Georgeann Wells, a 6-7 center from Columbus, Ohio, was a four-year letterwinner on WVU’s women’s basketball teams from 1983-86.
Most notably, Wells became the first women’s college basketball player to dunk in a game when she did so against Charleston on Dec. 21, 1984, at Elkins’ Randolph County Armory during the Mountaineer Christmas Classic.
The dunk instantly made her a national celebrity. Network television, Sports Illustrated, an NCAA luncheon in New York, a display in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the Women’s College Basketball Hall of Fame and induction into Houston's Phi Slamma Jama dunking fraternity were just a few of the highlights of one of the school's most memorable moments. Unmatched until 1994, the feat is still one of the sport's most talked-about accomplishments.
Wells came to WVU as a heavily recruited prep star from Northland High. As a Mountaineer she averaged a double-double for her career (14.0 ppg, 10.1 rpg).
She scored 1,484 career points, grabbed 1,075 rebounds and tallied 436 blocks, which still stands by far as the school record. She played in 106 games with 68 career starts, including all 28 her senior season. She was also team captain as a senior. WVU was 66-51 during her career, which included four Atlantic 10 tournament appearances and the postseason WNIT in 1985.
She set numerous WVU single game, single season and career blocked shot records, including 17 blocked shots against Marshall in 1983 and 140 during the 1985-86 season.
While at WVU she was an AWSF All-America Honorable mention in 1986, a 1983 AWSF freshman All-America, a two-time all-Atlantic 10 first team member in 1985 and 1986, AWSF third-team All-America in 1985, 1985 Kodak All-East and second-team all-Atlantic 10 in 1984.
After finishing her career with the Mountaineers, Wells briefly toured with the Harlem Globetrotters and was a part of Converse’s “Rocking the Neighborhood” campaign. She then played and coached professionally in Japan from 1986-92, and in Spain, Italy and France from 1992-2003.
Wells graduated from Huntington University in 2003 with a degree in elementary and physical education.
She was named an inaugural member of WVU’s Mountaineer Legends Society in 2017.
