Courtney Ryan
Courtney Ryan at the Kilsyth Sports Centre in May 2017
Personal information
Nationality United States
Born (1990-09-21) September 21, 1990
San Diego, California, U.S.
Height5 ft 3 in (160 cm)
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportSoccer, Wheelchair basketball
Disability class2.0
EventWomen's team
College teamMetropolitan State University of Denver, University of Arizona
ClubSydney Metro Blues
Medal record
Women's wheelchair basketball
Paralympic Games
Bronze medal – third place2020 TokyoTeam
World Championship
Bronze medal – third place2022 DubaiTeam
Parapan American Games
Gold medal – first place2023 SantiagoTeam
Association football career
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
0000–2008 Coronado Islanders
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2010 Metro State Roadrunners 54 (3)

Courtney Anne Ryan (born September 21, 1990) is a 2.0 point American wheelchair basketball player who played with the national team at the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Toronto in 2014. In 2017, she played for the Sydney Metro Blues in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League in Australia.

Early life

Courtney Anne Ryan was born in San Diego, California, on September 21, 1990,[1] the daughter of Kevin and Patti Ryan. She has a brother, Chris, and a sister, Caitlin. She attended Coronado High School, where she played soccer. She was Coronado's Rookie of the Year in 2007 as a junior, and as an education the following year was a first team All-Western League performer, was named to the all-section team, and was Most Valuable Player.[2]

In 2008, she entered Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she played soccer for its team, the Roadrunners. As a freshman, she played 25 games, in which she scored one goal and was credited with seven assists. In 2009, she played 24 games as a defender. She was named first team All-America and first team All-Central Region, and set a school record for defenders with 15 assists on the season.[2]

Ryan played only five games in 2010. During the fifth, against Colorado Mesa University on October 8, 2010,[2] she was tackled from behind and fell on her back. A blood clot developed that burst and leaked into her spinal cord, leaving her paralysed from the waist down. She stayed at Metro for the 2011 spring semester, then returned to San Diego. She became involved with the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and took up wheelchair basketball.[3]

Career

Pete Hughes, the head coach of the University of Arizona Wildcats women's wheelchair basketball team saw her play a game in which she sank a game-winning buzzer-beater. After the game, he offered her a scholarship. She entered the University of Arizona in the fall of 2012. She enrolled in its college of education, majoring in special education, with an emphasis in rehabilitation, planning to earn a Master's Degree in rehabilitation counselling or disability studies.[3]

Hughes was sufficiently impressed with Ryan's attitude, ability and performance that he wrote a letter of recommendation to Stephanie Wheeler, the head coach of the USA national women's wheelchair basketball team.[3] Two weeks later, she was one of 30 players invited to try out for the national teams at tryouts held in Birmingham, Alabama. In April, she was selected for the team, making her international debut in eight games against the German national team.[3][4] She played with the national team at the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Toronto.[1] The United States came fourth.[5]

In 2017, Ryan played for the Sydney Metro Blues in the Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League in Australia.[6] The Blues went on to win the league championship. [7] In August 2019, Ryan became the assistant coach of the University of Arizona women's wheelchair basketball team.[8]

She represented the United States at the 2022 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships and won a bronze medal.[9]

Personal life

Ryan is a lesbian and is married to her former University of Arizona teammate Molly Bloom.[10][11]

References

  1. 1 2 "2014 Women's Wheelchair Basketball World Championship Media Guide" (PDF). Wheelchair Basketball Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 2, 2014. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Courtney Ryan – 2010 Women's Soccer Roster, Metropolitan State University of Denver Athletics, retrieved May 22, 2017
  3. 1 2 3 4 Sanelli, Mario (August 21, 2013). "Courtney Ryan trades cleats for wheels". Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  4. ↑ Everett-Haynes, a Monica (July 18, 2013). "Wildcats Make National Wheelchair Basketball Team". University of Arizona. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Schedule & Results". 2014 WWWBC. Archived from the original on February 2, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Team Home for Sydney Metro Blues". SportsTG. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  7. ↑ "2017 Awards Winners". Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League. Retrieved August 2, 2017 – via SportsTG.
  8. ↑ "University of Arizona Adaptive Athletics – Home". Facebook. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  9. ↑ Goldberg, Steve (June 9, 2023). "U.S. Squads Enter Postponed Wheelchair Basketball Worlds With Medal Hopes". teamusa.org. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Courtney Ryan". Team USA. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Women's Wheelchair Basketball Program". Angel City Sports. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
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