Shannon Donnelly had her No. 35 jersey retired by the Cal State Stanislaus women's basketball team in 2003.

The 1999 Ceres High graduate was inducted into the Warriors' Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.

Donnelly became the first women's basketball player to gain induction into the 2016 California Collegiate Athletic Association Hall of Fame.

She celebrated the major accomplishment with family and friends on June 1 at Santa Rosa's Fountaingrove Inn.

"I would like to thank my parents for all of their support through the years," Shannon said. "And I want to thank Stanislaus State for providing me the opportunity and awarding me their first full-ride scholarship for basketball."

"I'm very proud of her," said Shawna Nunes, Donnelly's coach at the prep level for three seasons. "She worked really hard. All she did was want to learn. Nobody was going to stop her from accomplishing her goals. That never changed. When she graduated, she had the highest number of records at Stanislaus State. She had a great career."

Shannon was a three-time All-American and four-time All-Region player at Stanislaus.

She averaged 20.4 points and 11.5 rebounds per game and led the Warriors into the NCAA Division II tournament for the first time in 12 years in 2002-03.

In four seasons, Donnelly averaged 19.9 points and 11.3 rebounds per game and shot 52.7 percent from the field as Stanislaus amassed a 66-45 overall record. She holds nearly every offensive record in program history, including points in a game (42) and career (2,088). Her single-season averages of 21.9 points (2002-03) and 12.8 rebounds (1999-00) are also school records.

"I had three coaches in four years (at Stanislaus) and I learned something different from all three of them," Donnelly said. "I wish my teammates were here with me tonight because I couldn't have done all of that without them. I couldn't pass the ball to myself."

Donnelly developed a love for basketball while at Ceres High.

She learned an assortment of post moves under Mike Lopes' guidance at the frosh level. Shannon played a major role in leading the Bulldogs to a 28-0 record.
Donnelly was promoted to varsity as a sophomore. Shannon grew six inches, from 5-foot-6 to 6-foot over the summer.

Shannon contributed off the bench during her first season with the Bulldogs.

Donnelly had a breakout game in the playoffs.

She tallied 16 points, 17 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in Ceres High's 62-43 win over Elk Grove.

Donnelly won the Central California Conference's Most Valuable Player award during her junior and senior years. Her teams posted a combined record of 51-12, won one league title and participated in the playoffs twice.

Shannon led the Bulldogs to a 30-3 overall record, second-place finish at the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-I tournament and perfect 18-0 mark in the CCC in 1998-99.

"We actually took a look at her as a freshman," Nunes said. "She wasn't going to get a lot of playing time so we didn't move her up. She became a power and a force. She was really fun to coach. She had great eye-hand coordination. She had mental strength. She was very competitive. She was unselfish. She made her teammates better."

Shannon excelled the moment she stepped onto the court at the collegiate level.

She had 27 points and 14 rebounds in her debut, a 79-69 loss at the University of Alaska-Anchorage.

Donnelly played professionally overseas.

She spent parts of two seasons with Ullern in Oslo, Norway.

She led the club to a second-place finish at the Norwegian Basketball Association Championships in 2003-04.

Donnelly averaged 36.3 points, 15.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals in 12 games.

Shannon earned a tryout with the Sacramento Monarchs in May of 2005.

Donnelly wasn't always a superstar.

She played on the B-team each year in junior high.

"Shannon was cut as a seventh and eighth grader," Nunes said. "She never stopped working. Everything she could learn, she did."