Basketball

Former Iowa Basketball Star Lynn Kennedy Dies at 61; Celebration of Life Set for July 21

Remembering her pivotal role in the Hawkeyes' 1980s Big Ten dominance

Lynn Kennedy, a former University of Iowa women's basketball standout, died on July 3 at the age of 61, leaving behind a legacy that still resonates through the program's record books.

She was a cornerstone of coach C. Vivian Stringer’s historic back‑to‑back Big Ten Championship teams of 1986 and 1987, periods defined by relentless defense and disciplined execution.

During her junior year she logged a school‑record 79 steals and averaged 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, numbers that contributed to a career total of 843 points and 614 rebounds — rankings that place her 25th in Iowa history.

Kennedy also holds the school mark for nine steals in a single game, a feat achieved against Indiana on January 29, 1984, underscoring her knack for disrupting opponents.

Celebration of Life

A Celebration of Life for Kennedy is scheduled for Tuesday, July 21, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time at the Cotton Funeral Home in Newark, New Jersey, where family, friends and former teammates will gather to honor her contributions to the sport and to the university community.

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