Lisa Williams Burgess was humbled simply to be nominated for the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
“I didn’t really expect to be inducted,” Burgess said. “There are so many incredible athletes in my era. There were so many good players before and after me. I’m honored to think my high school career stood the test of time in Indiana.”
The 1995 Carmel High School graduate will be inducted April 27 into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame at the Women’s Awards Dinner at Primo Banquet Hall in Indianapolis. The 5-foot-11 Burgess, whose maiden name is Williams, led the Greyhounds to an IHSAA state runner-up appearance as a senior.
“All four years we had a special team,” Burgess said. “We lost some talented basketball players in 1995. But we kept finding ways to win, that made it really special.”
Burgess said it also was special because then-Carmel coach Judi Warren led Warsaw to the first IHSAA state girls basketball state title in 1976.
Burgess also was second-team all-state in volleyball in 1994 and a four-time state qualifier in the 1,600-meter relay and three-time state finalist in the 800 meters and in track and field. Burgess had 11 varsity letters.
“I feel fortunate that in Carmel I was around a lot of great athletes,” Burgess said. “I played club soccer for a while. I was around a lot of kids that were driven.”
Basketball was her main love.
“I’ve loved basketball since I was tiny,” Burgess said. “I liked volleyball, a lot but the physicality of the basketball is what I liked the most.”
Burgess scored nearly 1,100 points for the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team. She said she had a good career, but the team struggled to succeed in the SEC.
“We had to grow our bench (play),” Burgess said. “But our bench couldn’t handle the bench of Tennessee then. But I wouldn’t trade playing against all the great SEC players.”
Burgess is a relationship manager for Comerica in Columbia, S.C. Her two daughters, Courtney, 16, and Emily, 14, are top volleyball players.
