Beene McBride jersey to be retired Saturday

This Saturday afternoon the No. 22 jersey, worn by All-American Jackie Beene McBride, will be retired. The ceremony will take place at halftime of the Cougars’ final home game of the year vs. Gonzaga. Tip off is set for 2 p.m. MST.

It is only the second time in BYU women’s basketball history that a jersey has been retired. In 2004 the No. 44 jersey worn by Tina Gunn Robison was retired.

The 6-foot guard/forward, who played at BYU from 1978-1982, was a two-time Wade Trophy Finalist (national player of the year). As a senior, she was an American Women’s Sports Federation (AWSF) first team All-American, a Basketball Weekly third team All-American and an AWSF All-America Honorable Mention honoree. In her junior season in 1981 she garnered an AWSF National Player of the Week honor and was a Kodak All-America nominee.

“Jackie was a contemporary of mine at BYU and one of the all-time great female student-athletes in school history,” said BYU director of athletics Tom Holmoe. “We are excited for the opportunity to honor her distinguished career by hanging her jersey in the Marriott Center.”  

During her sophomore year she ranked eighth nationally in field goal percentage, shooting 52.2 percent. As a junior she ranked ninth nationally in scoring with a 22.5 points average. She concluded her stellar career as the second women’s basketball player at BYU to score 2,000 points with a total of 2,191. She remains as one of only four players to have reached 2,000 points. In her senior season she ranked 29^th nationally in scoring averaging 21.4 points per game.

The four-year letterwinner is currently the third all-time leading scorer in BYU history. Her 680 rebounds rank seventh all-time, her 390 assists are ninth, her 293 steals are third and her 92 total blocks rank fifth.

Her stellar career included three Intermountain Athletic Conference (IAC) Western Division First Team citations and two AIAW Region VII All-Tournament Team awards. She was named to six all-tournament teams and picked up two tournament MVP honors.

The Cougar Club bestowed Beene McBride two prestigious accolades. In 1981 she received the Crowd Pleaser award and was the Outstanding Senior Female Athlete in 1982.  Beene McBride was inducted into the BYU Hall of Fame in November 1999.

Beene McBride graduated from BYU in 1984 with a degree in family sciences and child development. She is married to Brent McBride. The couple, who reside in Meridian, Idaho, has three children—Erin, Michael and Andi—and three grandchildren.