UNCW women’s basketball to retire Sheila Boles’ jersey number

A local legend is heading to the rafters at Trask Coliseum.

Sheila Boles, UNCW’s first female scholarship student-athlete, will have her No. 25 jersey retired by the Seahawks during a halftime ceremony on Feb. 9, 2020, at Trask Coliseum. The UNCW women’s basketball team hosts William & Mary at 2 p.m. that Sunday.

“Sheila Boles has been an exemplary representative of our university and program throughout her playing and coaching career,” UNCW athletic director Jimmy Bass said. “She was a true pioneer for our program who was here when it all began. We’re very excited about honoring Sheila for her many accomplishments. We hope the community and Seahawk Nation will join us on this very special day in February.”

Boles will be the second former UNCW women’s basketball player to have her number retired, joining all-time leading scorer Gwen Austin.

Boles was a two-sport student-athlete for the Seahawks from 1973-76. She played on the school’s first women’s basketball team in 1973 and became the school’s first recipient of a women’s basketball scholarship in 1974. Boles was a three-time team MVP in women’s basketball and was named NAIA District 28 Player of the Year in 1976.

She also played on the volleyball team that captured the 1974 AIAW state championship.

Boles continued to impact the local basketball scene after graduation, coaching the boys basketball team at Hoggard for 11 seasons and compiling a record of 167-121. She also served as the Vikings’ athletic director from 1999-2008.

Boles has collected an array of honors for her coaching and administrative skills. She was named NCHSAA Athletic Director of the Year in 2008 and was inducted into the NCHSAA Hall of Fame and Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

She became the 42nd individual inducted into the UNCW Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012, and in March that year, she was honored by the Colonial Athletic Association as a CAA Legend at the league’s championship tournament.

“She’s an icon, a role model and a giant in the state of North Carolina,” UNCW head coach Karen Barefoot said. “She put women’s basketball on the map at UNCW by earning the first scholarship here. After graduating, she went on to do amazing things. Our women’s basketball team and extended family are excited to see her honored in this way.”

– Reporter Jackson Fuller can be reached at 910-343-2262 and Jackson.Fuller@StarNewsOnline.com