FRESNO, Calif. – On Feb. 11, during halftime of Fresno State's women's basketball game versus Colorado State, the program will honor local legend Yvette Roberts by retiring her number 24 jersey.
"Yvette Roberts is one of, if not the best women's basketball student-athletes to ever play for Fresno State. Her career on the court is marked by numerous records and legendary accomplishments, but her impact off the court - both at Fresno State and here in our Fresno community - is equally commendable," said Director of Athletics Terry Tumey. "We are honored to celebrate Yvette Roberts with this very deserving recognition and proud that her jersey and her legacy will inspire future Bulldogs for generations to come."
The former Washington Union standout re-wrote the Bulldogs' record book during her four years at Fresno State, putting up numbers that few have surpassed during the past 30-plus years. For more than 20 years, Roberts' 1,778 points stood atop the program's scoring list. Her 646 made field goals, the same. It took nearly 30 years for her 38 career double-doubles to be passed. While each one of those records were passed just once in the program's history, two records remain.
Rebounds. Free throws. For more than 30 years of Bulldog history, Roberts' 984 rebounds and 486 made free throws have stood atop their lists in the record book.
During her 113-game career, the Fresno native averaged 15.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, just one of two players in program history to average at least 15 and 8 in a career.
Roberts holds the distinction of being the only Bulldog to be recognized as a three-time All-American according to the American Women's Sports Federation. She was selected to the second team in 1987, fourth team in 1988 and third team in 1989. She was a three-time All-America honorable mention by the Women's Basketball News Service.
In 1989, Roberts was named the Fresno State Bulldog Female Athlete of the Year. After college, Roberts won three straight national championships while playing in the Netherlands (1993-95) and earned three championship tournament or season MVP awards during the remainder of her career, which saw her play in Sweden, Germany and Belgium.
Roberts has gone on to serve the Fresno community as a social worker and in 2011, she was given the Department of Athletics Top Dog Alumni Award, the highest honor given by the Fresno State Alumni Association and the University.
Roberts' jersey is the second to be retired in Fresno State women's basketball history. It will be hung beside her former teammate Wendy Martell's No. 34 in the rafters of the Save Mart Center.