Oklahoma State's Hall of Honor for Andrea Riley, AD Franch chance to 'inspire and impact people'

STILLWATER — Even nearly 15 years later, AD Franch remembers the pick-up game of basketball.

A standout at South High in Salina, Kansas, attending Oklahoma State’s summer camp, she was invited to the special game between sessions.

And Cowgirls star Andrea Riley was one of the challengers.

It was fast-paced. The competition was steep.

“We don’t take it easy on campers,” Riley recalled.

The result of the game that day in Gallagher-Iba Arena doesn’t matter as much as the impact.

“Everything that she was doing, like being introduced to her was inspiring and powerful,” Franch said.

Not long after, Franch was forging her own path at OSU.

Carlson:Who makes the cut for Oklahoma State women's sports Mount Rushmore?

She became arguably the greatest player in Cowgirls soccer history, beginning her career as Riley’s wound down in Gallagher-Iba Arena. They empowered one another from afar.

“It’s more about knowing that we inspire and impact people that we don’t even realize,” Franch said.

Friday night, they were reunited in the famed arena, this time as inductees in the revival of OSU’s Hall of Honor.

Franch, Riley and legendary Cowgirls softball coach Sandy Fischer were part of a five-person class alongside former football star Rashaun Woods and men’s golf star Lindy Miller. It was the first time in 11 years that OSU held an induction, with plans to make it an annual event.

Honoring the trio of women stars who were instrumental in shaping Cowgirls athletics was fitting, considering 50 years ago Title IX was passed to require equal treatment for women and men by public schools and universities.

“It’s a big thing, especially for women’s sports,” Riley said, “because sports are male dominated. But once you get those rare athletes, I think, you just have to give them their flowers and celebrate them, and that’s what Oklahoma State does.

“That’s why I feel like I made the right choice a long time ago.”

Riley was a two-time All-American for the Cowgirls and the first player in program history selected in the WNBA Draft, going No. 8 overall in 2010.

Earlier this year, she was also inducted into the Dallas ISD Athletic Hall of Fame and the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame.

The third and final induction had extra meaning to Riley.

More:How Oklahoma State softball became a power 50 years after Title IX era began

“I honestly feel like I grew up here,” she said. “I was here for four years and I was also here for an extra two years graduating, just having my family here. It’s hard to put it in words, honestly, because this school means so much to me.”

For Franch, the return to Stillwater is a welcome reunion.

She is currently the goalkeeper for the Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League. She’s been in the Olympics, won a FIFA Women’s World Cup with Team USA and been the NWSL goalkeeper of the year twice.

She had not returned to OSU since 2018.

Since then, Neal Patterson Stadium was opened. Franch attended a match there Thursday and spoke to the team. She told them to enjoy and embrace it.

She also realized the magnitude of Friday night alongside Riley and Fischer.

“I think what we’re accomplishing in just our sports in general allows for others to believe that they can do it as well,” Franch said. “Not just people to do it but people to be inspired to invest in it and come out and watch and support it on a regular basis, because we’re athletes and we’re freaking good at what we do.

“And it’s fun to watch greatness.”

Throughout the years, the Cowgirls have had greatness.

From Fischer — who won 901 games and 15 Big Eight titles as the softball coach — to Riley to Franch and others.

More:Want to know the impact of Title IX? Look no further than the WCWS & softball in Oklahoma

“I think there was a time when women’s sports was more or less tolerated,” said former OSU softball star Michele Smith, who played for Fischer. “I think now institutions as well as the American public are embracing the female athlete. Dads are embracing their daughters as much as their sons.

“That’s been the rightful progression of all this. It does take time, unfortunately, but we're getting there.”

For OSU, Friday night was a time to bring back honoring the past.

There was no better way than honoring three women’s sports legends. And it brought back memories of a long-ago basketball game.

That day Riley and Franch began respecting each other. They never envisioned being on the same stage together more than a decade later.

But it sure was earned.

“Life is a full circle,” Franch said. “The thing that’s really cool about Andrea Riley was I was actually here for two years of her playing her.

“I got to actually experience that live and now full circle here we are. Little things like that, it’s pretty amazing.”

Jacob Unruh covers college sports for The Oklahoman. You can send your story ideas to him at junruh@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @jacobunruh. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OSU Hall of Honor is huge for Andrea Riley, AD Franch, Sandy Fischer