It is presented annually to the women's college basketball head coach who displays great personal character on and off the court.

Yow received her Bachelor of Science degree in English from East Carolina University in 1964, she was a member of the Delta Zeta sorority.

At the time of her death, she ranked as the fifth winningest active NCAA Division I women's basketball coach.

[9] Yow was the head coach of the team representing the US at the World University Games held in Bucharest, Romania in July 1981.

The USA fell behind by sixteen and could not close the gap—the USSR team won 98–79 to claim the gold medal, leaving the US with the silver.

[10] Yow served as an assistant coach of the team representing the US in 1984 at the William Jones Cup competition in Taipei, Taiwan.

[11] Yow was named head coach of the USA National Team which would compete at the 1986 World Championships and the 1990 Olympics.

They defeated China in the quarterfinals, and Canada in the semifinals, to set up the championship match against the undefeated host Soviet Union.

Although the USA had recently defeated the Soviets in the Goodwill Games, Americans wanted to demonstrate that the victory was no "fluke".

The USA team started the game with the first eight points, and had a 15–1 run during the second half, and won in convincing fashion 108–88 to win the gold medal and the world championship.

Susan served as an assistant coach for two now-defunct WNBA teams, the Charlotte Sting and the Cleveland Rockers.

[17][18] After her 1987 breast cancer diagnosis, Yow became active in raising awareness as well as money to battle the disease.

[22][23] In her obituary, the Charlotte Observer said, "Yow never lost her folksy, easygoing manner and refused to dwell on her health issues, though they colored everything she did almost as much as basketball.

[24] More than 1,400 people attended the funeral on January 30 at Colonial Baptist Church in Cary, as Yow thanked her supporters on the video.