She helped win a national championship as a player at the University of Connecticut in 2000 and won numerous individual awards, including the Sports Illustrated for Women Player of the Year and the Honda Sports Award for the best collegiate female athlete in basketball.
Ralph was drafted by the WNBA Utah Starzz, but recurring knee problems prevented her from embarking on a professional career.
Shea Ralph grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she attended Terry Sanford High School.
[4] The Terry Sanford High School graduate is best known for her basketball prowess, but she also lettered in soccer, cross-country, and track.
[4] A scholar as well as an athlete, the National Honor Society member was a recipient of the 1995 Dial Award presented annually to the top male and female high-school athlete/scholar in the United States, earning a 4.2 grade point average on a scale of 4.0.
[11] Ralph was the subject of a spirited recruiting battle, a natural consequence of her abilities leading to national high school player of the year honors.
Ralph's mother, Marsha (Mann) Lake, was an All-American basketball player for the University of North Carolina.
The head coach of Tennessee, Pat Summitt, was good friends with Marsha, so many felt one of those two schools would have the inside track.
Ralph called Geno Auriemma, the Connecticut coach, to ask what kind of role he envisioned for her at UConn.
Shortly thereafter, she made a recruiting visit to UConn, and told the coach she was ready to commit to Connecticut.
The Huskies went to the NCAA tournament all four years, making the Sweet Sixteen each time, and the Final Four in her last two seasons.
In 2000 Ralph captained the team to the national championship and at the Final Four, was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
[17] She also earned national freshman of the year honors from both the United States Basketball Writers Association and The Sporting News.
However, in the first round of the NCAA tournament, a game against Lehigh, Ralph tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee.
During her four years she wore number 33, worn previously by Jamelle Elliott, current UConn sports announcer Meghan Pattyson Culmo and subsequently by Barbara Turner.
[32] Shea was a member of the inaugural class (2006) of inductees to the University of Connecticut women's basketball "Huskies of Honor" recognition program.
Kelly Schumacher grabbed an offensive rebound and scored to bring the lead back to five points and the team held on for the win.
The final game was against Malaysia, but it wasn't close, with the US winning 79–24, to secure a 4–0 record for the competition and the gold medal.
[36] Shea Ralph was drafted in the third round (40th pick) by the Utah Starzz[37] (now the Las Vegas Aces) of the WNBA.
[39] However, Ralph decided to get back into basketball and joined the University of Pittsburgh coaching staff for the 2003-2004 season.
[40] Tensions mounted, and after strong words to some of the players, one left, leaving the team short-handed for a scrimmage.
[42] When Tonya Cardoza left UConn after the 2007-2008 season to take the head coaching position at Temple University, the school needed a new assistant.
On April 13, 2021, Ralph was named the Vanderbilt Commodores' sixth women's basketball head coach.
[48] She was a 2008 inductee into the Fayetteville Sports Club Hall of Fame[49] on the basis of her high school, college and coaching accomplishments.