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dionne-anthon-photo-by-gayle-garson-dp-file-photo
Penn alum Dionne Anthon during a game against Temple on Dec. 3, 1991 (Photo by Gayle Garson:DP File Photo).

On Nov. 9, former Penn women's basketball player Dionne Anthon was announced to be inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame. 

"I was pleasantly surprised," Anthon said. "It’s been 30 years since I graduated, and I played competitively. So, to get this recognition at this time, it’s a great honor."

During her time at Penn from 1988 until 1992, she was a dynamic player on the court. Her name is prevalent in several areas of the Penn program record book. 

Among her remarkable achievements, Anthon ranks eighth in career points in Quakers' women's basketball history after amassing an impressive 1,293 points during her tenure at Penn. Furthermore, Anthon ranks sixth in all-time assists and free throws, boasting 294 assists and making 295 free throws.

Complementing these records, Anthon's stellar basketball career includes being named first-team All-Ivy in 1991-92, second-team All-Ivy in 1990-91, and second-team All-Big 5 in each of those two seasons. A two-time team captain and the 1992 Team MVP, she further solidified her legacy with her induction into the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010. 

"I know I’m getting this recognition, but it is not for me alone. It is for everyone," Anthon underscored. "One teammate at Penn, in particular, because we both started at the same time, was Jennifer Dorfmeister [who played from 1989 to 1992]. Looking at the record books, you will certainly see her name for three-point shooting, and I would not have had the success I have had without her, without my other teammates and the coaches."

After graduating from Penn, she went on to get her MBA at Georgetown and worked in IT consulting. In 2002, she came back to Penn to study at the Penn Carey Law School, graduating in 2005. She then obtained a clerkship with a federal judge and became a legal research and writing professor at Widener University Commonwealth Law School. From Widener Law School, she went on to teach at Florida International University College of Law, and in 2017, she left the law school to pursue a career in hotel business, where she has been working since.

"One of my greatest experiences was playing basketball at Penn. It was such a great thing to do, and I know getting into the hall of fame would not have been possible without the teammates I had," Anthon highlighted.