Basketball
Amber Nicholas Shirey lettered from 1989-92 and was a two-time All-SWC selection. The career leader in assists at Arkansas prior to the 2002 season, no point guard has matched her team’s run of back-to-back conference titles and three consecutive NCAA appearances. She closed her career as one of two players in school history to rank on four career total lists (points, 6th; rebounds, 10th; steals, 2nd; assists, 1st). She was the MVP of the 1991 SWC tournament, leading Arkansas to the first non-Texas title. Shirey equaled her court performance in the classroom. A kinesiology major, she had over a 3.9 GPA, and twice was voted to the College Sports Information Directors of America’s Academic All-America Team. The only 1,000 point-500 assist Lady‘Back, Shirey was NCAA Woman of the Year for the state of Arkansas. She was the first Razorback female student-athlete to receive an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Shirey graduated and went on to a student coaching role for one season before being named assistant coach, a position she held for 14 seasons with two different head coaches. Becoming an assistant coach in 1993, she was an assistant for the 1998 NCAA Final Four team. Shirey currently serves as the Director of Women’s Basketball Operations for the University of Arkansas. She was inducted into the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor in 2002.
