* * Amy Wetzel Doolan reminisces about her "Dream Team"

In a recent movie made about “The Dream Team,” the 1992 American Olympic Basketball Team, superstar Michael Jordan said, “What we did will go down in history as one of the biggest things that ever, ever happened, and it won’t ever be duplicated.”

Amy Wetzel Doolan played for Virginia Tech’s Dream Team. I met her for tea to talk about her experience playing experience on the Hokie Women’s Basketball Team from 1996 until 2001.

“It was special. I came to Blacksburg in 1996, recruited by Beth Dunkenberger who was an assistant to Carol Alfano at the time. I was recruited by lots of schools, but I chose Tech even though I had no ties to it whatsoever. Before I met Beth I had really never heard of it. It was far enough from my home in Pennsylvania but not too far. I was from Ashland, Pennsylvania which is a coal mining, rural area, near Reading. I participated in AAU sports and that’s how Tech found out about me. I set lots of scoring records at my high school.

“I didn’t start playing ball until seventh grade. I was a cheerleader and gymnast, which goes hand-in-hand. At 116 pounds, I got too big and heavy. I started playing ball at a nearby park. I played good defense, had good footwork, and became a starter for the team. I became one of the better players and once in high school, started getting some attention.” She led her North Schuylkill team to a 107-12 record, four league championships and a PIAA Eastern Pennsylvania Class AAA title in her four years. “Kobe Bryant was from Philadelphia. In 1996, he and I were named the Keystone State Games Basketball Most Valuable Players of the Tournament.

“I remember my first visit (to Tech). I loved the place. It felt like home but even better. Everyone was so friendly and supportive. I remember making my decision and telling my folks that Virginia Tech was the place for me. It felt right to me then and has felt more right to me every day since.”

Not everything went well for her and the team, at least right away. She made the starting line-up for Alfano, but she got a stress fracture in her foot and was sidelined. Alfano was fired and Bonnie Henrickson was hired in her place. Henrickson was a taskmaster who demanded total dedication from her team while outworking everyone herself. Amy, playing with Lisa Witherspoon, Michelle Hollister, Katie O’Connor, Tere Williams, and Kim Seaver, soon found unmatched success. “It was grueling and difficult, but Bonnie got us where we needed to be. We had a love-hate relationship at the time, but I give her a lot of credit for making me who I am today.”

Winning started coming more frequently. But what was incredible was the exploding fan support. Soon the Women’s team was outdrawing the Men’s and the Blacksburg community embraced the team like nothing ever seen before. That’s when my family met Amy, as we loved attending games and showing our young daughter how women could be successful in sports. The players became beloved like rock stars! Everyone in town talked about them. “Being in the moment back then,” Amy admitted, “I’m not sure if I appreciated how special it really was. But now I realize…

“I am a very competitive person; I’m competitive in every aspect of life.” Amy gestured widely with her long, expressive fingers and brushed her signature blond bangs from her forehead. “My competitive nature has made me who I am today.” Amy ended her career as the sixth-leading scorer in Tech history with 1,444 points. The 2000 Atlantic 10 defensive player of the year also ranks second in steals (235) and third in assists (399).

 She studied Biology at Tech and later went to the Via College of Osteopathic Medicine where she got her Doctor of Osteopathy degree. She met her husband, Keith Doolan, who is a trainer for the football team. They married in 2003 before she started med school.

“Bonnie instilled in all of us that we needed to make good decisions in life as well as on the court. She insisted we reach out to the community and become role models for the children. It came naturally to me and I loved it.” Amy admitted that her team’s popularity involved a bit of unexplainable magic, too. “The community embraced us in a way I never thought possible. But I think there’s something magical about the Blacksburg and Virginia Tech communities overall that can’t really be explained or engineered. People in Blacksburg and Christiansburg love sports and Virginia Tech. On a weekly basis, people still recognize me and thank me for being a part of their lives. It’s very moving for me, very special. There were kids then who are now in their 20s and they still idolize me. I hope my children have good role models as I tried to be for those kids.

“Without Virginia Tech Basketball, I wouldn’t be where I am today, a doctor, wife, and mother of two. I am forever grateful to Blacksburg, Virginia Tech, and all the people who have supported me. It has been a wonderful ride. In 2008, I was inducted into the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament Legends and I was recently named to the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame. It’s a great story and it continues on, every day I’m here.”

I’m guessing it will never be duplicated.